With Spring in the air, there is plenty to look forward to in the coming months, but unlike some activities that we can participate in well into the summer, one Ottawa area tradition will last for only a few more weeks—the sugar bush outing.
If you crave some maple taffy or want to get out on a horse-drawn wagon ride with the kids, here are some sugar bush destinations to visit in the Ottawa area.
Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm
2452 York’s Corners Rd, Edwards
Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm has been using the same wood-burning evaporator to make its maple syrup for 200 years. The farm gathers the sap the old-fashioned way from their 300 trees before boiling it down into syrup. The pancake house is closed this year, but head to Stanley’s for the trails, the petting barn, the sugar shack museum, and to see how syrup is made.
Open Saturday and Sunday until April 17th from 10 am to 3 pm. Admission is $8.50; children under 2 are free.
PHOTO: Stanleysfarm.com
Proulx Sugar Bush and Berry Farm – Weekend Visit Maple Festival
1865 O'Toole Rd, Cumberland
Proulx Sugar Bush has been operating since 1920. Visit the maple shack to see how the syrup is made, and enjoy the trails and fire pits. Kids will have fun on the outdoor play structures. Afterward, head to the pancake house to enjoy a breakfast that you can smother with syrup—the last sittings is at 2 pm.
The sugar shack runs until April 18th. General admission tickets are limited to spread out the crowds. Buy advance tickets by clicking here.
PHOTO: Mela Boileau, TripAdvisor
Temple’s Sugar Bush
1700 Ferguson’s Falls Road (County Road #15), Lanark
Temple's Sugar Bush is a family-owned pancake house restaurant and maple farm in the heart of Lanark County—the Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario. Located on a working sugar bush, the restaurant is a spectacular two hundred seat timber frame building made by local craftsmen. After a delicious breakfast or brunch, head out for a walk on the trail. On Saturdays and Sundays enjoy taffy on the snow.
The pancake house is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm until April 24, 2022, for dining-in.
PHOTO: templessugarbush.ca
Fulton’s Sugar Bush and Maple Shop
399 Sugar Bush Road, Pakenham
Fulton’s has been in operation since 1840. The original Fulton settlers learned the art of maple syrup production from other settlers and First Nations peoples. The farm has been in the same family for six generations and is an institution in the Arnprior/Pakenham area.
Their famous pancake house is closed, but the grounds are open 7-days a week from 10 am-3 pm for enjoying the trails and the maple shop. Maple taffy and sleigh rides are available on Saturday and Sunday until April 18th.
The cost is $10 per car. Click here for tickets.
PHOTO: Erininwanderland, TripAdvisor
The Log Farm — Sugarbush Down on the Farm
670 Cedarview Road, Ottawa
The Log Farm is a pioneer-era farmhouse that shows what life was like in the 1860s. Open Saturdays and Sundays, head to the farm to feed the animals, take a walk on their year-round trail or help gather sap.
In an attempt to offer each guest the best experience possible, The Log Farm is selling advance tickets to ensure there aren’t too many people at one time. As space is limited, get your pre-purchased tickets by clicking here.
Photo: @thelogfarm
Domaine Cleroux
199 Route 300 E, Casselman
Located near Casselman, 35 minutes east of downtown Ottawa, Domaine Cleroux taps over 3000 trees in its maple bush. In addition to maple syrup, they produce various maple treats, including unconventional ones like maple-covered popcorn and maple cotton candy. The farm also has an apple orchard that produces spiked cider.
For more information visit Sugar Bush / Cabane à Sucre | Ferme Drouin Farm
Photo: Domaine Cleroux