Plan a trip to the top of a Greater Toronto Area ski hill to enjoy fall colours from a different perspective.
Conservation Halton
There are plenty of places near Toronto where you can hike through autumn colour. Kelso offers a different perspective: you can ride a ski chairlift above the changing trees, step off near the top of the Niagara Escarpment and continue the outing on foot.
Fall chairlift rides return to Kelso Conservation Area in Milton from October 3 to November 1, 2026, on weekends and over the Thanksgiving long weekend, weather permitting. A ticket includes two chairlift trips, which you can use in either direction.
That flexibility is what makes the outing more than a quick ride. Take the lift up, spend time on the fall trails and return by chair, or use your two rides in another combination.
Is the chairlift ride worth a trip from Toronto?
It is a better proposition if you plan to spend a few hours at Kelso rather than drive out solely for the chairlift.
The lift provides the unusual part of the day: an open-air view across the Escarpment during fall colour season. Once at the top, visitors can continue onto hiking trails and lookout points. Conservation Halton says an updated Fall Into Nature map with suggested hiking loops is coming, but it has not yet been released.
Food, hot and cold drinks, sweets and snacks will also be sold at East Lodge and West Lodge, so a packed picnic is optional rather than essential.
For a longer Halton fall outing, Crawford Lake is another option nearby within Conservation Halton’s Fall Into Nature programming, with its Indigenous Longhouse Village.
What is different in 2026?
The biggest change is price.
In 2025, the chairlift cost $8 in advance or $10 onsite. This year, it is $16 per person on October 3 and 4 and $20 per person on Thanksgiving weekend and subsequent operating dates, before HST. Park admission is additional.
That makes the total worth calculating before booking. For two adults and two children ages 5 to 14, admission plus chairlift rides comes to $99.50 before HST on opening weekend, $131.50 over Thanksgiving weekend, and $115.50 on the other regularly priced dates.
One detail parents should notice: children four and under may have free regular park admission, but $4 on Thanksgiving weekend, but the chairlift itself still costs $16 or $20. Every rider must also meet the lift’s safety requirements.
Who should go, and what should you know before booking?
Families with children tall enough to ride, couples and anyone who wants fall scenery without making a chairlift-free hike to the top are the obvious fit. Riders must generally be at least 42 inches or 107 cm tall, must be able to sit independently, and children 10 and younger who qualify to ride must be accompanied by an adult. Infants cannot be held on laps. Pets and bikes are not permitted on the lifts.
Wear footwear suitable for trails if you intend to explore beyond the lift stations and dress for exposed fall weather. Operations are weather permitting, so checking conditions before leaving home is sensible.
Trip Planning – Chairlift Rides at Kelso
What: Take a chairlift ride up the escarpment and admire the changing colours from above the treetops at Kelso Conservation Area.
When: October 3 to November 1, 2026, Saturdays, Sundays and Thanksgiving long weekend, weather permitting.
Hours: First chair goes up at 10 a.m., the last chair up is at 4:30 p.m. and the last chair down is at 5 p.m.
How Much:
Chairlift: $16 per person October 3 and 4; $20 per person Thanksgiving weekend and other listed operating dates. HST extra.
Park admission: Regular 2026 rates are $10.50 adult, $8.25 senior and $7.25 child ages 5 to 14. Thanksgiving rates rise to $14.50, $12.25 and $11.25, respectively. Admission for children four and under over Thanksgiving weekend is $4.
Reservations: Not mandatory for Conservation Halton parks, but advance reservations are recommended to guarantee entry and save on gate fees. Add the chairlift to the Kelso booking.
Where: Kelso Conservation Area, 5234 Kelso Road, Milton.
Weather: Chairlifts operate weather permitting.
Accessibility: The chairlift rules require riders to sit independently and safely use the chair.