5 Ways to Experience the Best of Fall in Thunder Bay
Bonnie Schiedel
October 1, 2026
Golden afternoons with wildflowers and colourful leaves against an epic blue sky, moody mornings with plenty of misty charm, crisp evenings with all kinds of cozy (or spooky!) vibes …no doubt about it, fall in Thunder Bay is a feast for the senses. From farm visits, fall hikes and inviting café offerings to over-the-top Halloween tours and events, we’ve got a fun roundup of ways to experience the best of fall in Thunder Bay.
1. Check out the bounty of local farms
Looking for a scenic country drive? Mapleward Five Acre Farm is a really nice weekend destination to pick up fresh eggs, bouquets (seasonally) and homemade goodies from their self-serve farm stand, while Windy Lane Farms also has some locally grown squash and pumpkins to pick out on their self-serve roadside wagon, and a fall-themed backdrop set up so you can snap a few pics of you and your squad. Country Roads Day is a new event for 2026, taking place on October 3—go on a self-guided driving tour of the Slate River Valley in all its fall gorgeousness and stop at eight local businesses (like Firefly Farm, Thunder Oak Cheese Farm, and Slate River Dairy) each of which have something special planned. For a chance to dine on the best of fall harvest right downtown with a definite chic twist, don’t miss the Belluz Farm Hall Dinner at Goods & Co. Market on October 17.
Belluz Farms in the Slate River Valley does fall up right with their Fall Wonderland Weekends in September and October. It’s a popular event to so it’s best to book your time slot in advance, and then get ready to shop for pumpkins, squash and other fresh produce grown right there on the farm, tour the corn maze, take a hay ride, try activities like corn hole and pumpkin bowling, check out the kids area and say hi to some four-legged friends in the petting zoo. Gammondale Farm is another local fave, and while they have retired from their pumpkin fest, they still offer group bookings if you’d like to have an event with friends and family down on the farm. Vanderwees Garden Gallery and Fort William Historical Park also are home to a variety of farm animals from heritage sheep and pigs to ducks and alpacas. And keep an eye on the socials for Pine and Pasture for their parent and tot weekday events to visit with their rabbits, chickens, ducks, pigs and goats.
2. Make some memories on a fall hike
Cooler temperatures—and more importantly, no biting bugs!—make fall hikes in Thunder Bay a must-do.
South
Kamview Nordic Centre has a beautiful network of trails that are easy to navigate (you aren’t scrambling over tree roots or rocks) and the Lookout Trail has, as the name suggests, sweeping views over the city and the Nor’wester mountains. Plus, they offer regular trail community trail runs on Tuesday nights. Mink Mountain trails offer lots of variety too, with gorgeous views of Lake Superior, or head to the High Falls, Middle Falls or Finger Point trails at Pigeon River Provincial Park.
West
Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park is a fun destination year-round destination, and its Little Falls hiking trail is a popular one, with a very pretty bridal veil falls in addition to the main character energy of the big waterfall. While you’re in the neighbourhood, make a detour to the Flett Tunnel for excellent photo ops in the former railroad tunnel that’s carved out of solid rock, reachable on a flat hike on the old railbed. (Note that Flett requires a day permit.) All the local conservation areas are a good choice for fall hikes (hi Cascades!), and the new accessible boardwalk trail at Mills Block has been earning rave reviews if you’re going with a stroller or a motorized scooter.
North
The Bluffs at the north end of town are a local favourite—doable in an hour or so with a good view to reward your climb, and then you’re just a 10-minute drive from the cool pubs and restos in the Waterfront District. You can also find local rock climbers at the Bluffs, sending a route after work. For choice, you can’t beat Sleeping Giant Provincial Park with its 100+ kilometres of hiking trails, as well as some mountain biking trails, with stunning views and lots of trees for fall colour fans.
3. Indulge in cozy fall drinks at a café
Catching up with friends over a hot drink and possibly (definitely—who are we kidding?) a yummy pastry is the perfect way to get your fall socializing on. Whether you are Team PSL or not, you’re sure to find a new fall fave. The Early Refill café is tucked into Evergreen Pharmacy in Kakabeka Falls as well as Rosslyn and has a lovely little lineup of fall bevvies, like apple pie chai latte, maple matcha and “gourd-geous” hot cocoa. For an elevated pumpkin spice experience, look to Bay Village Coffee and its housemade, small-batch pumpkin spice syrup that you can add to your drink of choice. Station Market Café on the waterfront has gone all-out with its fall menu featuring nine hot or cold sippers including pumpkin cream iced coffee, haunted vanilla chai foam latte, and maple pancake latte, while Café Ora reports that their pumpkin spice latte is a bestseller.
And check out some of our other go-tos as well!
4. Take a drive to see homes fully in the spooky spirit
Those who love Halloween love it a lot, and it shows in the TBay houses that are over-the-top macked out for the season with outdoor lights, inflatables, giant skeletons, old-school mannequins and other creepy good times. Pile in the car with your besties or your kiddos and take a drive to see which one is your favourite. The Facebook group Thunder Bay’s Spookiest Houses is a great resource to see what’s going on where, and later on in October they post a Google Map with locations. Or, download the free Thunder Bay Tour app to see their route of some of the city’s best.
5. Get your Halloween on with an immersive experience
In the last few years, TBay residents and organizations have been offering more and more opportunities to be terrified through spooky walk-throughs and other events—you’ve got your pick of settings from a museum or historic ship to guided neighbourhood tours or walk-throughs on rural properties. Haunted Halls is the Thunder Bay Museum’s event, with guided tours of the museum featuring “cursed objects and unsettling stories of Thunder Bay’s past come to life.” Not to be outdone, Haunted Harbour offers a walk-through of the historic Alexander Henry with costumed actors and scary scenes, and is a fundraiser for local org Our Kids Count. This year’s theme is The Black Tide, based on true events. And, the OG events are the outdoor walk-throughs (basically an outdoor haunted house) on rural properties that go hard with costumed actors, music, fog machines and epic tableaus. These include The Scare on Cronk, The Trail of Purgatory, Slate River Slaughter and The Kam Kreepshow. Check their socials to find “friendly” nights that offer a somewhat tamer experience without the scary sensory overload.
Lake Superior Paracon is a growing new weekend event dedicated to all things paranormal, and this year it includes a special after-dark tour of Fort William Historical Park with a paranormal investigator. Similarly, Monster Mash, a new market event in 2026, also offers a tour of the historic Prince Arthur Hotel led by a paranormal investigator. The Haunted Lakehead is a walking tour through different parts of Port Arthur, led by a guide who does some storytelling around past events (no décor or jump scares with these ones; you let your imagination do the work…which, let’s face it, can be even creepier).
Depending on the year, fall in TBay can be a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it event so be sure to soak up every last bit of pumpkins, flannel, crunchy leaves underfoot, and spooky vibes while you can!
