How to Take a Fall Getaway to North Bay, Ontario
As the official gateway to Northern Ontario, it should come as no surprise that North Bay is an incredible destination to visit for an autumn colours trip. From its trail systems to its lake vistas, if you’re on the hunt for a memorable fall tourism experience in the province, make it this one!
Peak fall colours views from a helicopter ride over North Bay and the surrounding region.
I love any excuse to get away during the peak fall colours in North America. As a Canadian who has spent several years living abroad in countries without four distinct seasons, it’s really helped me appreciate just how special the changing of the seasons is.
Fortunately, now that I’m back in Toronto, I don’t have to wander far to enjoy the peak fall colours in Ontario. They typically make their way to the province between late September and the end of October, depending on which part of the province you’re heading to. On my most recent fall getaway in the province, Chris and I decided to head to North Bay. Because of its natural surroundings and the mixed, vast forest that surrounds the area, this makes it the perfect place to go for a fall getaway to enjoy the colours.
Chris and I had so much fun on our couples’ fall colours escape to North Bay, and I know that if you time your trip right, you will too. Keep reading for all of my tips on how to take the perfect, nature-focused getaway to North Bay.
Please note that this article contains affiliate links. Simply put, this means we may receive a small commission for some of our honest recommendations at no additional cost to you.
How to Get to North Bay and Where to Stay
Sailing on Lake Nipissing amongst the fall foliage
This trip was my first time visiting North Bay, and I have to admit that I sorely underestimated North Bay’s location, despite having always seen it on a map. I think because the word “North” is in it, many Ontarians like me mistake it for being as far north as it gets in the province. And for anyone who lives in or has travelled through Northern Ontario, you know it’s beautiful but vast, and you can find yourself travelling for nearly 24 hours before you even leave the province from “Down South”.
But North Bay isn’t as far as you might think. In fact, it only took us a little over three hours to drive on a weekday from Toronto to get to this part of Northeastern Ontario. It’s about an hour north of Muskoka and Algonquin Park, making it an accessible destination for anyone coming from the Greater Toronto Area. Coming from further north in Ontario, it’s about 1.5 hours from Sudbury, and 5 hours from Sault Ste. Marie.
In order to get to North Bay, I feel like the best option is to take a car. If you’re leaving from the Greater Toronto Area, you’ll take Highway 400 North until it turns into Highway 1, and continue all the way until you reach North Bay.
I’d recommend basing yourself at the Homewood Suites by Hilton North Bay while you’re in town. It’s a newly renovated hotel located very close to the city centre, making it easy to walk around downtown or over to the lake during your stay. If you’d like to book a stay, you can click here.
What Makes a Trip to North Bay Special
Walking along the shoreline of Lake Nipissing
A trip to North Bay is a special experience, since it’s a destination combining the charms of small town living with the amenities of city life. Its downtown core continues to expand and host all sorts of community events, and it’s home to a vibrant restaurant and locally owned shopping scene, too.
It’s also the perfect base for so many outdoor adventures. The region is really your oyster when it comes to outdoor activities in the region, with different things to do in each season throughout the year.
Perhaps most important, North Bay is home to so many proud and friendly people who love it here in the official “Gateway to the North” of Ontario.
The Best Things to Do for a Fall Getaway to North Bay
Even if you’re planning a trip to North Bay during a different time of year, many of these activities are still available and so much fun to enjoy. Chris visited the area in the summer and loved his time here, and my goal is to come back next time for some winter sports.
It’s true though that without a doubt, the delights of visiting North Bay are beautifully highlighted by the fall colours. Chris and I were lucky enough to see the city and area from all angles, and the nature and untouched scenery of the area is sublime.
So let’s get into all of the ways you can spend your time on a fall getaway to North Bay!
Take a Fall Colours Helicopter Ride
All set for our flight with Helicopters Canada!
I’ve been lucky enough to take a few helicopter tours over the years in places like Skagway, Alaska and other places in Ontario, like Niagara Falls, Toronto and the 1000 Islands, so I feel like I can comment on this experience candidly.
Let me first say that the urban and nature views you will see from a helicopter tour over North Bay are incredible. Between the city views of downtown North Bay and seeing Nippissing University, it’s a special experience. We took our tour with Helicopters Canada, which takes off from North Bay airport’s helicopter hangar. Tours are 30 minutes long, and are booked as a flat fee for up to four passengers. This works out to being a great deal in the world of helicopter tours if you’re able to secure a group of four, since many similar tours in Southern Ontario work out to being shorter in duration and more costly.
A full 30 minutes in the air gives you multiple angles to appreciate the fall foliage from, and plenty of opportunities to snap some incredible pictures and videos for the memories. Whether you’ve taken a helicopter tour before or this is your first time, it’s bound to be one you’ll remember for years to come.
