Ontario trail blazing

Fall is such a great time to enjoy the outdoors. The temperatures are pleasantly cooler and there are barely any bugs. With 71 million hectares of forest, Ontario features lots of great trails for just about any kind of active outdoor day trip. Luckily, it's easy to match your interests with the right Ontario trail. Here's a sampling:

Birdwatching

Canada's South Coast Birding Trail connects 17 Southern Ontario birding hot spots between Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Perhaps the most popular, Point Pelee National Park leads you to the southernmost edge of Canada. During the fall migration, it's a good spot from which to view pelagic species of birds—those that spend time over open water—like jaegers and kittiwakes.

Cycling

With its 1,500 lakes, Algonquin Provincial Park is well known to paddlers, but the park has plenty to offer cyclists, too. The Old Railway Bike Trail is a 32-kilometre out-and-back trail through the forest on a decommissioned railbed. It's accessible from five of the park's campgrounds and perfect for families. You can also take in the incredible fall colours: the oranges and reds of sugar maples and the yellows of birch, aspen and tamarack trees.

Short hike

The five-kilometre trail at CliffLAND takes you to Blueberry Mountain, known for its range of beautiful habitats and named one of the seven wonders of Lanark County. Located southwest of Ottawa, it's part of the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust, which features three other public properties for hiking.

Long hike

Lake Superior Provincial Park offers several trail options for experienced hikers, including the demanding 10-kilometre Awausee route, which leads to views of the Agawa Valley's fall display and Lake Superior. For an overnight stay, there's the 24-kilometre Towab trail. Named after an Ojibwa guide who led tours at the turn of the century, this rugged route for advanced hikers leads to Agawa Falls.

Mountain biking

Located in the Blue Mountains, about 20 kilometres southwest of Collingwood, the Kolapore Uplands include about 50 kilometres of marked trails for cross-country skiing in winter and mountain biking for experienced riders in the summer and fall. Consider purchasing a map from the Kolapore Wilderness Trails Association to find your way around this complex network.