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?…
Mississagi Provincial Park, located just 25 km 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…
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…
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…
Transporting a canoe and gear around multiple lakes to complete a circuit or route is both exciting and a huge challenge. Slowly viewing the changing landscape from the canoe and portage trail is also immensely fascinating and the main reason why I love this type of adventure. British Columbia is home to some amazing canoe circuits; here are just three of my favourite canoe routes so far. This post includes some affiliate links. If you…
If you're a paddler of any type of craft, a history buff or a museum goer you will LOVE Peterborough's Canoe Museum. I visited the museum and came away awed by the beauty and design of the canoes and kayaks that are on display along with the stories that go with them. The Peterborough canoe museum contains the largest collection of canoes, kayaks & paddled watercraft in the world! When you enter the museum it's…
If you've ever driven the Trans-Canada Highway through Banff National Park you've seen the Bow River. It's a beautiful ribbon of turquoise-blue that you can't miss. I've wanted to paddle it since moving to Calgary. I finally did. The Bow River starts in the Rockies and flows onto the prairies to meet the Oldman River which then drains into the South Saskatchewan River. In Banff National Park there are three sections of the Bow River that…