Red, yellow, orange! The fall colours are gorgeous in Northeastern Ontario, especially when contrasted against the green of the boreal forest’s conifer trees, the deep blue or moody grey of the sky, and the many shades of ancient rock that this region is known for. A fall getaway to the Seven is the perfect way to experience all this area has to offer, from outdoor adventure to relaxing local eateries.
Here are seven accommodations in various Northeastern Ontario communities where you can kick back and recharge before and after your quest for colour!
Check out next-level four-season camping at Otter Point Resort. This outcropping on Pimisi Bay on the Mattawa River is home to a freshly renovated waterfront cabin called Black Lily, with its own private beach. There are also two newly installed glamping domes: Wild Rose and Spring Violet, also on the waterfront with a backdrop of boreal forest. Each spot sleeps up to 4 people and is well-equipped with comfortable seating and beds, kitchens, running water and beautiful views of colourful leaves reflected in the water. Roast s’mores on a waterfront fire pit, go fishing or paddleboarding, relax by your own wood-burning stove with a board game or book, or hop in the barrel sauna after a day spent outdoors. There’s even fresh baked goods at the on-site bakery!
Cedar Meadows Resort & Spa is found on 175 rustic acres just outside Timmins and offers 10 chalets and 49 rooms and suites. Get a unique look at local fall colours on a wagon ride around the resort’s 100-acre wildlife park where you’ll find bison, elk and fallow deer, or book their Sleeping with the Wolves experience in a real wolf habitat, safely viewed from a premium chalet with plenty of windows. Nordic baths and pampering treatments are available at the on-site Spa Grande Nature, plus you can enjoy contemporary Canadian cuisine at The Voyageur Dining Room.
Among the Trees is on found on Birch Island, on the doorstep of Manitoulin Island, south of Espanola and west of Killarney Provincial Park. Two premium glamping four-season domes are tucked into a hillside surrounded by vibrant maple trees. The Maple House sleeps 4 in 550 square feet of living space, and The Canopy House sleeps 2 in 350 square feet. Each has a spacious attached deck, full mini kitchen, running water, outdoor propane fire table, private outdoor shower, heat, and propane incinerating toilet. Both domes also feature a skylight so you can watch the starry skies overhead. Guests have access to McGregor Bay, where you can fish and boat.
Le Voyageur Inn was constructed in 1881 in the small community of Mattawa, where the Mattawa River meets the Ottawa River. “Mattawa” means “where rivers meet” in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) and it’s long been an important canoe route for First Nations peoples and voyageurs. The historic inn on Main Street is a great jumping-off point for exploring the area, with easy access to a variety of shops and services. With the changing leaves as your backdrop, you can paddle, ATV, fish or golf, then relax in your comfortable room. Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park is just a 10-minute drive to the west and is open to visitors until mid-October, offering several different hiking trails with lovely views of the river and trees.
Presidents’ Suites is a stately, 4,000-square-foot 1906 historic home that’s now a B&B, located in Haileybury on the shores of Lake Temiskaming. The villa has three floors, and two of them are available for rent for groups of up to 15 people. The Ferland Suite (named for the original owner) on the main floor features two large bedrooms with queen beds, a four-season solarium (with an additional double bed), a spacious living room, a dining room, bathroom, patio and a kitchen. The second floor is where you’ll find the Murphy Suite: three bedrooms each with a queen bed plus one with an additional double bed, two full bathrooms, a living room, a library, a dining room and a kitchen, and two private balconies. Relax in the hot tub, on the lake view front veranda or sit in the shade of the century-old trees in the garden. Talk about a luxurious base when you’re touring the area to catch the fall colours! Visit the Riverside Farmers Market on Saturdays, golf nine holes at Haileybury Golf Club (where eight of the nine holes have scenic vistas over the lake) or hike Devil’s Rock, 300 feet above the lake with sweeping views of the lake and the colourful leaves.
World-class fishing and outdoor adventure await at Bear’s Den Lodge in French River Provincial Park. Built as a vacation home for a well-to-do family in 1925, the property has been a fishing lodge for generations and is even the site of a world record: the 14 lb line class world record muskie that weighed 59 lb, 11 oz. Today, this family-run business has both housekeeping and American plan cottages with homecooked meals made with fresh produce from the on-site garden. Book a fishing guide or head out on your own to fish for walleye, bass, pike, crappie, salmon, bowfin and catfish. Paddling, art and photography during the crisp fall days are also fantastic ways to enjoy the wild charm of the boreal forest in the fall.
Just a half-hour drive south of Timmins, WildExodus delivers a range of options, all on Kenogamissi Lake. Your accommodation choices include a canvas prospector tent outfitted with a queen bed, log furniture, electricity and an outdoor fire bowl; a yurt with a queen bed and double bunk bed, kitchenette, beach access and communal fire pit; or a cabin with a queen bed, kitchenette, private bathroom and beach access. Be sure to inquire about yummy meal plans, packages, and guided or self-guided tours for fishing, boating and paddling so you can explore this beautiful region at a beautiful time of year. One popular local hike is to High Falls, a 5.6-km out-and-back hiking trail that’s moderately challenging and gives you lots of access to lookouts to spot the fall colours, and, of course, the waterfall.
Make the most of the all-too-short fall season with a getaway to Northeastern Ontario! From misty mornings to crisp colourful days to starry nights, these outdoor adventures and comfortable lodgings are the perfect way to enjoy the best of the season.
