Fun and Sweet Ways to Explore Lanark County; The Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario
Spring is the sweetest time of the year in Lanark County, and maple roots run deep in this beautiful and vibrant region of Ontario, only 45 minutes west of Ottawa. As the maple syrup capital of Ontario, Lanark County is home to over 400 maple syrup producers, and is the perfect place to experience maple syrup season.
Visit a local sugar shack to learn how sap is turned into syrup, enjoy a maple-themed meal in a cozy pancake house, sample tasty maple-infused food on the Lanark County Maple Trail, and experience fun and exciting celebrations during maple events throughout the region. Plan your spring adventure with our sweet and sticky guide to experiencing maple season in Lanark County.
Maple Sugar Shacks
Fulton’s Sugar Bush and Maple Shop
As one of the most well-known sugar camps in Lanark County, Fulton’s Sugar Bush and Maple Shop is a powerhouse on the maple syrup scene. Fulton’s has a long history in the maple business, with six generations of Fultons tapping trees on their 400-acre property since the 1840’s, and spring at Fulton’s is always a delight.
Explore 8km of serene sugar bush trails on foot, by snowshoe or ski, learn how sap goes from tap to table, and enjoy special weekend activities during maple season including horse-drawn sleigh rides, guided-tours, and maple taffy on snow. Fulton’s also has a well-stocked maple store where you can pick up anything maple including maple cookies, sugar candies, maple-infused sauces, bath and body care, and of course delicious maple syrup made onsite.
Fortune Farms
Located near the town of Almonte, Fortune Farms is a 6th generation maple syrup producer making the sticky good stuff since the 1840’s. Learn about the evolution of the maple syrup production process; from the pioneer way to modern syrup-making methods, then watch a traditional maple syrup boil, where sap is boiled down to syrup.
Wander through the sugar bush on foot, and watch over 50km of pipeline crisscross through the mature 200-acre forest. Then head back to the camp for maple tastings including maple taffy, fudge, candy and of course syrup.
Wheelers Maple
Wheelers Maple is a family-owned business with a strong history in the maple syrup industry, and is one of the largest maple syrup farms in Ontario. With their land being used for maple syrup production since the 1820’s, they have a whopping 20,000 tapped trees, and over 300km of pipeline.
Take a hike through the sugar bush while you enjoy the silence of spring, and watch sap flow through the pipeline as it makes it way back to the sugar camp where it’s collected, boiled and made into sweet liquid gold. Don’t miss Wheelers’ maple syrup museum, which features the largest collection of maple syrup artifacts in the world, then head inside for a hearty breakfast fireside in their cozy pancake house.
Temple’s Sugar Bush
Temple’s Sugar Bush is buzzing with activity during maple syrup season, and a visit to this family-owned farm is a cherished tradition for many families each spring. Well known for their stunning rustic timber-frame pancake house, no visit to Temple’s is complete without a delicious maple meal.
Enjoy a buffet style feast in a cozy and welcoming space, will bottomless maple syrup for your pancakes, French toast and sausages, then take a stroll on the Sugar Bush Trail to work off your brunch. Be sure to stop by the farm shop to bring home a jug of maple syrup, maple butter, maple granola, baked goods, and those irresistible maple candies.
Satisfy Your Maple Cravings on the Lanark County Maple Trail
Go beyond the sugar bush and explore the tastes of maple season on the Lanark County Maple Trail. Created for foodies, road-trippers and maple lovers, this maple-themed treasure hunt highlights some of the most delicious maple-infused food in Lanark County.
Whether you’re looking for a meal harmonizing the tastes of maple with traditional cuisine, brews and moonshine with tones of Canadian maple, or maple-laced treats to satisfy your sweet tooth, you’re sure to find it on the Lanark County Maple Trail.
Equator Coffee
Maple Lattés
If you’ve never tried a maple latté from Equator Coffee, you’re in for a treat. Roasting up delicious fair trade organic coffee, Equator Coffee is a staple in Lanark County, with it’s HQ and roastery located in the charming town of Almonte. Grab a seat in their bright, airy and modern café, and warm up with their tasty maple latté - a spring classic. Using maple syrup as a sweetener is truly a game changer, and Equator knows how to get that perfect combination of smooth rich coffee with sweet maple, just right.
