There’s no place better to experience autumn than in Eastern Canada.

What truly sets Ontario and Quebec apart from almost everywhere are the fall colours. With arguably the world’s largest concentration of maple trees, the two provinces boast fabulous colourful vistas of reds, oranges and yellows. Add a few oaks and birch trees, and the always green conifers, and you’ve got a veritable paint pallet for the eyes.

Around Ottawa, our favourite family fall activity is heading into the Greenbelt for some hiking. Right on the outskirts of the city centre, the National Capital Commission maintains a series of easily accessible trails. According to the NCC, “the Greenbelt features over 150 kilometres of recreational trails, which link to the Capital Pathway network, the Rideau Trail and the Trans Canada Trail”. The website has an interactive map of all the trails, or you can download PDFs as well. Our favourite ones are Mer Blue, a bird watching paradise, and Stony Swamp, where you may just spot a few deer.

There’s also Gatineau Park, just 20 minutes outside of Ottawa to hit any of the park’s hiking trails nestled in the Gatineau Hills. The small town of Chelsea makes a great, if somewhat busy, jumping off point for hikes of all types, whether short, family hikes or longer, day-long adventures. There’s a nice little information centre that is great for kids.

A little further north, Wakefield, with its covered bridge crossing the Gatineau River, offers quaint restaurants and a vibrant main street with lots to do. The hike to the local Maclaren’s Cemetery is a beautiful and quiet one, offering amazing views of the Gatineau hills and river. It also brings you up close to Canada’s history, as this is the last resting spot of Lester B. Pearson, Canada’s 14th prime minister.

For a more relaxing fall activity, sans kids, check out either the Chelsea spa, Le Nordik, or the Wakefield Mill Hotel and Spa. Both combine relaxation and the outdoors into peaceful and reinvigorating experience.

If you are more active, the various campgrounds in the area, including backcountry ones in Gatineau Park, La Verendrye, Papineau-Labelle and La Mauricie, to name just a few, still take reservations into early to mid-October, offering the more adventurous, and warm-blooded, the opportunity to get up close to nature. Some also offer all-season huts, for a more luxurious style of camping, that can be renting year-round.

For bird lover, the myriad of migratory birds, like Canada geese, trumpeter swans and flycatchers, means you’re in for a treat. And if you are lucky, you might encounter some larger animals like the moose as they get ready for winter. Just make sure you are bear aware as black bears might also out and about.

If that weren’t enough, both provinces still boast large tracks of agricultural land, meaning there’s a bountiful harvest of fresh fruits and vegetables to be had, from apples and appears to pumpkins, squash and corn.

As you drive outside of the cities, you’re almost guaranteed to run into a road-side stand selling fresh produce. If you prefer even fresher fruits and vegetables, head to one of the many orchards and farms offering the opportunity to pick your own.

Near Ottawa, there are orchards less than an hour away, like Mountain Orchards towards the south and Verger Wilmont on the Gatineau side. Head there early in the morning though or you might end up stuck in a mid-afternoon traffic jam on your way there.

Outside Montreal, there’s the Rougemont area, which abounds with small to large orchards. The area is known as the apple capital. Many orchards let you pick your own apples, with all sorts of varieties on hand, such as Macintosh, Spartan, courtland and honeycrisp, among others. And while in the area, drop by one of the many cideries.

Near Quebec City, the place to hit orchards is Ile d’Orleans, which abounds with u-pick places.

If you’re looking for smaller, more mom and pop places, those also abound, but are harder to find as they don’t pop up on a Google map search. Try looking on social media, where it’s easier for them to share information.

Whatever you’re into, Eastern Canada is the perfect place for some family, fall activities.