We're eight kilometres into a 290-kilometre canoe trip in northern Saskatchewan and I'm already wondering how I'm going to survive two weeks of paddling. It's not the bugs, the rain or the mildly hypothermic temperatures I'm worried about - but our campsite we've had to carve out of the forest on a bed of slippery reindeer moss. Is this what we're going to have to do every night for two weeks I wonder to myself?…
British Columbia, Canada is one of the most popular kayaking destinations in the world. With 25,725 kilometres of coastline to be explored it can be a bit confusing as to where you may want to go. Luckily I have some suggestions. Here are seven of the best places to go kayaking in BC. Some are merely weekend trips while others like Haida Gwaii deserve a minimum of a week. This post includes some affiliate links.…
Mississagi Provincial Park, located just 25 kilometres north of the city of Elliot Lake, has been called "one of Ontario's last true natural parks." The park offers visitors a chance to hike, canoe, bike, swim and enjoy nature in a park that aside from 60 front-country campsites, seven backcountry campsites and seven hiking trails is preserved in its natural state. Mississagi Provincial Park features one of the best views in Ontario, an incredible fall foliage display (!!!)…
If you've driven the rather boring section of Highway 401 between Toronto and Windsor, you could be forgiven for thinking there's not much to see in southwest Ontario. But drive off the main highway and you're in for a treat. Not only that - there's so much to do in southwest Ontario that you could visit every weekend for months and still not experience everything. Southwest Ontario is home to a thriving and growing wine…
Chances are when you think of Alberta you don't think of the province in terms of a paddling destination. Yet it has its fair share of rivers and lakes in both prairie and mountain settings. All routes and experiences outlined below offer something for the beginner through to the advanced paddler. Here's a list of what I think are 9 of the best places to paddle in Alberta - whether it be in a kayak…
This is a guest post about a canoeing experience on the Mountain River in the NWT courtesy of Jared Nusinoff. He just launched a new budget focused road-trip experience travel company focused on Canada - OutHereTravel - to help folks venturing to amazing spots in Ontario, Quebec, PEI, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland. I’ve spent over 500 nights camping in Canada’s wilderness, but the trip that took me and five buddies to the Northwest…
“Have you done much paddling?” I casually asked the man beside me as we filed into the dining room at an Edmonton hotel. What else do you say to a fellow paddler you’ve never met before on the eve of a two-week, 400-kilometre canoe trip down the Keele River in the Northwest Territories? He was fit, 50ish and wore the requisite quick-dry clothing. I was stunned when he told me that his paddling was limited…
Quetico Provincial Park is huge at 4,760 square kilometres, almost double the size of the country of Luxembourg. Its home to literally thousands of lakes along with over 2,000 backcountry campsites. Because of its size, it's a challenge, at least the first time you visit, to decide where to go canoeing in Quetico. Canoeing in Quetico Provincial Park is bucket list worthy if you're a paddler. The sheer choice of routes, the history and the…
Quetico Provincial Park is a massive wilderness park in Northwestern Ontario, located a few hour's drive west of Thunder Bay. The park is immediately adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota. With thousands of lakes, rivers, centuries old portages, waterfalls and campsites you could literally spend a lifetime exploring Quetico Provincial Park. Quetico Provincial Park is an ideal destination for people who like to get truly off the beaten path and experience…
If you're looking for an easy, family-friendly summer adventure in Alberta try canoeing or kayaking the Red Deer River. Although it has a good rate of flow, there are very few, if any rapids to deal with. Your biggest problem will likely be running aground on a gravel bar or slipping on a muddy bank getting out of the canoe. There are lots of canoeing options on the Red Deer River from a one day…