Hummingbird Chocolate
Maple Dark Chocolate
An award-winning chocolate maker, and the cacao pride of Lanark County, Hummingbird Chocolate is the place to go for chocolate lovers. While their wide selection of small-batch chocolates will have your stomach grumbling, their maple chocolate is the obvious choice for spring. Created using single origin 65% dark chocolate, and featuring local maple syrup from Fulton’s Maple, it’s the perfect combination of bitter dark and maple sweet.
Healthy Food Technologies
Maple Donuts
The maple glazed donut is a Canadian classic, and Healthy Food Technologies (HFT) in Almonte lets you indulge in this traditional maple treat with less donut guilt. Fried for less time, then baked to complete the process, HFT’s unique donut-making process creates delicious donuts with less fat. Not compromising on taste, their donuts are amazing, and perhaps better than your average drive through go-to. Stop by for their Maple Dip, Maple Cream, or Maple Bacon donuts, and stuff that box a little more full knowing that a healthier donut means more donuts.
Perth Chocolate Works
Maple Cream Chocolates
Perth Chocolate Works is a family-run chocolatier creating some of the most delicious artisan chocolates in Ontario. Made in small batches using high-quality Belgian Calebaut chocolate, their creations are creative, sinful, and oh so tasty. Stop by during maple season for a box of their maple cream chocolates, or pick up some maple cream eggs to add to your Easter baskets.
Artizen Craft Beverage Co.
Maple Kombucha
Brewed up in special batches for the spring season, Artizen Craft Beverage’s maple kombucha is a tasty seasonal drink that will satisfy both your gut and your taste buds. Created using spring water and fresh organic ingredients, Artizen’s kombuchas are made in the heart of Perth, and are known to promote digestive wellness. They have a wide range of delicious flavours available year-round at North Folk Café, and you can find their limited-time sweet maple kombucha during Festival of the Maples in Perth.
Vodkow Dairy Distillery
Maple Cream Liquor
Using a unique distilling process which turns milk permeate (a bi-product from milk production) into smooth flavourful vodkas, Volkow is an innovative small business creating waves across the country. Along with their famous vodkas, they also create amazing lactose free, 100% Canadian cream liquors, available in 12 flavours including their tantalizing and distinct sugar shack maple cream liquor. Using dark organic maple syrup from nearby Fulton’s Maple, this creamy maple treat is perfect for sipping over ice, or a welcome treat in your morning coffee.
Perth Brewery
Maple Ale
A small-batch brewery beloved for its Canadian inspired brews, Perth Brewery serves up a tasty maple-infused ale that is sure to get you into the maple spirit. Their O’Canada Maple ale is created using fresh maple syrup from nearby Temple’s Sugar Bush, and is the perfect way to cheers to spring in Lanark County.
Top Shelf Distillers
Maple Moonshine
The town of Perth has a long history in the moonshine business, and award-winning Top Shelf Distillers carries on that tradition today. Whether you’re new to moonshine, or a seasoned connoisseur, their maple Moonshine is a tasty drink you’ll want to try - and not only under the cover of darkness. Crafted in small batches, and infused with local Lanark County maple syrup, it’s the perfect addition to cocktails, or a great accompaniment to barbecued meats.
Maple Syrup Events in Lanark County
Maple Weekend | Lanark County – April 4-5, 2026
Maple Weekend in Ontario is a great opportunity to visit maple syrup producers across the province. In Lanark County many private maple syrup producers open their doors to the public allowing a sneak peek into their maple syrup operations.
Hike through towering maple sugar bushes to watch sap flow, learn the art of maple syrup making, experience a maple syrup boil, watch maple sugar making demonstrations, and sample fresh maple syrup from golden to dark. Many participating maple sugar bushes also offer special activities on Maple Weekend like horse-drawn wagon rides, pancakes breakfasts, maple taffy on snow, live music, entertainment, and fun activities for kids.
To find Lanark County producers participating in Maple Weekend, visit Ontario Maple.
Festival of the Maples | Perth – April 25, 2026
Celebrating it’s 50th year in 2026, the Festival of the Maples is a celebration of all things sweet and sticky in Lanark County. Taking place in the beautiful town of Perth, this amazing maple syrup festival brings together the community along with visitors from afar to celebrate spring.
Sample locally-made maple products beyond the syrup, from donuts to brews, and enjoy the vibrant and inviting atmosphere with live music, children’s activities, street entertainers, log-cutting competitions, and plenty of market vendors to shop for sweet souvenirs to bring home.
