10 Signature Paddling Routes

Can you hear it? Can you feel it? The flow of water? The flow of life within you? Its spirit moves all through Peterborough & the Kawarthas. Dip your paddle deep into time. Travel along the routes of the voyageurs in a canoe crafted by hand, the vessel that was created by Indigenous peoples. The vessel that helped create the nation we call Canada. That we’ve honoured with its own museum.

01 Indian River Descent

You never paddle in the same river twice on the Indian River, and it is notoriously low in the summer, but in the spring, this river is navigable by canoe and kayak south from Warsaw, past Highway 7, all the way to Keene and the current picks up steam, offering class 1 moving water through beautiful Carolinian lowlands.  The dams at Hope Mills and Lang Pioneer Village require portage along signed trails, with some lifting over reinforced riverbanks.

02 Upper Indian River

Spend a relaxing day paddling a canoe on the Indian River. It’s Canoeing 101 – flat water, currents, and lots of great scenery. Bring your own canoe or rent one from Warsaw Caves or another local outfitter. A trip to the Village of Warsaw by canoe is just two hours out and two hours back, making for a great day trip. Or you can just amble along the river at your leisure.

03 Little Lake

It’s not often your see people portage through through an urban centre: Peterborough is a notable exception. Little Lake, located in the heart of downtown Peterborough, is easily accessible for paddlers of all skill levels. This route is complete with multiple options for put-in/take-out points, cafes, rentals, and scenic views. Time it perfectly to align with live music at summer festivals or downtown venues..

04 Serpentine Loop at Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

This is a lovely and challenging route through the moderately remote northeast corner of the Kawartha Highlands that affords opportunities for fishing, swimming and wildlife viewing, particularly beavers and water birds, as well as access to 25 backcountry camping sites. The put-in is on Anstruther Lake and involves some relatively big water paddling for the park.  Bearing north leads to a quick portage (201m) into Rathbun Lake. Another short portage (164m) leads into North Rathbun, a very small and remote lake, before the largest portage (1411m) or the route into Serpentine Lake.  The next move is the paddler’s choice, as you may proceed southeast to Copper Lake, or continue due east into Anderson and the very Scenic Rock Lake before completing the circuit back to Rathbun and Anstruther Lakes via Copper. Book sites in advance through Ontario Parks.

05 Southern Ponds at Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

This is a very accessible backcountry paddling trip in the small lakes of the southeast corner of the KHPP that affords opportunities for fishing, swimming and wildlife viewing, particularly beavers and water birds, as well as access to 8 backcountry camping sites.  The put in is on Coon Lake and requires a very short portage (52m) from your vehicle to the shore.  There is a longer and sometimes steep portage (664m) between Coon and Little Turtle Lake.  The portage is well signed and crosses a fire route.  Little Turtle offers some splendid swimming and bird viewing opportunities, and there are places to camp that are among the most easily accessible backcountry campsites in the park.  There are two very short portages into Adams Lake (67m) and Sawmill Lake (length depends on water level, but not more than 150m) followed by a longer portage (471m) into Shark Lake.  This portage requires sure footing on the pullout from Sawmill and crosses by a lovely creek that flows from Shark Lake. Some of the best backcountry sites are on Shark Lake, which features healthy shorelines that support a variety of reptile and amphibian species, good fishing and excellent swimming.  Book sites in advance through Ontario Parks.

06 Sucker Lake at Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

This is a very accessible backcountry paddling trip in the remote northwest corner of the KHPP that affords opportunities for fishing, swimming and wildlife viewing and access to more than 18 backcountry camping sites.  Some of the sites are located on sandy beaches and granite-shield islands.  Book sites in advance through Ontario Parks.

The put in is accessible by approximately 175 m through pine forest to Bottle Creek.  Paddle north across Bottle Creek and wend through the narrows between the creek and Bottle Lake.  This lake offers the most easily accessible overnight camping as well, although there are private property cottagers that occasionally run motorized watercraft.  A very short (87m) portage on the eastern shore of this lake takes you to Sucker Lake, which is closed to motorized boat traffic, and affords serene paddling and backcountry camping opportunities.

