8 Beautiful Small Towns In Canada That Are Even Prettier During The Fall
Cobblestone streets and quaint shops await. 🍁🍂
A person in Unionville, Ontario. Right: A street in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
To many, fall is the prettiest season, when the leaves change and the air turns crisp. If you love fall, you can visit one of these charming small towns in Canada that are pretty all year but especially lovely during the season.
You'll feel like the star of a Hallmark movie or like one of the Gilmore girls while strolling through these quaint small towns.
You can take in the fall scenery, visit a cute shop or boutique, or even go on a ghost tour of haunted places to get you in the mood for Halloween.
What are you waiting for? Pack some apple cider and head to one of these charming small towns that are even better during the fall.
Unionville
Location: Unionville, ON
Why You Need To Go: You'll feel like you've stepped right into Stars Hollow when walking through the quaint town of Unionville in the fall. In fact, the pilot episode of Gilmore Girls was filmed right on Main Street!
There are tons of cute stores to explore here, including cafes and boutiques, and places where you can enjoy the changing leaves.
Nelson
Location: Nelson, BC
Why You Need To Go: The mountain heritage town of Nelson, B.C., is magical in the fall, when the changing colours decorate the area in red, orange and yellow.
There are tons of quaint specialty shops and galleries to explore here. You can also walk to a lookout in Gyro Park, which offers an incredible view of Nelson's downtown area.
Mont-Tremblant
Location: Mont-Tremblant, QC
Why You Need To Go: Mont-Tremblant is known as a winter destination for skiing, but in the fall, the village becomes a super cozy place to visit.
You can take a gondola ride to see panoramic views of the Laurentians and the changing leaves, explore hiking trails or shop for artisanal treats.
Elora
Location: Elora, ON
Why You Need To Go: Elora is filled with small-town charm that you can experience all year, but the town is particularly gorgeous in the harvest season.
You can see colourful leaves while exploring Elora's quaint shops and historic buildings or be surrounded by hues of orange and red at the Elora Gorge.
October is also Monster Month in the town, with fall festivals, artisan markets, spooky tours and ghost walks, and a Monster March Parade taking place throughout the month.
Canmore
Location: Canmore, AB
Why You Need To Go: With dreamy mountain views, Canmore is lovely year-round, but is even more dazzling when summer ends.
Here, you can take in views of the region's iconic larch trees, whose needles turn bright yellow when the air turns cooler, or take in picturesque views of the Rocky Mountains surrounding the town.
You can enjoy walking tours of downtown Canmore and visit the quaint boutiques and restaurants, and even go on spine-tingling ghost walks running nightly all season up to Halloween.
Merrickville
Location: Merrickville, ON
Why You Need To Go: Known as "Canada's most beautiful village," Merrickville is especially lovely during fall.
The small town in Ontario will transport you to the past as a place where you'll find a Town Crier and friendly villagers rather than parking metres and traffic lights.
The Victorian village has tons of charm, with unique shops, artists' studios, boutiques and restaurants.
There's even a witchy candle store in the village where you can shop for mystical goods.
Lunenberg
Location: Lunenburg, NS
Why You Need To Go: The historic town of Lunenburg, which is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, is already brimming with charm thanks to the picturesque colonial buildings that can be found here.
In the fall, the town is somehow even prettier as hues of orange and yellow take hold. Until the end of October, you can get to know the spooky history of the town by going on a haunted walking tour.
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Location: Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Why You Need To Go: Niagara-on-the-Lake is a stunning place to visit at any time, but the town really comes alive when the leaves change.
The historic sites, buildings and monuments look extra charming when surrounded by orange and red leaves.
There are also tons of trails where you can see the changing fall colours. For the best views, consider hiking at the Woodend Conservation Area, where you can get sweeping vistas of Lake Ontario and the escarpment slopes.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
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