Fall colours are moving · this week's report covers all 8 regions Leaf report
Est. 2010 47 parks in 8 regions Fall report Thursday, Sept 24 Verified on the ground every weekend
Know the park before you go

Canada's parks. Where to go. When to go. What to know.

New Fall Colour Tracker →

The real story on 47 national and provincial parks, from a team that has been taking people to them since 2010. When to go, what's worth it, what to skip, and the best way in, with or without a car.

Where do you want to go?
BC Coast 5 parks The Rockies 6 parks The Prairies 5 parks Northern Ontario 5 parks Algonquin & Southern Ontario 12 parks Quebec 7 parks The Maritimes 5 parks Newfoundland & Labrador 2 parks
Or skip ahead to this fall's trips →
47 parks across 8 regions ✶ 300,000+ riders since 2010 ✶ ★ 4.6 on Google
Fall colour tracker · updated Thursday, Sept 24

Find out when and where to see the best colours

Canada's only national fall colour tracker. Pulled from park websites and provincial tourism boards, then verified every weekend by Parkbus guides on the ground and by outfitters across the country.

Peak fall colour around a lake in Ontario, from above Algonquin & Southern Ontario Building. Peak expected Sept 28 to Oct 10.
At peak this week
The Prairies

Elk Island National Park

85%COLOUR · RED AND ORANGE Parkbus goes here The Rockies

Waterton Lakes National Park

66%COLOUR · ORANGE AND YELLOW Parkbus goes here The Prairies

Prince Albert National Park

90%COLOUR · RED AND ORANGE Peak Sept 18 to Sept 30 The Rockies

Banff National Park (Larch Valley & Lake Louise)

83%COLOUR · RED AND ORANGE Peak Sept 20 to Oct 2
Open the fall colour tracker

All 47 parks, week by week, with the Parkbus trips that go there

The parks

Take a deep dive into the best parks in Canada.

Canada has plenty of nature to offer, but these are the ones you can't miss. We tell you the best months to visit, the trails worth your time, where to swim, what the crowds do and what you should do instead, and how to get there.

Lakes in Algonquin Park seen from above
Algonquin & Southern Ontario

Algonquin Provincial Park

7,653 square kilometres of lakes and maple hills. The Highway 60 corridor peaks around Thanksgiving.

Guide reviewed Sept 2026
3 h from TorontoParkbus goes here
Turquoise water and cliffs at the Grotto, Bruce Peninsula
Algonquin & Southern Ontario

Bruce Peninsula National Park

The Grotto, Georgian Bay water you can see the bottom of, and a Dark Sky Preserve after sunset.

Guide reviewed Sept 2026
3.5 h from TorontoParkbus goes here
Alpine meadow and peaks in Garibaldi Provincial Park
BC Coast

Garibaldi Provincial Park

Garibaldi Lake is 18 km return and 900 metres up. The blue is real. Our toughest day trip.

Guide reviewed Sept 2026
1.5 h from VancouverParkbus goes here
Merrymakedge Beach at Kejimkujik
The Maritimes

Kejimkujik National Park

A national park and a national historic site at once. Warm lakes, old forest, Mi'kmaw petroglyphs.

Guide reviewed Sept 2026
2.5 h from HalifaxParkbus goes here
The marsh boardwalk at Point Pelee
Algonquin & Southern Ontario

Point Pelee National Park

The southern tip of mainland Canada. Bird migration in May, the Perseids in August, and oTENTiks to sleep in.

Guide reviewed Sept 2026
3.5 h from TorontoParkbus goes here
A waterfall pool in Golden Ears Provincial Park
BC Coast

Golden Ears Provincial Park

Waterfalls, old growth and Alouette Lake, an hour from downtown. The easy Vancouver day out.

Guide reviewed Sept 2026
1 h from VancouverParkbus goes here
Windswept pine at Killbear Provincial Park
Algonquin & Southern Ontario

Killbear Provincial Park

Smooth pink granite and windswept pines on Georgian Bay. The one that looks like a Group of Seven painting.

Guide reviewed Sept 2026
3 h from TorontoParkbus goes here
A railway tunnel cut through the granite of the Coquihalla Canyon
BC Coast

Coquihalla Canyon (Othello Tunnels)

Five old railway tunnels through a granite canyon near Hope. Flat, short, and one of the best walks in BC.

Guide reviewed Sept 2026
2 h from VancouverParkbus goes here
Hikers on a trail in Rouge National Urban Park
Algonquin & Southern Ontario

Rouge National Urban Park

Canada's first national urban park, inside Toronto. Beach, marsh and 12 km of trail, no car needed.

