Golden Hour

By Cara Williams | Photography by Clay Dolan

From gondola rides to cliffside trails, Blue Mountain Resort is where travellers from near and far come to see fall in full colour.

There’s a moment, usually early October, when everything shifts. The air cools, the mornings take on that crisp clarity that makes you reach for a sweater, and then—suddenly— the landscape ignites. One day you’re walking under a canopy of green, and the next, the forest has been painted in shades of scarlet, amber, and gold.

Locals know this moment well. We watch for it from backyards, farm roads, and favourite trails, ready for the first blaze to set the season in motion. But this isn’t just a hometown spectacle—each autumn, travellers arrive from across Canada and far beyond, drawn here, to experience what might just be the most magical time of year.

“Ontario’s fall season is nothing short of spectacular,” says Vincenza Ronaldi, President and CEO of Destination Ontario. “According to our Ontario Consumer Survey, conducted earlier this year, 80% of Ontarians say fall is their preferred season for short getaways, with hiking, nature walks, leaf-watching and scenic drives topping their list of favourite activities. Fall in Ontario invites travellers to slow down, connect with nature and enjoy one of the most magical times of the year.”

Hikers take in the views while making their way up the Cascade Hiking Trail at Blue Mountain Resort.

For many, that slowing down begins at Blue Mountain Resort. Skiers and snowboarders might think of it as a winter playground, but in autumn the resort becomes a basecamp for leaf peepers, hikers, and those simply looking to stand at the summit and take in the view. Take the gondola on a sunny October morning—the ride is only a few minutes, but it’s long enough for the landscape to put on a show with crimson sugar maples, golden shimmering birch trees, and the deep greens of spruce holding on at the edges. By the time you reach the summit, Georgian Bay stretches out below, impossibly blue against the flaming foliage. Stand there long enough and you’ll hear the same exhale from every gondola cabin as doors slide open—the kind of sound people make when they realize they’re witnessing something fleeting.

Blue Mountain’s network of trails criss-crosses the ridge, from gentle walks to steeper routes. Hikers can set out along marked loops right from the gondola top, pausing at lookouts where the colours spill across the valley. Families gravitate to trails like Cascade or Village Way for a manageable climb with big payoff, while seasoned hikers take on rugged trails like The Grind or 1940 Trail, that dips into a quiet forest before climbing back up to reveal cliff-edge panoramas.

For those chasing a little more adrenaline, the Ridge Runner mountain coaster winds its way down the hillside through tunnels of blazing leaves, while zipline and Segway tours offer visitors multiple ways to experience leaf peeping. Even a stroll through the village feels different this time of year: shop windows strung with lights, the scent of mulled cider drifting through the air, and patios packed with friends enjoying the last warm glow before the sun slips behind the Escarpment. For some, this is as essential as the view—the food, the music, the chance to take it all in, together.

That togetherness is what draws groups, too. Corporate retreats, wedding parties, and international visitors are discovering what locals have always known: that the Escarpment in autumn is unmatched. “It’s always fascinating to see how far people will travel to experience the colours here at Blue Mountain,” says Jennifer Cummings, Manager of Hospitality Marketing at Blue Mountain Resort. “Each fall, we meet guests from all over the world who come to take in the views. What’s even better is seeing how they make the most of their visit, from riding the gondola to exploring the trails, enjoying the village, or just taking time to relax at the spa. There’s something really special about sharing this season with people experiencing it for the very first time.”

It’s true, fall here is not only about spectacle. It’s also about intimacy: the quiet crunch of leaves underfoot, the chance encounter with a neighbour on the trail, the simple act of looking up in amazement. Ask anyone who lives nearby and they’ll tell you their favourite vantage point at which to take it all in, often with a wink and a nudge, as though they’re sharing a secret. And in a way, they are.

From the summit of Blue, visitors can take in the full moon as it rises above Collingwood.

The best advice? Don’t rush it. Leaves begin to turn in early October, with peak colour arriving mid to late October depending on the year. That unpredictability is part of the charm. Come for a weekend, stay for a few days, and let the season reveal itself. Some years, the maples light up just in time for Thanksgiving. Other years, the show lingers toward the end of the month. Either way, there’s always a golden hour—sometimes an evening at the summit, sometimes an entire week—when everything aligns and the Escarpment feels like it belongs only to you.

Because that’s the thing about autumn here—whether you’re a visitor from abroad, a GTA day-tripper, or someone who knows every turn of the Bruce Trail, the experience levels the playing field. Stand at the summit of Blue on a bright October afternoon, and you’ll hear conversations in half a dozen languages, but everyone is looking out at the same view, eyes wide, caught in the same awe. The Escarpment, in its annual illumination, makes locals of us all. E