Kayaking Georgian Bay Over a Long Weekend
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The magnificent Georgian Bay wilderness in Ontario is home to 30,000 windswept, granite islands, making it an amazing paddling destination. Kayaking around Franklin Island in the Georgian Bay over a weekend will leave you in awe of the rugged beauty of this magnificent, quintessential Canadian wilderness.
The Georgian Bay, sometimes called the “sixth Great Lake”, covers close to 15,000 square kilometres so it’s about 80% of the size of Lake Ontario. As such, it’s capable of generating its own weather, waves and currents.
The Georgian Bay is famous for its winds that blow up out of nowhere – making calm water gnarly and dangerous in a matter of minutes. Kayaking Georgian Bay, while mostly great fun – can become dangerous and difficult in short order – so always keep an eye on the weather, even for an easier kayaking trip like the one around Franklin Island.
Kayaking Georgian Bay – where can you go?
The hardest decision you’ll have to make is where do you want to go kayaking in the Georgian Bay? Time and your paddling ability figure prominently in the equation as does any forecast with wind warnings.
You can launch anywhere between Snug Harbour and Killarney to access the myriad of islands and islets but always have a fall back plan in place. There are islands, particularly the distant out-islands, where you can get wind-bound for days. Be sure to take enough extra food.
Circumnavigation of Franklin Island in the Georgian Bay
If you’re a novice to intermediate paddler then one of the easier three day kayaking trips is a circumnavigation of Franklin Island.
The island, accessible with a launch from Snug Harbour, offers quintessential Georgian Bay scenery – twisted, folded and cooked metamorphic rocks, wind twisted and gnarled white pines, flat slabs of crystalline rock perfect for sunbathing, beaches for swimming and fresh blueberries to pick in season.
There are loads of camping sites and privacy should never be an issue. The actual circumnavigation of Franklin Island should take no more than four or five hours at a relaxed place.
Recommended reading: The Kayakers Checklist: 100 Items To Pack
Great kayaking options to extend your Georgian Bay kayaking trip
Experienced paddlers might want to use Franklin Island as a stopping point on the way to or from the Mink Islands in the Georgian Bay. These islands see fewer paddlers but offer plenty of opportunity for exploration. In particular, look for the wreckage of the steamship Seattle that sank in 1903, 300 metres off Green Island.
Adventurous paddlers can continue further and explore the McCoy Group. But you want a good weather window to be kayaking Georgian Bay for that trip!
Useful info for a Georgian Bay kayaking trip
Rentals: Bring your own kayak or rent from White Squall or Killarney Outfitters.
Distance: Its 13 kilometres to circumnavigate Franklin Island in the Georgian Bay by kayak. That doesn’t include the paddle out to the island. The Mink Group is 5 kilometres from the Franklins with an open water crossing. From there you can access the McCoy Islands.
Launch site: Launch for the Franklin Islands from Snug Harbour, located approximately 275 km north of Toronto via Highway 400, Highway 559 and Snug Harbour Road.
Costs: Island camping on crown land is free.
Don’t forget: Marine charts, a weather radio and extra food. Winds can blow up out of nowhere and the paddling conditions can change in minutes. Watch out for rattlesnakes.
Options: There are lots of route possibilities. You could start in Killarney and head for Phillip Edward Island as well as the Fox and Chicken Islands or launch from the Key River Marina and head for the Bustard Islands. Or leave from Britt and head to the Churchill Islands.
Further reading on canoe trips
- Early Season Canoeing in Algonquin Park
- Fabulous Camping on Georgian Bay near Killarney Park
- A Week Long Canoe Trip in Quetico
- Mississagi Provincial Park – A Northern Ontario Gem
- The Reindeer Lake Canoe Trip in Saskatchewan
Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.
I love Georgian Bay! For some reason, I’d never thought of kayaking there! Will have to do this soon…maybe this summer! I love your photos!
@Lauren Choose your day to kayak as you already would know about the winde – and just how quickly storms can brew up. On a windless day it’s an idyllic place to be.
My husband and I have done many kayak trips on Georgian Bay over the years. There are many good books to help plan a trip. The snakes will leave you alone if you leave them alone! Bears are out there as well. Check out the club we belong to http://www.glska.com and you will note that most of the planned trips by volunteers are on Georgian Bay.
@Karen I agree about the snakes and have had exactly that experience. I haven’t seen bears out there but good to know. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Such gorgeous, deep, rich colours!
@Sophie The colours seem especially rich considering we both live in a snowy climate.
I’ll be at Boracay – Philippines by the end of April and I will try KAYAKING! 😀 This would be my first if ever.