Guide reviewed Sept 2026
45 min from TorontoParkbus goes here

Also in the guide: Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Waterton Lakes, Elk Island, Riding Mountain, Lake Superior, Killarney, Mont-Tremblant, Gatineau, Fundy, Cape Breton Highlands, Gros Morne and 26 more. See all 47 parks by region →

The trips · handpicked after 16 years of doing this

The best trips in Canada

These are the trips we'd send our own friends on. A few dates a year, small groups, the bus from the city, a tent or a bed already set up, and someone who knows the park. They sell out.

Sixteen years of running buses into these parks means sixteen years of relationships: with the parks, the outfitters and the lodges. So every trip is timed for the best week of the year, stays where we would stay, and gets there the easiest way.

16years of trips into Canada's parks
300,000+riders carried since 2010
99routes into parks and wild places
4.6on Google, across 16 years of reviews
TICOregistered travel retailer, no. 5003628
A safari tent on a wooden platform at Four Corners Algonquin
Four Corners AlgonquinOct 10 to 12, 2026

Thanksgiving Glamping Weekend

Safari tents at peak colour, deep in the park and far from Highway 60. Bus from Toronto, meals, and a guide for the trails. Bring a bag, not a car full of gear.

Booking now→
 Meteors over a pine forest
Point Pelee National ParkAugust 2027

Perseid Meteor Weekend

Two nights in oTENTiks at the southern tip of Canada, with an astronomer on the night the shower peaks. Sold out both summers so far.

2027 dates coming→
 A canvas oTENTik in the woods
Georgian Bay Islands National ParkSummer 2027

Island Weekend on Beausoleil

oTENTiks on an island you can only reach by boat. Windswept pines, granite shoreline, and water so clear it doesn't look like Ontario.

2027 dates coming→
 A group around a campfire at night
Killarney Provincial ParkFall weekends

Killarney Weekend

White quartzite ridges, the Crack, and the lakes that made the Group of Seven stay. Camp with your gear or book a set-up tent.

See dates→

Overnight trips are sold by Parkbus Inc., TICO registration 5003628. The full price per person, including tax, is shown on every trip page before you book.

See every trip
ActiveDays

Want someone who knows the way?

Some parks are better with a guide.

ActiveDays takes small groups into the parks for guided hikes, canoe days and bike tours. The route is figured out. The logistics are sorted. There's an expert on the bus who knows the park when you get there.

You just show up and go.

See upcoming ActiveDays →
An ActiveDays guide talking to the group on the bus
Expert guide
A guided group on the rocks at peak fall colour
Get out there together

Guided trips on sale now

Every one leaves from Toronto with a guide on board. One busload each, so they go early.

The cliffs at Lion's Head above Georgian Bay8 seats left
From Toronto · Guided hike

Lion's Head

The lookout over Georgian Bay that ends up on every fall colour list. About 10 km, with a guide who knows which way round to walk it.

Sat Oct 3 · also Oct 11, 25from $100
A guided group at a lookout in Algonquin
From Toronto · Guided hike

Algonquin Track & Tower

The classic Algonquin loop, up to the old fire tower site at peak colour. 7.5 km, and the view earns it.

Sat Oct 17from $98
Stubbs Falls at Arrowhead Provincial Park
From Toronto · Guided hike

Arrowhead Provincial Park

Stubbs Falls, the Big Bend lookout and a Muskoka lake in October. Gentle trails, big colour.

Sun Oct 11from $98
See every guided trip →

This is what a guided day looks like

Hikes, canoe days and bike tours. Every one of these is a trip we run. Swipe through, or tap a photo to see it big.

Parkbus

Don't want to drive? We can fix that.

Knowing where to go is one thing. Getting there is another.

Parkbus has been taking people from Canadian cities into parks since 2010. We go where the good stuff is, not just to the highway exit. No car. No parking headache. No figuring out who is going to drive.

Pick a park. Pick a date. Get on the bus.

See where Parkbus can take you →
A Parkbus coach coming down a forest road
Ontario camping

Campsites are hard to book. We tell you exactly when.

Ontario Parks opens one arrival date a day, five months out, at 7:00 a.m. The good sites are gone in a minute. Our calendar shows what opens tomorrow, which weekends need an alarm, and emails you the night before. Miss the drop, and we email you the sites that free up.