Take a Cozy Shopping Stroll Along Main Street
Nothing says a fall getaway trip to me like grabbing a delicious locally brewed coffee and making your way down a cozy main street. Downtown North Bay continues to sprout up with new businesses year after year, and there is some excellent shopping and restaurant hopping to be had. Whether you’re on the hunt for something original for yourself or a loved one, you’d be hardpressed to go into a shop where you weren’t inclined to pick something up. The business owners in North Bay really know how to curate a shop!
To start your wandering off, you’ll want to pick up a coffee. Two of my favourite places to grab a coffee in town are The Culture Club and Opera Bakery Cafe. Each of these spots offers excellent things to eat during your visit, too. If you’re on the hunt for a cup of coffee and you have a sweet tooth, the colourful donut shop Good Glaze might be worth your while to stop at, too.
Now let’s talk about shopping! There are so many fantastic businesses in downtown North Bay, but I definitely have a few favourites. Stopping at all or a few of these spots will make for a great time wandering around downtown:
The Annex: This is a wonderfully curated independent clothing store. They’re focused on well-made, contemporary clothing and accessories, and feature a great mix of textures, patterns and colourful designs in their selection.
Main Supply Refillery & Goods: An excellent place to come for any of your home needs. Think shampoos, laundry detergents, soaps, creams; you name it—they’ve got an excellent selection of it!
The Farm: Connected to Main Supply, they’re a clothing and accessory store featuring a heavy dose of one-of-a-kind and small batch Canadian made items. They have an excellent array of items to choose from, and you’ll definitely find something unique and refined when you’re here.
October’s Meta: This shop is new in town and is a self-proclaimed magic store. It offers a wide variety of specialty teas, crystals and they even offer tarot readings. If you’re looking to do some casual soul and affirmation searching on your stroll down Main Street, then this is the place to do it.
Go Kayaking on Trout LAKE
A lot of people think of kayaking or getting out on the water in general as a purely summertime activity. But I think kayaking in the fall—especially if it’s a sunny day—is one of my favourite times to get out on the water. Not only does it extend the summer paddling season, it also offers beautiful views of shorelines and islands changing colours this time of year.
Chris and I headed out on Trout Lake, a large lake just outside of North Bay. We rented kayaks from Sisu Adventure Rentals, with a plan to head out on a self-guided paddle to Camp Island. We parked our car at Portage Park, where we met owner Lori who brought our kayaks to the park. This made it easy for us to head off to Camp Island. You can discuss how long you’d like to rent the kayaks for—in our case, we spent the morning paddling out and around the island and heading back. But if you wanted to rent them for longer, this can be arranged.
This was such a nice way to get outside and enjoy the fall colours while we were in the area, and I’d highly recommend it.
Take a Hike to Duchesnay Falls
Duchesnay Falls is one of North Bay’s most adored natural attractions, and for good reason. The falls themselves are beautiful to visit any time of year, but once the fall leaves begin to change colours, it really makes a visit here feel etherial.
The falls are located a short distance from downtown. You can bike or drive to them, and park in the parking lot on Highway 17. Be careful not to miss the turn off for the lot, since it comes quickly.
On top of enjoying walking around both sides of the falls, you can extend your visit here by packing a picnic from one of the sandwich shops downtown—I’d recommend Crossroads Convenience or Opera Cafe—or take one of the hiking trails connected to the falls. The Duchesney Falls Trail is a 3.5km loop that begins and ends at the parking lot off of Highway 17.
Take a Private Sailboat Tour of Lake Nipissing
I have to say that one of my all-time favourite ways to appreciate a waterfront city is to get out on the lake. North Bay is right on Lake Nipissing, and you can easily walk to the North Bay Marina from downtown. We opted to take a sunset cruise to enjoy the fall colours from the water, and with the sun setting across the lake to the west, it really lit up all the colours of North Bay’s shoreline with its glowing hues.
Chris and I went out on a private sail with Blue Sky Sailing Club. You can visit their website to contact them and learn more about ways to take a private charter to enjoy the fall colours on the lake. Especially if it’s a sunny early fall evening like we had, there’s no doubt it will make for a memorable experience on your fall getaway.
Admire the Colours on a Chairlift Ride at Laurentian Ski Hill
Laurentian Ski Hill is a fun place to come to see the fall colours. Double check whether the lifts are running before heading over. If they are running during your fall visit, hopping on these lifts up to the top of the Laurentian Escarpment is a great way to see the region during peak fall colours.
Located on the Laurentian Escarpment Conservation Area, the ski hill is one of the highest points in the North Bay area, offering a truly expansive view all the way out to Lake Nipissing and the surrounding region. During peak fall colours, it’s really a sight to behold!
