Summer is here and the Saugeen River is running free.  Time to get out that canoe or kayak and paddle for an afternoon, a day or a weekend.  Make sure to download our Saugeen canoe kayak routes Map to see the great 4 day trip awaiting you with all drop in and pull out points marked clearly.   The Saugeen is an immense river draining over 2,000 square klargest waterway in Bruce County, it is enjoyably navigable even in the dry months of July and August ending in Lake Huron at the end of your journey.

Fed by four tributaries, the North Branch, Rocky Saugeen, the Beatty and the Teeswater, the Saugeen has been been used for centuries by the Algonkians, Iroquois, Ojibway, fur traders, missionaries, explorers, settlers, fishermen, and now you!    Have a look at our online canoe routes google map.

A three day 105 kilometre trip down the Saugeen River begins at the town park in Hanover with a final destination at Denny’s Dam near Southampton.  But with its many bridges, the river can be canoed in sections of your choice.  In the summer with its normal low flow, the Saugeen is excellent for beginners. Its few riffles and Class I rapids will introduce novice paddlers to moving water.  This is more down near Kincardine at access point #5 then at the end of the river.

There is a good choice of campsites along the way including parks in Walkerton and Paisley, the McBeath Conservation Area and the Saugeen Bluffs Conservation Area.  While camping along its banks will put you on private land, there are a number of sandy islands where you can pitch a tent.  What is better than smoke rising from a driftwood fire, a pot of rich, red spaghetti sauce, red wine, and a sunset over the Saugeen River?

We have a bunch of great outfitters listings in the area.   One of which is Thorncrest Outfitters which is located in Tobermory and Southampton offering equipment, canoes and kayaks along with a four-day Saugeen River relaxing paddle trip for both canoes and kayaks, and is perfectly suited for beginner and intermediate paddlers.  If more interested in just doing the river yourself they also offer a fully insured shuttle service to drop points along the Saugeen River and up the Bruce Peninsula to Tobermory. Custom destinations available upon request which make it easy for you to rent a canoe and get picked up at the end of your trip.  Contact them through their outfitter listing.

Have you paddled the Saugeen yet this year?  Let’s hear about your experiences on what has to be one of the best paddling venues in southern Ontario.

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Posted on: 03/08/10