  • thursdayMon Mar 1, 2027 arrivals open at 7:00 a.m. ET
  • Any dayPick an arrival date and get the exact morning to book it
  • FreeCancellation alerts for any Ontario park, straight to your inbox
See what opens next → Get cancellation alerts
The Visit Canada Parks arrival calendar, with the days that open this week in goldThe arrival calendar · opens this week in gold
★★★★★
We were very fortunate to have experienced the beauty of the park in a new way. The program offered was fun, adventurous and well organized. We definitely plan to come back!
Geoff, Marina, Vera & Victoria Burke · Overnight trip
★★★★★
I just recently went on my first guided tour with a friend of mine from work. And man, was it amazing! We lucked out and had the best tour guide named Jer. I highly recommend this! Speaking from someone who doesn't drive. This is a must!!
Linda Ann · Facebook · ActiveDays trip
★★★★★
Highly recommend them for Joffre's lake or even Golden Ears/Garibaldi trip. The bus service is so useful for people who doesn't want to drive. Total worth the cost if you want to avoid hassle driving/parking.
Sidhant Duggal · Facebook · Parkbus trip
Who writes this

Sixteen years of going to the parks

Visit Canada Parks is run by Parkbus. We started in 2010 with one bus from Toronto to Algonquin. Since then we've carried more than 300,000 people to parks across the country, and we work directly with the people who run them. The guides here come from those trips.

A Parkbus group in front of the coachOne busload. Every Saturday since 2010.
2010First trip, Toronto to Algonquin
300,000+Riders carried since then
99Routes into parks and wild places
47Parks in the guide, and growing

What people say about our trips

★★★★★  4.6/5.0 on Google across 16 years of Parkbus trips

★★★★★
Took a day trip to Algonquin Park with Parkbus. They pick up on Asquith Ave. in the Bloor/Yonge area and have a quick break stop at the Onroute Barrie. All stops enable guests ample time to explore the destination. This is a highly recommended trip for those that appreciate spending time in nature minus distractions.
OnAir48444 · Tripadvisor· Oct 2025
★★★★★
We took Parkbus' first trip from Halifax to Keji and what a great experience it was! The amount of time we were given in the park was perfect for a day trip, we did some canoeing, hiking, and our toddler had a great time on the playground. The bus was on time and all staff involved were pleasant and friendly!
Rebecca McLeod · Google Local Guide
★★★★★
It was wonderful to visit the campsites where we used to stay before. The campsites are nicely dispersed in the woods, solar lights along the paths, comfortable comfort station, and the food was excellent! I was very impressed by the service provided.
Geoff, Marina, Vera & Victoria Burke · by email· Four Corners, Algonquin
★★★★★
I've traveled with Parkbus a couple of times already. It's convenient, destinations are all great and staff is nice, polite and funny. Overall, I enjoy every trip and recommend Parkbus to everyone, especially if you don't have a car but want to explore Ontario.
Natalie Novosad · Google
★★★★★
Came with my friend in April, our guide Mike did a great job! Nice tour, small group, everything was great! Will go again!
Natalia N. · Tripadvisor· Jul 2025
★★★★★
This is the 1st time I used Parkbus but it won't be the last. It left on time and arrived at our destination on time. The Parkbus website provided all the relevant info to prepare for our day trip and know what to expect. The fee was reasonable and they have a discount for people over 60.
Brenda H. · Google· Elora Quarry
★★★★★
I have always had excellent experiences with Parkbus. I have been to many of their destinations, and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. The ambassadors have been knowledgeable and friendly. The drivers drive safely, and with the passengers' comfort in mind.
Sharlene Haye · Google
★★★★★
This is a beautiful day tour of an amazing national park. Joe is a great tour guide and knew all of the inclines of the hills.
Olivia M. · Tripadvisor· Oct 2024
96%
recommend Parkbus on Facebook
4.6 ★ on Google · 300,000+ riders since 2010
Parkbus in the press
National Geographic CBC The Globe and Mail National Post
“
Factor in the cost of gas, parking and renting a car, it's a lot cheaper than taking a personal vehicle.
Toronto Star
“
Parkbus is a great option for nature lovers, whether it's a day trip or overnight camping getaway.
The Globe and Mail
The Leaf Report

Every Thursday until the leaves are down

Six weeks of where the colour is across Canada, and which trips still have seats. After that, one email a month with new park guides and new overnight dates. Nothing else.

A hiker sitting on a rock above Whitefish Lake in Algonquin

Pick a park. We'll get you there.

Read the guide, check the leaves, then book a weekend, a guided day, or a seat on the bus. Every trip runs with or without a car in your life.

Explore the parks See the trips

Full refund on Parkbus trips if you cancel 14+ days before departure

Our partners

Visit Canada Parks is run by Parkbus Inc., a registered Ontario travel retailer. That matters when you book a trip with a bed in it.

TICO, Ontario's travel regulator
Registered with TICO, the Travel Industry Council of Ontario Registration # 5003628 · Parkbus Inc. Every package on this site is sold under this registration, so your booking is protected under Ontario's Travel Industry Act.
Check the registration
Member of
Tourism Industry Association of Canada Tourism Industry Association of Ontario Destination Vancouver Destination Toronto
An official partner of
VIA Rail Canada Parks Canada TD