Photo: Cataraqui Conservation Board Chair Paul Proderick (L) and General Manager David Ellingwood (R) start off Maple Madness 2025 by tapping the first maple trees.
The first trees are tapped and our maple sugar bush is ready for visitors. Maple Madness, Cataraqui Conservation’s annual spring tradition, is back for its 42nd season.
From the moment you board the wagons and see the smiling, excited faces you know that your Maple adventure is about to begin!
Maple Madness has become a staple of family fun throughout the Cataraqui Region for locals and visitors alike. It brings folks together for some outdoor-themed fun – AND the tasty pancakes and maple syrup of course!
Maple Madness takes place every weekend in March and throughout March Break. Registration at CatatarquiConservation.ca is required. The program runs daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on March 1-2, 8-16, 22-23, and 29-30. Held at the Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area located on Perth Road just north of Highway 401.
Learn about the traditions of maple syrup production at interactive displays. Partners from the local Indigenous community show how the original residents of the land did this process and the importance of maple trees, sweet water and its byproducts to their well being and culture. There are also demonstrations of how the early settler communities developed their own techniques for processing maple sap. Cataraqui Conservation staff, Queen’s University Teacher Candidates and community volunteers will explain how to find the right tree to tap, methods of tapping and how raw maple sap is turned into a yummy treat. View a modern, working evaporator and try your hand at tapping a tree with a brace and bit.
Visit the Outdoor Centre and Maple Shop featuring maple-related products, as well as merchandise from Cataraqui Conservation, Friends’ Groups and the Cataraqui Conservation Foundation. View community displays from Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre and the Cataraqui Conservation Foundation. For the little ones, there are several crafts, as well as face painting with proceeds to the Not So Amateur Amateurs (Kingston’s young people’s non-profit theatre company).
Cataraqui Conservation is once again holding its Maple Madness Photo Contest. Winners will earn a special maple-related prize package. The contest begins Saturday, March 1, and closes March 30 at 6 p.m. Head around to the various ‘Photo Op’ stations in the sugar bush and in front of the Outdoor Centre.
New for 2025 - don’t have access to a vehicle to get to Maple Madness, we are piloting a program that provides a bus to pick you up from a predetermined transit hub and brings you to Little Cataraqui Creek and back again. You must purchase a ticket for this service and details are available on our website.
For more information on Maple Madness 2025 visit our website for registration information, list of activities, photo contest link, helpful guide to plan your day, and food and maple syrup prices - https://cataraquiconservation.ca/pages/maple-madness.