Now that fall has officially arrived, you may be wondering when the trees will reach their peak vibrancy in and around the city. Luckily, you don’t have to guess, because there’s an interactive map that shows you up-to-date fall colours in parks throughout the province.
The Fall Colour Report tool created by Ontario Parks displays the current colour change using colour-coded leaf icons, ranging from zero to 100. No to little colour change is indicated by a dark green leaf, whereas peak viewing time is shown with a deep red shade.
The report suggest that peak viewing times are between 70 – 100 colour change, which typically arrives first in northern parks before moving south.
The closest provincial parks near Toronto are Bronte Creek and Darlington, which, at the time of writing, are still showing around 10 to 20 per cent colour change.
However, just a few hours north of the city, parks like Algonquin and Arrowhead are already at peak leaf viewing time, with 50 to 70 per cent colour change according to the map.
As for the city, we’ll have to wait a while longer, likely around mid to late October for the brightest foliage. Be sure to keep an eye on the website for the most accurate predictions, as factors like weather and precipitation can impact colour change.