Paddling
Paddling
The 19th century Scottish explorer, writer, and philanthropist John MacGregor once wrote about the diversity of a canoe because it “can be paddled or sailed, or hauled, or carried over land or water.” MacGregor knew a good thing when he saw one, and recreational canoeing and kayaking has only been growing in popularity since MacGregor first paddled on a camping trip to Canada and the U.S. in 1858.
From the rugged Ottawa, Mattawa, and French Rivers to the mighty Moose, Northeastern Ontario is a veritable playground for paddlers of all levels of experience. Whether you prefer to skim across a surface as smooth as glass on your stand-up paddleboard, or ride the whitewater of some backcountry rapids, Northeastern Ontario is your natural choice.
All you have to decide is where you want to go. Think about your accommodations. Do you want an overnight camping trip? A series of day trips? For your next BIG adventure, see below for just a sample of Northeastern Ontario destinations.
Partner Listings
Smoothwater Outfitters & Ecolodge
Located on James Lake in the Temagami region, Smoothwater Outfitters & Ecolodge has supported thousands of adventurers in their quest...
Sportsman’s Lodge Wilderness Resort
We invite you to experience sun sets that will take your breath away; to refresh yourself in waters that are...
Killarney Mountain Lodge and Conference Centre
As the sun sets, the warm glow of pink granite radiates off of the water. In the distance, sparkling white...
Otter Pointe Resort
Are you seeking a memorable and relaxing experience in the pristine Canadian wilderness? Just minutes outside of North Bay, Otter...
Cedar Village & Marina
Cedar Village & Marina, the heart of the Pickerel River and Lower French River. Come to stay in, rent or...
Sportsman’s Inn Resort & Marina
Perched atop the pebbled shores of the North Channel, the Sportsman’s Inn is surrounded by the glistening waters and windswept...
Municipality of French River
Blessed with incredible natural beauty, French River offers endless adventures and attractions – breathtaking cruises, white quartzite mountains and numerous...
Sid Turcotte Park
Sid Turcotte Park near North Bay and Area in Mattawa. Operates March to October.
Bay Lee Mac Camp
Bay Lee Mac cottages are nestled among the trees of the Temagami Provincial Forest and are surrounded by the ecologically...
Fish Tale Cabins & Campground
Fish Tale Cabins & Campground is located on the Wolseley River flowing into the beautiful French River. We offer tenting...
Town of Blind River
Blind River is a stunning community located on the world-renowned North Channel. It is a unique community with the benefit...
Lazy Rock RV Park & Campground
Jon & Charisma here, and we would love to welcome you to Lazy Rock RV Park & Campground. We offer...
Voyageur Multi-Use Trail System
Voyager Multi Use Trail System (VMUTS) provides maps and maintains a variety of trail riding. As a multi use trail...
Two Rivers Motel
Two Rivers Motel is located in Papineau-Cameron, Mattawa Ontario. Travelers eager for a bit of culture can stop by Mattawa...
Mattawa River Resort
Travelers who love the great outdoors will delight in a vacation at the Mattawa River Resort. Located in the heart...
Gore Bay Overnight Apartment Hotel
McLAUGHLIN BLOCK GORE BAY OVERNIGHT APARTMENT HOTEL 705 282 3196 OPEN ALL YEAR Gore Bay Manitoulin Hotel has five completely...
Mattawa River Cottage
Located on the historic Mattawa River, The Mattawa River Cottage is a private waterfront property overlooking the Ottawa River, nestled...
Docks Plus Temagami
Your summer home for all your Waterfront Fun and Function. We are a custom dock builder/installer with a retail location...
Wikwemikong Tourism
Wikwemikong Tourism, on Manitoulin Island and in Killarney, Ontario, offers authentic Indigenous experiences that reflect the cultural lifestyles and traditions...
Mowat Landing Cottages
Mowat Landing Cottages is located at the road’s end, on the banks of the Montreal River, in beautiful Northern Ontario....
Cochrane Air Services Limited
Situated at Cochrane, Ontario, Cochrane Air Services has been providing remote fishing and hunting vacations for over 40 years. We...
Elk Lake Wilderness Resort
Elk Lake Wilderness Resort is a 4 seasons resort located just outside of the town of Elk Lake. Our 10...
Mattawa Adventure Camp
We are a year round camp located in up North in the beautiful town of Mattawa Ontario. We are situated...
Cedar Meadows Resort & Spa
More than your average hotel, Cedar Meadows Resort & Spa has all of the amenities you could desire, including comfortable...
Les Suites des Presidents’ Suites
Vacation rental homes and glamping on Lake Temiskaming. Our historical award-winning homes are the perfect venue for your vacations, family...
The Nuthatch Retreat Cottage
STAR Licensed #2023 – 02 for Billings Township. North Channel waterfront location. Two minutes away from Bridal Veil Falls and...
North River Outfitters
North River Outfitters offers fully guided fishing/ice fishing, small game, black bear, whitetail deer, waterfowl and wolf hunts. ATV/snowmobile tours...
Agnew Lake Lodge
Agnew Lake Lodge offers year-round accommodations and recreational packages. This winter we have new snowmachine trails, guided tours, ice fishing,...
Von Doeler’s Ranch
We are very proud to have our fourth generation farm in the family for 104 years now (since 1912) and...
Manitoulin Hotel & Conference Centre
The Manitoulin Hotel & Conference Centre opened its doors to the public in the spring of 2013 and is owned...
