One of the more popular summer activities for many in the Toronto area, is to go exploring Elora, Ontario, a small town northwest of the city.
It’s an increasingly busy place in the late Spring, Summer and early Fall months, as it’s considered one of the prettiest towns in Ontario.
Located on the Grand River, it makes for some picturesque scenes for photographers and tourists alike.
So what can you see and do? I’ll share our little early morning excursion one summer and what we saw…
Exploring Elora Is A Must While Day-Tripping Through Guelph
Blink and you’ll miss it. If you’re driving through the town, I warn you it’s tiny but pretty. Exploring Elora doesn’t take long. Give yourself at least about an hour to stop by and do a walk around.
Taking photos of Elora, Ontario is one of the things many amateur and professional photographers do when day-tripping around Ontario.
Elora is one of the prettiest towns in this province. It’s no wonder it is a popular spot for day trips from Toronto.
Not only is the town so photo-worthy, but it also has local trails including the Elora Gorge Trail and the Elora Cataract Trailway which leads past Hillsburgh and Erin into Cataract.
Since it’s been around since 1832, when it was founded by Captain William Gilkison. He was a British solder, who having returned from India, bought 14,000 acres of land in the area. He settled on the east side of the Grand River, establishing a sawmill and general store a year later. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1833, not seeing his town flourish.
The sawmill was the very same mill that still stands at the Elora waterfall today. Over the years it was also a gristmill and distillery. As of 2018, it’s the Elora Mill Hotel and Spa.
Day Tripping Destination
During the summer period, exploring Elora is one of the favourite destinations to visit while day-tripping for many. The best time to visit is early in the morning when the Brant River waters are calm and reflections make for beautiful photos.
In the Fall, the colourful leaves make for an even more spectacular scene reflecting off the river. It’s a photographer’s must-visit when photographing Ontario scenes.
Our recent stop, we couldn’t resist taking photos of Elora. The timing offered us early morning scenes, just as the town was waking up on a Saturday morning. The light was perfect for the types of photos I wanted to take.
The only problem with an early morning visit is that I always want to check out the interesting restaurants in town. It’s too early in the day!
Evening photos with the light of the setting sun create a different mood. In particular, the river ends up looking like it’s glowing. Perhaps next time we’ll head through the area at sunset.
Directions To Elora
It takes about two hours from downtown Toronto to Elora, with traffic in mind. So it’s best to get up early and head that way earlier in the morning.
To get to Elora from Toronto:
Take the 401 west to Guelph. Head north on Highway 6, past Guelph. Take Wellington Road 7 northwest which will take you directly to Elora.
| Related: Top 10 Day Trips From Toronto
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