Kayak & Canoe — Eagle Adventures

Learn to Paddle:

Local rivers (2.0 hrs)

Paddling the lower Georgian Bay and Muskoka rivers:

These are some of the popular canoeing or kayaking choices:

River Paddle: Minesing Wetlands

An internationally recognised Ramsar endorsed heritage site displaying a wide range of rare flora and fauna. Normally a 4-5 hr paddle with no portages if accessed from the Willow Creek entrance. Best to paddled in the spring when water levels are high. Several highlights including Bald Eagle sightings, Sand Hill cranes and Blue Heron colonies. A particularly nice paddle through an ancient forest. Weekends only.
Make sure to keep an eye out for the infamous Lord of the Rings Tree! Can you see the face in it?
This trip is guided only, as there are many twists and turns that all look similar that our guides are very familiar with. They will guide you through the wetlands and point out landmarks and special interests to share.

River Paddle: Beaver River

A very popular paddle that can be as long or short as you want. A nice 4 hr. paddle starts at the Epping Bridge and wanders though oxbows to Heathcote. There is one small rapid. Just past Heathcote is Tom’s place where we have been welcomed to his private picnic area for lunch before negotiating the fun class one rapids to Slab Town Dam.

Enjoy the natural riches the Beaver River offers, paddling along its shores. You’ll be rewarded with amazing discoveries.

Access #1 to Epping Bridge (4 hrs) An easy paddle
Epping to Heathcote (2.5 hrs) Are you a beginner? This is the perfect option for you. Just long enough to give you a good taste, but without pushing yourself too far.
Heathcote to Slabtown (1.5 hrs)

River Paddle: Edenvale

Edenvale to Hamellville (1.5 hrs)
Edenvale to Atkinson Road (2.5 hrs)
Edenvale to Klondike Park (4.0 hrs)

Klondike Park to Oxbow Road (1.5 hrs)

This is a nice fast water paddle of 1.5 to 2 hrs. It follows the route of early fur traders through large dunes formed when Lake Algonquin covered much of the area. A significant area in the sinking of the Nancy story. A good evening paddle it can be expanded to include the run to schooner park or started upriver at bridge 3 near Hammelville.

Oxbow to Schooner Park (1.0 hrs)

Lake Eugenia

This lake formed by a Hydro Dam is a paddling jewel. From our sheltered launch we can access the main island, paddle to the stumps and watch for carp and other fish in the shallows. It is named after one of Napoleons’ mistresses by French miners who participated in a small gold rush in the area. The rush ended when the gold turned out to be fools gold. A good paddle in the spring when the carp are mating and you can hear and see the frenzy near any of the shallows. An hour out of Collingwood this can be paddled in the evening with good time management. A good early July paddle.

Jacques Lake

A short paddle up river from Klondike Park this lake offers paddling through the trees, large lily pad beds and if we are lucky a family of swans. A good evening paddle to finish off the day. (~20 minutes each direction + time spent exploring)

Collingwood Harbour and Tributary

A nice paddle when conditions on the Bay are rough. The wetlands have Egrets, Swans and Herons. Up the tributary to where #26 crosses it the nesting Barn swallows have their cave like domains. The young are seen peaking out as you pass. Farther up the creek you can experiment with the rapids and learn how to use the back eddy’s to negotiate up river for a rush back down. A nice evening paddle that can be expanded to a day paddle with visits to the old shipyard docks/ the mouth of the harbour, etc.

Gibson River

This river in lower Muskoka empties Gibson Lake to Georgian Bay. It has a couple of fast water chutes under Hwy 400 and another short rapid between two river lakes. It winds through Muskoka Rock and classic landscapes to a class 6 rapid that we portage around (I ran it in 2009 and scared my photographer so much he missed me going over the large rock in the middle). The return trip is against a modest current and we can test our skills running the rapids backwards near our put in point. Last time in we saw a Moose. This is a trip for experienced paddlers only.

Saugeen River

This is an exciting river to paddle. The stretch we have selected has a number of class one rapids and some short class two. As we explore more of the river we will keep everyone informed. The section selected is 1.5 hrs drive from Collingwood, starting at Walkerton. It offers several paddling experiences and beautiful scenery and wildlife.

Black/Green/Trent River at Washago ( 1.5 hr drive from Collingwood)

This is a beautiful paddle, centered in the Washago area. The landscape is traditional old cottages giving way to a nice MuskoKa wilderness that enters the Rama Band Reserve. To get the most out of this tour you need to be a strong paddler able to cover a lot of territory. We paddle up to the last rapid on the Black and can practice running the single drop on it to test our balance. Experienced paddlers only- we may offer a less rigorous paddle if some of the group would like this as it is a very beautiful area.

3-Day Killarney Trip

We are always looking for scenic paddle experiences and the following might be of interest.

Very nice overnight trip on the Black river. We are currently negotiating the use of islands in the river as camp sites.
Any of the options above can be done by individuals or small groups outside of the regular schedule with arrangements through Richard.

Sea Kayaking (Guided Only)

See the Blue Mountains with different eyes while paddling along the unique shorelines of Georgian Bay. Sunrise and Sunset tours are available.

Sea Kayaking: Tern Island

Coastal – sunset/evening paddle (1/2 day)

Sea Kayaking: Wreck of the Mary Ward

(Full day)

This is 4 km out from Northwinds Beach in Nottawasaga Bay nestled in shallow water near one of the reefs. The wrecking of the Mary Ward is a story worth hearing as you paddle out. Eight people died that November evening in 1872. This trip is for experienced paddlers only. We will also be offering tours starting this year going out to the wreck in our tri-hull motor boat. this offers more time for you to snorkel or enjoy the scenery without a kayak.

Sea Kayaking: River Trips on Lower Muskoka

(Overnight) Please inquire for more info if you are interested.

Sea Kayaking Option: Taster

Do you want to have a taste of Sea Kayaking? This is your perfect opportunity… Not too short, to give you enough time to enjoy it; not too long, leaving you with spare time for other activities. (2-3 hrs)

Sea Kayaking Option: The Full Dose

Are you a fan of Sea Kayaking? Do you feel you can’t have enough of it? Then this is your chance to get a full dose! Our 5-hour tour will leave you satisfied, and still wanting to come for more. (5 hrs)

Surf Paddling

Come check us out for the fastest growing enhancement to your kayak adventures – surf paddling.
Ride on top kayak or cockpit kayaks are used to surf the waves coming into shore.

Voyageur Canoe

The Voyageur Canoe has a special place in Canadian History. It was developed over the course of thousands of years by our First Nations people. The canoes delivered trading goods for the posts in Canada’s northwest during the 17 and 1800’s. Each canoe carried six voyageurs, le gouvernail in the stern to steer, l’avant at the bow to set stroke and watch for rocks and four in the middle called les milieu. A load of furs was brought back to the rendez-vous such as Fort William at the west end of Lake Superior. The bundles were transferred into 8-10 paddler canots de maitre for the return trip along the north shores of Lakes Superior and Huron and through the French, Mattawa and Ottawa rivers to Montreal.

Our Voyageur Canoe trips are guided tours. (Full or 1/2 day)

Check out the Nord Canoe Trip for an example