Dionne Quints Heritage Board
On May 28, 1934, five identical girls were born to Oliva and Elzire Dionne, a Franco-Ontario family in the tiny...
Great Escape Cabins
Embark on a memorable outdoor adventure at the Great Escape Cabins resort. Surrounded by Crown Land, our cozy cabins and...
Crane’s Lochaven Wilderness Lodge
Crane’s Lochaven Wilderness Lodge is a high-quality wilderness lodge that offers a place to connect with others, eat home-cooked meals...
Municipality of Callander
Located 15 kilometers south of North Bay, Callander’s lush trails and parks, sandy beaches and breathtaking sunsets provide a perfect...
Bay Wolf Camp
Bay Wolf Camp is located on the shore of West Shining Tree Lake in the hamlet of Shining Tree. Our...
Green Bay Lodge
Green Bay Lodge is a boutique waterfront resort located on the northern tip of Lake Manitou. We offer five, bright,...
Bear’s Den Lodge
We are a family friendly and family owned operation with over 35 years of experience. Bear’s Den Lodge is located...
WildExodus Adventures
WildExodus is a hospitality and premier outdoor adventure tour provider in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. Experience the Boreal forest with a...
Memquisit Lodge
Great fishing, boating and even hunting are all here for you to enjoy. Come stay in one of our clean,...
City of Temiskaming Shores
The City of Temiskaming Shores (formerly the Town of Haileybury, New Liskeard and the Township of Dymond), one of the...
Beautiful Log Cottage
Beautiful Log Cottage – 3 Bedroom (inc Sleep Cabin); Sleeps 6 Adults; Beach, Private, Lovely! A wonderful beach front, southern...
Town of Smooth Rock Falls
Smooth Rock falls is a four-season recreation destination made even more welcoming by the hospitality of its friendly people. Home...
Standing Pines Lodge
Our off-grid cabins are located 36 km from River Valley on Manitou Lake. Hwy 805 is a graded gravel road....
Rockgarden Terrace Resort
The Rockgarden Terrace is located in the heart of Manitoulin Island on the west side of Lake Mindemoya – family...
Saenchiur Flechey Resort
Peaceful, charming, and set against the backdrop of the Northern Ontario’s boreal forest, Saenchiur Flechey is a family-owned business that...
Big Moose Camp Resort
Big Moose Camp is a family owned and operated four season resort on Lake Nosbonsing, near North Bay. A place...
Elk Lake Lodge
Come enjoy the peace and tranquillity of Elk Lake Lodge. A four-season resort ideal for couple vacations, family reunions, weddings,...
Avalon Eco Resort
Avalon Eco Resort is an Off-Grid-Resort offering 6 rustic but cozy lakefront housekeeping cabins and campsites for tenting. We are...
Camp Conewango
Camp Conewango is a resort on the north shore of Lake Talon with a seasonal campground that is perfect for...
The Canoe | Canadian Canoe Culture
“If it is love that binds people to places in this nation of rivers and in this river of nations then one enduring expression of that simple truth, is surely the canoe.” – James Raffan, adventurer, acclaimed author and Director Emeritus of the Canadian Canoe Museum.
The film underscores the strength of the canoe and the human spirit and how the canoe can be a vessel for creating deep and meaningful connections. This film is a true reflection of what Canadian canoe culture looks like today.
Where to Go
Cochrane
In the land of the black spruce and rivers that flow into James Bay, the Cochrane area offers some thrilling paddling adventures.
French River
Paddle the route of Indigenous peoples, French and English explorers, the fur traders and the voyageurs. Centuries of history await you on the French, Canada’s first designated Canadian Heritage River.
Killarney
Killarney is like a painter’s palette with its white quartzite hills, green pines, red granite shorelines, and emerald waters.
Manitoulin Island / North Shore
The North Shore is one of the most scenic places to kayak in Ontario. It’s the perfect location when you combine paddling with island hopping.
Mattawa
If you’ve always wanted to be a voyageur and travel in the BIG footsteps of some Canadian legends, the Mattawa River is a good place to start.
Moosonee/Moose Factory
For the sea kayaker, Moosonee is the gateway to the north and a launching point for farther destinations, be it across the Moose River to Moose Factory, or up the west coast of James Bay.
North Bay
Situated between Lake Nipissing and Trout Lake, and straddling both the Ottawa River watershed to the east and the Great Lakes Basin to the west, paddlers can take off from North Bay in just about any direction—a great place to start your Ottawa, Mattawa, and French River trips!
Sudbury
It’s no secret that Sudbury is home to 330 lakes, but the “blue lagoon” may be one secret well worth exploring. A seemingly bottomless lagoon surrounded by steep granite and quartz walls make for a paddler’s delight.
Temagami
For canoeing enthusiasts, the word “Temagami” inspires visions of lakes, rivers, and white and red pine, with plenty of access points for an unforgettable paddling adventure.
Temiskaming Shores
Temiskaming Shores offers great canoe access westward to Maple Mountain in the heart of the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Park wilderness area. And whether it’s seen from the top looking down or from your canoe or kayak looking up, the view of the Devil’s Rock cliff is absolutely striking for its sheer height.
Timmins
Timmins is a great place to start your canoe or kayak overnight or day trips. The famous Mattagami River is a natural choice, as is a route from Gogama to Smooth Rock Falls through Timmins.
