Exploring the best of Toronto and Southern Ontario.

I have to admit that even though I sometimes tire of the sweltering summer heat or frigid winter temperatures that we can experience here in Ontario, at the end of the day, I feel truly lucky to live in a place where we experience all four seasons in their full glory. And as much as I look forward to the first blooms of spring, the beach days of summer and winter’s romantic first snowfall, autumn is my favourite season of all. Every morning when I walk through my neighbourhood, enjoying the crispness of the air and the vibrant colours on the trees, I feel oh so grateful.

There are so many ways to enjoy fall in Ontario, whether you’re picking apples at an orchard, wandering through a pumpkin patch, or taking in the fall colours on a hiking trail. Recently I was approached by Narcity who asked me to share my favourite local fall destination for an article they were running, and I was happy to contribute! (The article is here if you’d like to take a look.) I chose to write about Kelso Conservation Area…and I’d like to share this unique spot with you all as well!

Kelso Conservation Area is a large park and conservation area located near Milton, along the Niagara Escarpment. It’s a popular destination all year round, with lots of fun outdoor activities to choose from. They have a lifeguarded beach, a picturesque lake and boardwalk, several hiking trails, and a ski and snowboard hill called Glen Eden. Glen Eden is (naturally) most popular in the winter, but every October, they open their ski lift to visitors wanting a bird’s eye view of the fall foliage. The chairlift ticket is good for a round trip, so you can ride up the hill, taking in panoramic views of the Niagara Escarpment, explore the trails and views from the top, and then ride back down at your leisure – all of the scenery with none of the climbing!

Kelso’s fall chairlift rides are open weekends in October from 11am to 5pm. (Please note that the photos below are from last October, so it’s possible that things look a little different this year!) We booked our chairlift tickets in advance online (here’s the link to do so) and the reservation is valid for a 3-hour visit. When we arrived, we explored the lake and boardwalk area for a bit before heading up to the chairlift. While we waited for our turn, we enjoyed their cute fall decorations – a fun photo op to pass the time in line!

After a short wait (no more than 10 minutes), we boarded the lift and started our journey up to the top! Kelso reduces their chairlift to half-speed during this time, so that riders can really relax and enjoy the scenery. A one-way ride takes about 5 minutes.

After arriving at the top, we took a few minutes to wander around and take in the stunning views.

There was another cute fall display at the top – Kelso sure knows how to do photo ops right!

As mentioned earlier, Kelso has an extensive network of hiking trails, including access to the Bruce Trail, so we decided to go for a hike. There’s nothing I love more than hiking in the fall (I love the crunching of leaves underneath my feet) and these trails had plenty of leaves for crunching!

Once we’d completed our hike, we headed back to the chairlift for our ride back down. (Each ticket includes a round trip on the lift.)

If you’re looking for a fun and unique outdoor activity to enjoy this October, I definitely recommend checking out the Kelso scenic chairlift! If you plan to visit, be sure to book your reservation online in advance to guarantee entry to the park. Admission to the park itself costs $9.75 per adult ($7.75 for seniors, $6.75 for kids aged 5-14, free for kids under 5) and you can add a chairlift ride onto your ticket for an additional $8 per person.

Do you have a favourite fall destination in Ontario? I’d love to hear about it!