Crawford Lake at Peak Colour Tickets are not on sale yet. Fares appear here when they open.Tell me first
Added for peak colour · Sunday 25 October · one date only
The view from the clifftop at Rattlesnake Point, the Niagara Escarpment falling away to woodland turning orange and red across the valley
Just added · Guided · From Toronto
Coming soon

We added one more Sunday, because the colour lands that week

A trip we were not going to run. The escarpment turns late and the last week of October is when the maples along the Bruce Trail are at their best, so we put one more bus on for Sunday 25 October. Rattlesnake Point for the clifftop lookouts, then the trail across to Crawford Lake: a boardwalk round a lake that never mixes, and a fifteenth century Iroquoian village standing on its own original site. A Parkbus guide is with the group all day.

Tell me when it opensWhat the ticket covers
300,000+ riders since 2010•96% recommend on Facebook•4.6 ★ on Google•16 years of doing this

Book your seat

The bus leaves from 34 Asquith Avenue, just north of Yonge and Bloor.

Coming soon

This one is happening. Tickets are not up yet.

We are running this one. The seats are not loaded into the booking system yet, so there is nothing to click. Leave your email and you will hear the moment it opens, which is usually before it goes anywhere else.

Leaving Toronto in the meantime

Every date we have on saleEverything from Toronto

Cancel 14 or more days before you go and you get 90% back.

Guided

A Parkbus guide leads the group all day, so you do not need to know the trail.

Easy

A short, flat walk on even ground, at your own pace.

School bus

A yellow school bus, which is the most cost-effective way to run a short trip. It is what keeps the fare down and lets us run these days as often as we do.

What's included
  • Return school bus from 34 Asquith Avenue, Toronto
  • A Parkbus guide with the group all day
  • Conservation area admission

Not included

  • Any of Crawford Lake's own tours, talks or programming
  • Food and drink
What's waiting for you

A lake whose water never mixes

Crawford Lake is meromictic: its layers of water never fully turn over, so everything that settles on the bottom stays in order, year by year. That is why the sediment here is studied, and why the boardwalk keeps you off the shore.

Beside it stands a reconstructed 15th century Iroquoian village, built on the site of the real one. Walking from the longhouses to the water is a short walk through several centuries.

Rattlesnake Point is the other half of the day: clifftop lookouts with the Niagara Escarpment running away below you, and in autumn the whole thing turns.

Rare lake, old village, big view.

The boardwalk around Crawford Lake with autumn colour in the trees

Your trip

You start at one, walk the Bruce Trail, and finish at the other.

We pick you up

34 Asquith Avenue, Toronto

Bus leaves9:00 AMBe there by 8:45 AM

Just north of Yonge and Bloor subway station. Come up the Asquith exit and look for the coach.

This route runs a yellow school bus, which keeps the fare down on a short ride.

1

Rattlesnake Point

Dropped 10:30 AM · clifftop lookouts · the Bruce Trail

Lookouts along the cliff edge with the escarpment stretching out beneath you. In autumn these are some of the best views in the province.

Good to know:

  • The Bruce Trail runs from here across to Crawford Lake
  • Some terrain is hilly and uneven
  • Tripods and drones are not allowed
2
The wooden boardwalk running along the edge of Crawford Lake through the trees

Crawford Lake

Back on the bus 4:30 PM · the boardwalk · the village

A boardwalk loops the lake, and the reconstructed Iroquoian village sits beside it on the site of the original. The forest around is Carolinian, which is a southern ecosystem that does not grow much further north than this.

Good to know:

  • The boardwalk keeps everyone off the shore, which is the point: the lake bottom is a scientific record
  • The village is walkable and there is usually somebody to talk to about it
  • Bring a lunch. There is nowhere much to buy one.

We drop you back

34 Asquith Avenue, Toronto

Back in the cityabout 5:45 PM

The bus returns to the same place it left from, so you go home the way you came.

This is our estimated return time, not a guarantee. Traffic can change it and some trips do run late, so please leave yourself some room afterwards rather than booking something tight against it.

Know before you go

Comfortable shoes and a lunch. That is most of it.

Two trips go to these two places

This is the guided hike between Rattlesnake Point and Crawford Lake, usually run for the autumn colour. There is a separate trip on 21 June, the summer solstice and National Indigenous Peoples Day, with programming led by Indigenous educators at the village. They are different days out to the same two places.