Dine at one of North Bay’s Restaurants
As Downtown North Bay continues to grow, so does its vibrant collection of restaurants. There are some truly excellent places to stop while you’re in town, and here are a few of my top recommendations for places to grab a bite in the city:
Crossroads Convenience is quite possibly my favourite food stop in North Bay. Their focus on simple, straightforward and inventive sandwich, soup and salad combinations makes it an excellent place to come for a hearty breakfast or lunch. Everything here is homemade, and their menu features an excellent mix of vegan, vegetarian and meat-forward dishes. Chris and I loved their Borscht soup and Zucchini Halloumi sandwich during our visit, but you really can’t go wrong. Spending a little extra time here to appreciate their vintage diner aesthetic, wonderfully curated soda and spirits selection and inviting atmosphere is the cherry on top of such memorable visit.
Opera Bakery Cafe is a cute cafe on Main Street serving up breakfast and lunch in an historic storefront. Their location actually used to be a watch shop, and you’ll see a lot of these original features in their bright, welcoming space. They make all sorts of fresh pastries and dishes on a daily basis, like soups, sandwiches, Nanaimo Bars, cakes and butter tarts. On a sunny day, grabbing a seat in their front seating area with a good book is recommended.
The Block Public House is a good place to come for lunch or dinner and a pint of craft beer. Their menu features classic pub fare with some unique spins on classics. It features a nice mix of options including local ingredients—Chris and I enjoyed their flatbread and fish and chips. They also have a great selection of local craft beers, many of which are from Northern Ontario.
Northern Himalayan Cafe is a warm and inviting restaurant emphasizing the power great food has to bring people together. Serving up dishes representing some of the diverse flavours of the Himalayas, their menu features momos (Nepalese dumplings), thukpas (Tibetan style noodle soups), street food, soups, salads, desserts and drinks. I’d recommend sampling many different dishes on a visit here to get a true taste for Himalayan cuisine.
The Culture Club is an excellent place to come for your gourmet grocery needs, freshly baked bread, or a delicious coffee fix. You can visit by walking through to the back of Main Supply Refillery and Goods, or access them by walking through the colourful alleyway filled with murals beside Opera Bakery.
Good Glaze Doughnuts is a fun, bright space on Main Street serving up delicious flavour combinations of donuts, with ample seating. They also have coffee and great merch for sale in their large and inviting dining room.
A few other places I’m told are well worth checking out on a trip to North Bay are: Arugula, Lou Dawg’s Southern BBQ, Caribbean Jerk Kitchen and Grill, La Casa de Maria, gd2go, Gangnam Korea, Twiggs, Wildwoods and Gateway City Brewery.
Go For a Walk or Bike Along the Shores of Lake Nipissing
North Bay has some excellent walking and cycling infrastructure for those looking to be active on land in town. Memorial Drive along the lake has clearly marked paths following the lake and breaking off through the city in many places. The Kate Pace Way connects the lakefront to several parts of the city. It’s the perfect path to cycle along once it breaks away from the mixed use roads, taking you to pretty, tree-lined paths across the city.
If you enjoy biking but aren’t bringing your own wheels to town, I’d highly recommend renting bikes from Cycle Alley. It’s an independent bike and repair shop in town with the kindest owner and some great bikes that are newly available for rent. I’d recommend bringing your own helmet, but you can visit their website to contact them and learn more about getting a rental while you’re in town.
Don’t Forget to Stop at the Gateway of the North Sign
One of North Bay’s claims to fame, the well known “Gateway of the North” arch is definitely worth a quick stop, whether that’s while you’re biking along the Kate Pace Way, taking a walk around town or stopping with your car. Located in Lee Park near Memorial Drive and Colgan Ave., the Gateway Arch is directly across from the CF100 Memorial, and makes for a great photo op while you’re in town.
Making the Most of a Fall Trip in the Gateway of the North
By now you will have realized that there are so many ways to make the most of your trip to North Bay. Whether you’re focused purely on admiring the fall colours, or just enjoying the community and spirit of those who call North Bay home, there’s no doubt you’ll have such an enjoyable getaway here.
I’m personally already looking forward to my next visit to North Bay. I’d love to come back for a fall colours trip all over again, but would love to return in another season—I’m hearing so much about all of the winter fun there is to be had here, and would love to see places like Trout Lake and Laurentian Ski Hill covered in ice and snow, or try my hand at some cross country skiing in the area.
No matter the season, I’m sure the Gateway of the North will capture your heart in much the same way it did mine.
I’d like to thank Tourism North Bay for hosting me as media for this trip to the city. All opinions expressed are completely my own.