Summer is officially over but it doesn’t mean you have to put your camping gear away. Fall has so much to offer that it will make you fall in love with camping all over again. Here are some reasons why we love fall camping so much:

View from the Crack, Killarney Provincial Park

Fall Colours

Well, it is an obvious one. Albert Camus once said that “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” I could use hundreds of words to describe the second spring and wouldn’t come even close to capturing the beauty that is a forest in the fall. It’s as if nature, in the face of impending monochromatic winter, splashes all its paints across the canvas.

Looking up, Canisbay Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park

Feast for Senses

Fall is a feast not only for your eyes but all the other senses as well. Cool crispness of the morning, earthy smell of mushrooms, crunchy leaves under your feet, campfire smoke dancing in the sunlight, multicoloured foliage twirling in the wind. Fall air is filled with beauty and tranquility.

     Dancing Light                                             Mushroom Log

Rediscover Your Favourite Parks

It is a great opportunity to rediscover your favourite parks and see them in a new light, both literally and figuratively. With the beach weather gone, fall is a good time to try new activities that parks have to offer, explore new trails and locations.

Canoeists on Mazinaw Lake, Bon Echo Provincial Park

Mild Weather

Speaking of the weather, cooler temperatures make most camping activities, like hiking and biking, more pleasant and less sweat-inducing. Yes, the evenings are usually chilly but they make campfires even more inviting and conversations more sizzling. Plus a hearty stew tastes so much better on a chilly fall night by the fire!

   Getting Wood at Killarney                         Biking at Lake St. Peter Provincial Park

Absence of Bugs

No bugs! To all those people who can’t go camping because of pesky mosquitoes and flies – fall is the time to try it.

  Sun Rays                                                                                           Red Giant

Smaller Crowds

Finally, one of my personal favourites – fewer people. Parks tend to get overcrowded in the summer. As the number of park visitors subsides in the fall, I can finally find much needed solitude and refuge from the city buzz. As the nature starts slowing down preparing for the winter, I am inspired to do the same: breathe in deeply, exhale slowly, calm down my racing mind and listen to myself.

Autumn Reflections

For a list of great Ontario Parks to visit in the fall, check out my article on Parks Blogger Ontario.