Winterlude has come and gone and it looks like the frigid winter temperatures are (hopefully) behind us. I have to admit, I’m currently out in Vancouver enjoying some family time on the west coast (temperatures here are currently colder than in Ottawa!!?). But, when we return to Ottawa we will be right in the middle of sugar shack season, which is a favourite of mine.

So, I’m updating my last year’s post on where to find the best sugar bushes in the Ottawa area. The sugar shack is a wonderful place to visit with the kids, so hopefully this helps you decide where you want to visit this year.

A few tips before heading out to a sugar bush

• it’s a good idea to get there early if possible. Some of the more popular sugar shacks can get really busy on the weekends and it’s not much fun waiting in a line up for a table and food with hungry little kids.
• Dress appropriately! If the snow is melting, that often means mud, lots of mud. So put your kids in their boots and proper gear to deal with either the snow or mud (I’ve learned this one the hard way).
• Bring some cash. Sometimes there are add on things to buy, such as the maple taffy and often they only accept cash.

Fulton’s Pancake House & Sugar Bush

399 Sugar Bush Road, Pakenham

Dates and Hours:

The sugar bush season at Fulton’s runs from February 17 – April 15

Weekdays from 9 am to 3 pm, and Weekends from 8 am – 3 pm

Details:

120 seat restaurant with a yummy cafeteria style breakfast offered.

After breakfast you can enjoy the nordic and walking trails. Bring your cross country skis and snowshoes. Or you can also rent snowshoes there.

You can visit the sugar camp and learn to make maple syrup. There are children’s games like eye spy and Fulton’s ultimate challenge available for the family to play every day of the week . There is a also a toboggan hill, bring your own sled or borrow one of theirs.

On weekends and holidays there are some extra special activities like  face painting, maple taffy, maple cotton candy, horse drawn sleigh and wagon ride, and you can cook bannock or make a cedar spoon (all available at a price).

For more information visit the Fulton’s website

Proulx Maple & Berry Farm

1865 O’Toole Road, Ottawa

Dates and Hours:

Opening day is Sunday, February 25th, and runs until Sunday, April 15th.
Sat. & Sunday: Farm and sugar bush, 9-5
Weekend Brunch 9-3, last seating 2 pm. No reservations accepted.
Weekdays, by reservation only.
March Break  9-4, no reservations needed.
Easter 4-day weekend, 9-3, brunch reservation recommended.

Details:

In addition to the yummy brunch, there is a maple tour including a visit to the production shack, maple taffy stand, a farm with animals, a playground, and a horse drawn hay ride (open on weekends).

If you are coming for brunch, you will also need to purchase admission to access the grounds and sugar bush tour.

For more information visit the Proulx website

Wheelers Pancake House & Sugar Camp

1001 Highland Line, Lanark Highlands

Dates and Hours:

Wheeler’s is open from 9 am-3pm everyday, and the sap is already starting to run here, so Wheeler’s has begun boiling their delicious batch of 2018 syrup.

Details:

There’s of course the pancake breakfast, which ranges from $4,57 for a pancake and one sausage, to $20.75 for 3 pancakes, french toast, 4 sausages and beans.

There is a farm museum and a maple syrup museum, along with an original sugar shack.

There is a small playground with swings, slide and small zipline. There are sheep, alpacas, horses and a miniature horse. There are trails for walking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing (you can rent snowshoes).

It’s a bit of a drive from Ottawa, but a lovely place to spend a good chunk of the day, and the large log cabin style restaurant is great.

For more information visit the Wheelers website

The Log Farm

670 Cedarview Road, Nepean

Dates and Hours:

The Log Farm is open weekends 9:30 am to 4:00 pm from March 3rd until April 8th along with the week of March 12th to 16th for March break.

Details:

The Log Farm is a historical farm site, where you can see how the Bradley family lived in the 1860’s. The house and all the out buildings are set up to depict what life for a family would have been like during this period. It is a working farm where you can see all kinds of animals on the farm. There is maple taffy on the snow, beavertails and a bonfire where you can warm up while waiting for the wagon ride that will take you out to the sugar bush. It doesn’t look like The Log Farm is offering up a breakfast this year, but it’s a great spot to take the family if you want to learn about the traditional ways of making maple syrup, and enjoy a day outdoors.

There is a $5.31 plus GST admission to the farm and sugar bush. All children 1 and under are free.

For more information visit the Log Farm website

Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm

2452 Yorks Corners Road, Edwards

Dates and Hours:

Opening day is February 24th, and will run Saturdays & Sundays 9am-3pm until April 8th
Tuesday March 13th -Friday March 16th 10 am – 2 pm

Details:

You can enjoy a sleigh ride, visit the sugar shack, and watch the sap to syrup process unfold while enjoying taffy on the snow. There is also a petting farm with plenty of animals and a children’s play area.

A pancake brunch is available at the Pancake House, a 350 seat restaurant, all you can eat. The brunch menu is extensive and prices run from $18.00 for adults, to $7.75 for toddlers 2-4 years old.

For more information visit Stanley’s website

Temple’s Sugar Camp Restaurant

1700 Ferguson’s Falls Road, Lanark

Dates and Hours:

The Temple’s Sugar Bush restaurant opens for the season on March 1st, and is open until the end of April. Wednesday – Sunday 9am-3pm.

Details:

This is a lovely spot, both the building and grounds are impeccably kept and it is a popular wedding site. You won’t find many of the sugar bush activities that you do at other destinations, but the menu comes highly recommended (it includes belgian waffles along with pancakes) and you can take a stroll through the sugar bush trails.

For more information check out the Temple’s website

Sand Road Sugar Camp

17190 Sand Road, Moose Creek, Ontario

Dates and Hours:

Sand Road Sugar Camp opens on February 25, and runs until the end of April.

Details:

There is a maple farm buffet ranging in price from $17.95 for adults, to $7.95 for children under 5.

You can experience the great outdoors through nature trails, horse drawn wagon rides (on the weekends, weather permitting), play structure, and educational tours. There is no admission fee to visit the camp.

For more information check out the Sand Road website

Bean Town Ranch

2891 Plantagenet Concession 3, Plantagenet

Dates and Hours:

Bean Town Sugar Shack is open from March 10th to April 8th, seatings from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm on Saturdays, and until 4:00 pm on Sundays.

Details:

You need to make a reservation for this meal at the Bean Town Ranch, but the menu sounds amazing!

You get a Sugar Bush Daytime Pass includes an all-you-can-eat meal served to your table, horse drawn sleigh rides through the maple forest and taffy on the snow.

Pricing is $28 per adult, $12 children ages 3-13, and $23 for seniors.

Prices are slightly more for the evening meal time on Saturday, which also includes musical entertainment.

For more information and to check out the extensive menu visit the Bean Town Ranch website

Maple Sugar Shack and Festival at Vanier Museopark

300 Peres-Blancs Avenue, Vanier

Dates and Hours:

The sugar shack will be open every weekend from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. between March and April. With a special sugar shack festival happening from April 1-2 (more info below).

Details:

The sugar shack isn’t big, seating up to 40 guests. Open by reservation only. Menus range from $4.50 to $20.50.

The activities really take place during the festival – you will find a lumberjack competition, axe-throwing, maple tastings, performances by various local artists, jugglers and face-painters. For families, you can also look forward to visiting live farm animals and sled dogs, playing on inflatable structures, and carnival rides.

For more information visit here.