Think the show's over once the maples drop? Not in Ontario. After the sugar and red maples peak around mid-September and fade by early October, a second wave of colour takes over — the "Golden Encore." Beeches, birches and poplars turn the valleys yellow, scarlet oaks light up the ridgelines, and the tamarack — the only cone-bearing tree that changes colour each fall — glows gold in the lowland swamps. That late-season display runs to early November, and a string of Ontario provincial parks stay open so you can camp right in the middle of it.

Algonquin is the classic pick: its backcountry is open year-round, and Mew Lake campground keeps facilities running, making it an easy base for the park's many day-use trails. Nearby Arrowhead, just north of Huntsville, is also open all year — the Big Bend and Stubb's Falls are the standout sights, plus the Beaver Meadows trail with views of Porcupine Bluffs. On Lake Huron, MacGregor Point pairs year-round camping with the Huron Fringe Trail, an accessible boardwalk loop around the Visitor Centre lined with interpretive signs.

Farther south, Pinery offers rare sand dunes, ten walking trails, a 14-kilometre bike route and a beach built for sunsets — open all year. Silent Lake keeps a couple of loops running through the cold months and rewards effort with a full-day, 15-kilometre circuit past beaver ponds and hardwood forest. Bon Echo just extended its season too, keeping part of the campground open until December 13; hikes range from one to 17 kilometres, with the climb to the top of Mazinaw Rock the headliner.

For a shorter window, Rondeau closes its campground on November 8 — enough time to sample its rare Carolinian forest of tulip trees, sassafras and shagbark hickory across six trails. Long Point holds out until November 15, letting you camp crowd-free beside a 1.5-kilometre walkable stretch of its 40-kilometre sandspit, part of a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. And Inverhuron, closing November 1, doubles down on fun with its annual RIIP Halloween celebration — pumpkin carving, site-to-site trick-or-treating and a costume contest.

This is shoulder-season camping at its best: empty trails, fiery colour and none of the summer scrum for sites. Pack warm — a wool toque and a four-season tent, or book a spot with your heated RV — and catch autumn's encore before the snow takes the stage.

Via Explore Magazine