Getting bundled up for the cold weather. Heading out to the bush, hearing the crunch of snow underfoot. Marching through the trees to collect a bucket of maple sap that will be transformed into sweet syrup.
It’s a classic eastern Canadian memory made fresh each spring: the cabane à sucre in French, or the sugar shack in English. But there’s one name everyone in the Kingston area knows it by: Maple Madness.
Held each March at Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area (known locally as “Little Cat”), Maple Madness is now in its 43rd year. The event attracts up to 14,000 people every year for fun, education, and, of course, maple syrup.
Maple Madness is our biggest and most popular annual program,” says Krista Fazackerley with the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (CRCA). “We’ve been running this long enough that we have people who first came out as kids bringing their children or even grandchildren with them.
Maple Madness is offered every weekend in March and daily during March Break (March 16–20, 2026). The event held at the perfect time of year for maple syrup production when it’s warm enough for the syrup to be harvested from maple trees across the conservation area.
On arrival at Little Cat, visitors take a two-kilometre wagon ride from the CRCA’s outdoor centre into the maple sugar bush. From there, they walk through an interpretive trail manned by staff and volunteers, including Queen’s University teacher-candidates, who staff a mix of informational and interactive displays that highlight the history of maple syrup, from Indigenous uses of sweet water right up to modern production methods.
At the end of the walk, guests can enjoy fresh pancakes served with hot maple syrup.
“We serve up to 19,000 pancakes a year at Maple Madness,” says Krista.
There are also local maple products for sale, face painting for kids, and information on other springtime activities. Krista says the CRCA is looking to expand its interpretive programming at the outdoor centre as part of future Maple Madness events.
And once visitors get home and check their photo reels, they can submit their best photos for a chance to win a maple syrup prize package.
Education is a key part of the mandate of any conservation authority; Maple Madness grew out of the popularity of the CRCA’s school tours and field trips in the 1970s and ’80s. They still offer those trips today, as well as all-ages outings, with programs designed to educate, teach useful skills, and connect kids and adults with the beauty of nature. The eight CRCA sites in and around Kingston offer outdoor activities year-round.
“I’m a big bird person so I love to check out the fall waterfowl migration at Little Cat,” says Krista. “Gould Lake is a hidden gem in the Sydenham area where you can walk through one path and see old mica mines and see the mica glittering through the trails. Lemoine Point is one of our most popular areas – it’s not often you can find a spot like that along Lake Ontario. All of our conservation areas have unique features.”
Learn more about the CRCA’s programs and conservation areas at cataraquiconservation.ca.
Know before you go
Maple Madness runs every weekend in March and daily during March Break (March 16–20) from 9 to 4 pm.
Pre-registration is mandatory. Online registration opens mid-February: cataraquiconservation.ca/pages/maple-madness
Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area (1641 Perth Rd.) is a 14-minute drive from downtown Kingston.
Admission fees: $3.75 for children and military members, $5.25 for other adults. Family rate of $18 per vehicle. Large group rates are also available.
