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aerial view of a person paddling down a river

Paddling in Peterborough & the Kawarthas

Canoe believe it?

There’s a saying that you cannot step foot in the same river twice. The water is always changing. That is especially true here.

As Canada’s Canoe Capital, paddling in Peterborough & the Kawarthas is a fixture here for many aspects of life, including the harvesting of traditional Indigenous wild rice, a proud heritage of canoe manufacturing, and of course for a variety of visitors to test our sparkling waters and explore.

Canoeing in Peterborough & the Kawarthas
A group in a crowded storage space with canoes and kayaks hanging from the ceiling.

Now Open to the World:
The Canadian Canoe Museum’s Brand New Waterfront Campus

For more than 25 years, The Canadian Canoe Museum has stewarded the world’s largest and most significant collection of canoes, kayaks and paddled watercraft. More than 600 in number, the watercraft and their stories have a pivotal role to play in understanding our past and our collective future.

The Museum’s new home on the water’s edge is a gem along Peterborough attraction corridor – accessible by land and water.

Come and explore the history of the canoe in this world-class facility that has been named on of the Best Cultural Spots on National Geographic’s Best of the World 2024.

Accommodations offering paddling rentals

  • Peterborough & the Kawarthas Signature Paddling Routes
    a canoe in lake surrounded by forest

    Peterborough & the Kawarthas Signature Paddling Routes

    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.

Paddling Related Experiences

Paddling Related Retailer & Rentals

  • Paddling Routes in the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park
    a lake with forest

    Paddling Routes in the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

    Have you ever noticed what happens to the landscape about a half-hour’s drive north of Peterborough, as you pass Buckhorn or Burleigh? The stratified limestone that supports the Saint Lawrence…

    Briagh Bretton By Insider Briagh Bretton
  • Five Reasons Fall Paddling in the Kawarthas is the Best
    two people canoeing on a river during fall in Peterborough & the Kawarthas

    Five Reasons Fall Paddling in the Kawarthas is the Best

    As Champagne is to France, Darjeeling is to the Indian Himalaya and Islay single malt is to Scotland, so is canoeing to Peterborough & the Kawarthas. Peterborough is the birthplace…

    Briagh Bretton By Insider Briagh Bretton

Paddling Resources