What to bring

Frequently asked questions

Why was this trip added?
Because of when the colour lands. The Niagara Escarpment turns later than the parks up north, and the last week of October is usually when the maples along this stretch of the Bruce Trail are at their best. We were not going to run another Crawford Lake day this year. We added this one for that week.
Who is this trip for?
Everyone. It suits people coming on their own, couples, families and groups, and you do not need any hiking experience. Curiosity and comfortable shoes will do.
Do I have to stay with the group?
No. Join the guided hike or wander at your own pace. There is no pressure either way.
Can I bring children?
Yes, it is a family friendly trip. Children need to be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.
What should I bring?
Sunscreen and sunglasses, a hat or an umbrella, comfortable walking shoes because some terrain is hilly and uneven, water, snacks and a lunch, and your phone or camera. Tripods and drones are not allowed.
What is a meromictic lake?
One whose layers of water never fully mix. Everything that settles on the bottom of Crawford Lake stays in order year by year, which makes the sediment a scientific record. It is why there is a boardwalk rather than a shoreline path.
What is the village?
A reconstructed 15th century Iroquoian village, built on the site where the original stood.
How is this different from the other Crawford Lake trip?
It is the same route: Rattlesnake Point, the Bruce Trail across, then Crawford Lake. The difference is the date. This is a single Sunday added for peak colour, and when it has gone there is nothing after it this year. There is also a solstice trip to Rattlesnake Point in December, which is a different day out in the dark and the snow.
Is there a washroom?
Not on the bus. This route runs a yellow school bus, so there is no washroom on board and the seats do not recline. Please use one before you get on. There are washrooms at the park, but not many: just what Crawford Lake has for everybody visiting that day.
Are the tours at Crawford Lake included?
No. Your ticket is the bus, conservation area admission and a guided hike with our guide. That is it. Crawford Lake runs its own tours, talks and programming, and none of it is included, booked or timed around our day. We cannot promise we will be there in time for any of it. If you would rather do one of their activities than walk with us, you are welcome to leave the group and pay for it yourself.
What kind of bus is it?
A yellow school bus. We use them on short routes because they cost a fraction of what a coach does, and that is what keeps the fare down and lets us run these days as often as we do. Worth knowing before you board: there is no washroom on board and the seats do not recline, so use the washroom before you get on and bring a cushion or a folded layer if you would like one. There is no space for a bike.
What if I have to cancel?
Cancel more than 14 days before you go and you get 90% back. The other 10% is what the payment processor keeps and we never see it. Inside 14 days we cannot refund, with one exception: a medical emergency in the 48 hours before departure, with a doctor's note. If we are the ones who cancel, you get everything back. The full policy is on our terms of service page.

This season's dates

One date, Sunday 25 October, and there is no second one after it. Tickets are not up yet. The date and the fares will come straight from the booking system the moment they are.

Placeholder dates · the real ones come from our booking system

Only one trip scheduled

October 25

This is the only date this season, so there is no second chance at it.

Tell me when it opens

New to Parkbus? Here's the deal

We're Canada's outdoor bus service. Since 2010 we've taken more than 300,000 people to parks and trails without a car. You bring a lunch. We handle everything with wheels.

A Parkbus guided group together before setting off

You walk between the two

The Bruce Trail links Rattlesnake Point and Crawford Lake, so the hike is the way you get from one to the other.

A village on its original site

The reconstructed 15th century Iroquoian longhouses stand where the village actually stood.

No experience needed

A guide leads it, the pace suits the group, and you can walk with them or at your own speed.

You don't drive home

An hour back after a full day walking the escarpment.

Crawford Lake at Peak Colour in photos

A still lake under a clear blue sky with a whole treeline of red, orange and gold reflected across the waterA Parkbus group gathered on a rock ledge under maples in full autumn colour, on a guided walk last OctoberAbout forty people on a Parkbus guided trip, together on a lookout in autumn with orange and yellow hills behind themThe boardwalk at Crawford Lake running along the water between the treesA bark-covered longhouse in the reconstructed Iroquoian village at Crawford Lake, visitors going in through the doorway, autumn trees behind it

What passengers are saying

★★★★★  4.6/5.0 on Google

★★★★★
“I just recently went on my first guided tour with a friend of mine from work. And man, was it amazing! Speaking from someone who doesn’t drive. This is a must!!”
Linda Ann · Facebook · Jun 2024
★★★★★
I have always had excellent experiences with Parkbus. I have been to many of their destinations, and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. The ambassadors have been knowledgeable and friendly. The drivers drive safely, and with the passengers’ comfort in mind.
Sharlene Haye · Google
★★★★★
Came with my friend in April, our guide Mike did a great job! Nice tour, small group, everything was great! Will go again!
Natalia N. · Tripadvisor · Jul 2025
96%
recommend Parkbus on Facebook
4.6 ★ on Google · 300,000+ riders since 2010

In the press

The Globe and MailNational GeographicCBCNational PostToronto Star

If your plans change

Cancel more than 14 days before departure and you get a 90% refund, with 10% withheld for payment processing. Inside 14 days refunds are not available, except for a medical emergency in the 48 hours before departure, which needs a signed doctor’s note within 14 days of the missed trip and returns 50%. Tickets are transferable: you can change the passenger name up to 48 hours before departure.

If Parkbus cancels a trip, you get a full refund. We decide no later than 48 hours before departure and only on confirmed conditions: the park closed or the park authority asking us to stand down, an evacuation order or alert, an area restriction order, the highway closed, or the trip judged unsafe to run. A forecast is not one of those things, and trips run rain or shine.

Read the full terms of service

One more Sunday, for the week the colour lands

An hour out of the city, and somebody else drives both ways.

Tell me when it opens

Other trips from Toronto

Not quite the right fit? These all leave from the same spot downtown.

The Niagara Escarpment from the clifftop at Rattlesnake Point
From Toronto · easy

Rattlesnake Point & Crawford Lake

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from $59
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A reconstructed bark-walled longhouse behind a tall wooden palisade
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Summer Solstice at Crawford Lake

A bigger challenge
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Learn more about Summer Solstice at Crawford Lake