Muskoka Guides · Updated October 2026

Huntsville is close to full colour. Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes still have a lot of green. The reports below are dated, and a windy night can change them.

• 80-90Huntsville
• 40-50Gravenhurst
• 30-40Bracebridge
• Oct 6Last update

What the two official reports say

Ontario Parks dates each park. Discover Muskoka's snapshot of the towns is marked October 6, 2026.

On Ontario Parks:

• Algonquin, report date October 5, 2026. Yellow and orange. Colour change 90. Leaf fall 30. Highway 60 corridor, trails, and day-use areas. Daily vehicle permit up to five days ahead. Designated parking only.
• Arrowhead, report date October 1, 2026. Orange. Colour change 90. Leaf fall 20. Big Bend Lookout, Beach Area 1, Arrowhead Lake Trail.
• Awenda, on Georgian Bay, report date October 2, 2026. Dominant colour green. Colour change 30. Leaf fall 10. It is the park report for that Georgian Bay shore. Midland is a separate town.

Discover Muskoka, updated October 6, 2026, says the region is approaching peak in some areas, and it labels its suggested dates as educated guesses. Early viewing was September 20 to October 3. Their guessed maple peak was October 4 to 8. The golden encore, October 9 to 18, is the window that covers Thanksgiving. Town lines on that update:

• Huntsville, advancing to peak, 80 to 90 percent, almost full colour, 20 percent leaf fall.
• Algonquin Park, 90 percent, almost full colour, 30 percent leaf fall. The same paragraph says Highway 60 day-use passes are sold out on October 10 and 11. The permit detail is in the Thanksgiving guide.
• Lake of Bays, 50 to 60 percent.
• Gravenhurst, 40 to 50 percent. Their words: half the trees have turned, a good time for a tour.
• Bracebridge, 30 to 40 percent. Pockets of colour, green beginning to fade.
• Muskoka Lakes, 30 to 40 percent, same description as Bracebridge.
• Georgian Bay, on their label, 10 to 20 percent, very small pockets, green predominates. Parry Sound and Midland are outside that label.

Go north if you want the canopy. Stay south if you want the turn still happening.

From Discover Muskoka's October 6 percentages

Algonquin, after the maple peak

Friends of Algonquin Park lead with the Lookout Trail on October 6, 2026. For this weekend, the report says:

• Maple peak on the Highway 60 corridor was September 29, 2026, two days later than the average of more than 50 years.
• Red maple and sugar maple crowns are partly bare. The understory, lower and more protected, still has colour near the ground. In a wide view you may see grey crowns and a carpet of leaves.
• Aspen, also called poplar, is showing intense yellow or yellow-orange and is expected to peak after the maples.
• Tamarack, the cone-bearing tree that drops its needles, is improving towards yellow. They point to Spruce Bog Boardwalk, the Mizzy Lake Trail, and the Opeongo Road.
• Thanksgiving weekend visitors will have missed the best maple canopy. Aspens, the maple understory, and tamarack are what they expect to carry October 10 to 12. Fragile leaves keep falling if the forecast brings wind and rain.

Hardwood Lookout Trail, and its parking lot, is listed as closed on October 10, 11, and 12, 2026. The Friends page says Ontario Parks is doing that to improve traffic flow, and it names Thanksgiving among the busiest weekends expected this year. The East Gate near Whitney is the quieter way onto Highway 60 if the West Gate is slow.

Drives and lookouts

Discover Muskoka's October 6 page names these roads:

• Muskoka Road 17 from Gravenhurst to Bracebridge. They suggest a stop at Muskoka Beach for the view up Lake Muskoka, and they describe sections of the road as a canopy.
• Highway 117 to Baysville and Dorset, with a walk along the river in the park.
• Highway 118 east from Bracebridge to Highway 35.
• Muskoka Road 13, Severn Bridge to Torrance, maples along a winding road, plus a hike at the Torrance Barrens.

Lookouts on the same page: Lions Lookout in Huntsville, Huckleberry Rock near Milford Bay in Bracebridge, and the Dorset Lookout Tower. For Huntsville they also name Big Bend Lookout and Stubbs Falls at Arrowhead. Arrowhead's own report, dated October 1, names Big Bend Lookout, Beach Area 1, and the Arrowhead Lake Trail.

The cottage pages put Arrowhead at about 43 minutes from The Mara in normal traffic, Hardy Lake at about 40 minutes from Good Times, and Torrance Barrens at about 26 minutes.

Where the four cottages sit

Four Homeseeker homes sit in four different places. The percentage is for the town, and the dock can look different. Call 705-996-6799 to ask which nights are open.

The Mara

Town of Huntsville, on the Muskoka River near Port Sydney. Sleeps 8. Sauna, hot tub, theatre, and a fire pit with firewood included. Downtown Huntsville is about 25 minutes. Pets: small, hypoallergenic, non-shedding pets; larger dogs need weight and breed for approval.

Cottage page · Airbnb · VRBO

Good Times

Morrison Lake, near Gravenhurst. Sleeps 12. Covered hot tub, two kitchens, kayaks, paddleboards, and a fire pit. Downtown Gravenhurst is about 30 minutes. Good Times does not allow pets.

Cottage page · Airbnb · VRBO

Hemlock Hideaway

Parry Sound, on eastern Georgian Bay. Sleeps 7. Dock, beach, red canoe, outdoor hot tub, and a fire pit with firewood included. Downtown Parry Sound is about 7 minutes. Pets: small, hypoallergenic, non-shedding pets; larger dogs need weight and breed for approval.

Cottage page · Airbnb · VRBO

Bayside

Town of Midland, on Georgian Bay. Sleeps 12. Shallow sand beach, seasonal dock, kayaks, fire pit, and two gas fireplaces. Downtown Midland is about 10 minutes. Pets: small, hypoallergenic, non-shedding pets; larger dogs need weight and breed for approval.

Cottage page · Airbnb · VRBO

The Mara is in the Town of Huntsville, the Muskoka town furthest along on the October 6 report. Good Times is on Morrison Lake near Gravenhurst, the 40 to 50 percent line, which Discover Muskoka called a good time for a tour. Hemlock Hideaway is in Parry Sound. Neither Ontario Parks nor Discover Muskoka gives a percentage for the Town of Parry Sound. Bayside is in the Town of Midland, about 2 hours 15 minutes from downtown Toronto, and the nearest park report on that shore, Awenda on October 2, was still mostly green.

The Mara, Hemlock Hideaway, and Bayside allow small, hypoallergenic, non-shedding pets; larger dogs need weight and breed for approval. Good Times does not allow pets. No parties at any cottage. Call 705-996-6799 to ask about events. Visiting guests must be registered and approved ahead of time.