07 Long Lake Loop

This is a rugged backcountry paddling trip into the interior of the park from the central eastern perimeter of the KHPP that affords opportunities for fishing, swimming and wildlife viewing, particularly beavers and water birds, as well as access to 30+ backcountry camping sites.  The put-in is on Long Lake at KHPP Access Point 2 from Highway 28 between Haultain and Apsley.  Paddle two km along the cliff edges and secluded island bays of Long Lake before dropping south into Buzzard Lake along a very well-trod portage (340m).  Buzzard offers some impressive cliffs as well, and there is a lovely hiking trail that connects the campsites along the western shore of the lake, and there is ample camping on this lake.   There is a longer and sometimes steep portage (684m) between Buzzard and wild and secluded Mountain Lake which offers only one backcountry site.  Another portage (680m) leads to Stoplog Lake, which has four sites spread out along its north-south axis, and boasts some interesting features to explore by canoe or kayak.

From here, the route opens up to paddler’s choice, leading to either the shallow and beaver-active Crane Creek to the north, or Turtle Lake via a long portage (993m) to the west.  Both routes lead to Cherry Lake and Triangle Lake, a pair of contiguous charming interior lakes with some great opportunities for viewing large raptors.  From Triangle, there is a long portage (1280m) into Cox Lake. On the return to Long Lake, there is a small portage (30m) around a small chute between Cox and a marshy creek.  The creek is characterized by beaver activity and often requires several pull overs in all water levels.  One more easy portage (150m) leads into the cottagey Loucks Lake which is contiguous with Long Lake returns to the put in.  There is a lodge at the parking lot which offers provisions and equipment and cabin rentals. Book sites in advance through Ontario Parks.

08 Mississauga River at Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

Perfect for adventurers and back country campers, this whitewater paddling route is best enjoyed with an overnight stay. With plunges through granite gorges in the southwest corner of the KHPP, this offers challenging class 1 and 2 moving water, while being easily accessible to the highway. Many rapids can be run in the high water of spring, and are almost always accompanied by short- to medium-length portages (a few of which are mandatory as paddlers navigate around falls and a dam) Safety first! Ensure PFDs and helmets are worn and all rapids are scouted from the shore before running. Book sites in advance through Ontario Parks.

09 Eels Creek Paddling Route – Haultain to Northey’s Bay

This paddling route perfectly characterizes paddling in the land between: each bend in the river offers a different perspective on the landscape alternating between massive willows overhanging the limestone banks, and massive eastern white pine stands fringing granite shorelines. It is also a historic paddling route and has been navigated for time immemorial by Indigenous communities navigating to the nearby Teaching Rocks at Petroglyphs Provincial Park, and as part of Samuel de Champlain’s Route through the Kawarthas over 400 years ago.

This route can be paddled in one direction and requires some experience with paddling in moving water. In the spring, there are two runnable rapids: the first is a double ledge with a dogleg to river right.  The very short (20m) portage is on river left. The second is only runnable in highwater, and is a series of three ledges with a line that arcs to river right. The short portage (50m) is on river right.  Also, there are many little riffles and chutes that require some precision to navigate.  Safety first! Ensure PFDs and helmets are worn and all rapids are scouted from the shore before running.

The approach to High Falls is audible before it is visible, and there is a granite cove that allows for easy disembarkation.  The portage trail (162m) is not formally signed, and may be confusing as you climb the rocky headland from the pullout. High Falls is a famous camping spot and offers some absolutely stunning scenery, fishing and swimming opportunities for explorers.

10 Eels Creek Paddling Route – Northey’s Bay to High Falls Return

This route can be paddled upstream from the MNR parking lot and requires some experience with paddling in moving water as there are riffles and chutes that will require pullovers against the current, and precise maneuvering on the return trip. Watch for (and portage around High Falls). High Falls is a famous camping spot and offers some absolutely stunning scenery, fishing and swimming opportunities for explorers.