@Ben Enjoy. And the water should be lovely and warm. Have fun.
i would recommend starting out from Killarney, along outer edge of Franklin Island (not circumnavigation) and out to Fox Islands.
@Marc That would be an awesome trip. Thank you for stopping by.
I didn’t realize there were so many islands in the Georgian Bay, Leigh. That must be a pretty large one that it can take about 4 hours to circumnavigate. Love the colors in the last two photos.
@Marcia Some of the islands are the size of a tree while others are large. The beauty of the one we circumnavigated was that there were so many places to camp – and all were very private.
I did not know Canada had rattlesnakes. I just googled it and found it to be the eastern massasauga. By rattlesnake standards, they are shy and non-aggressive, but if stepped on they will bite and their bite can be dangerous. Thanks for increasing my serpentine knowledge.
I am not a big fan of big lakes and kayaking in windy situations, but this place looks gorgeous. One strategy we sometimes use when canoeing windy areas is to canoe at night. Sometimes there is enough light to navigate by. I would only do this in a wind bound situation where you needed to move and the days were to severe.
@Ted There are also rattlesnakes in the hot, dry BC interior. The other thing the Georgian Bay has that always freaks me out a bit is water snakes. I know they’re harmless but they creep me out.
The Georgian Bay is truly a special place fr kayaking but one look at the stunted, wind blown trees and you know that wind is a common occurrence. Your advice about paddling in the evening is excellent.
Kayaking is something I would love to do.
… those sunset campfire pics are magical!
@Rachel I love the combo of camping & campfires.
Lovely, i love doing tours like this and ending with a nice fire by the beach..what a wonderful day, thanks for sharing it Leigh
@Noel It was a very special long weekend. I’d love to go back.
Beautiful photos, Leigh – Georgian Bay is one of the loveliest spots in Ontario! I have never kayaked on the bay but it sounds like great fun!
@NullNFull I was very fortunate.
I love the gorgeous hues in all of your shots, Leigh. That last shot really pulls me in! I had no idea that Georgian Bay was so huge.
@Nancie I have the utmost respect for the waters in the Georgian Bay because of its size.
Whoah, those colors are really jumping off the page. I wish I had been there, the paddling around Franklin Island would have been superb. How lucky you are to experience such beauty.
@Jan I hadn’t been to Georgian Bay in decades – and never to this area. It’s very special with so many islands and you’re right that the colours jump out – easier to see in bad weather.
The Georgian Bay sunset is a stunning photo – love the colours. But I think it was the blues of the water around Franklin Island and the bright red of the kayak which piqued my attention the most. What a wonderful trip – I can just feel the cold and then the direct heat from that early morning fire too.
@Johanna The water was super clear and incredibly blue. It’s amazing what you can do when you have a long weekend – and this is such a great escape from the big city.
I have never done this before but it looks amazing!! One with nature and you serenely glide over the waters and pray that one of those nasty weather conditions doesn’t rear its ugly head. ; )
@Jeff We had one out of three perfect days, one that was average and one that would have been gnarly if we’d stayed out all day.
Thanks for another excellent intro to another corner of Canada I knew in name only.
@Bob It’s an outstanding place to visit for any water based sport in the summer.
Gorgeous!
Thanks Jackie. It certainly was.
I had never heard of Georgian Bay and I agree with Cathy that it very much deserves its nickname. What a gorgeous place to spend some time. I can feel that sense of calmness from your photos. Those sunset photos are just beautiful and unique. My favorite photo is that mist rising.
@Mary The Georgian Bay is actually a fantastic place for families in the summer. There are lots of lodges, the swimming is great and the scenery lovely. It’s about 2 – 21/2 hours north of Toronto.
That last picture with the campfire totally sealed the deal for me, Leigh. I was able to canoe and kayak in Minnesota’s boundary waters when I was a kid then camp and it was an absolutely amazing experience. The calm waters look soooo inviting…and wow, clear too I can see in that one picture! 🙂
@Mike I would like to canoe the Boundary Waters one day – and I figure I need at least a week for a trip like that.
We were very lucky to have super calm waters on the day we paddled around the island. On the day we left we got out within an hour of a storm and some big waves. The Georgian Bay – as you can tell by the wind blown trees can really dish it out weather wise.
As much fun as the kayaking would be, I’d just like to sit by the fire and enjoy the sunset in that beautiful area. Georgian Bay seems very deserving of its “6th Great Lake” nickname.
@Cathy I love the down time by the campfire – and we needed that fire in mid-September to stay warm at night.
This makes me want summer to get here now! Was the water really jewel-toned? I hear it is, but can’t believe it. Is it freezing?
@Jody The colours really were like that. And even better – you can swim in it.