The Top 10 Types Of Canoe Trips Offered In Ontario

Add these different types of canoe trips to your bucket list: white water, fly-in, train-in, family, zen and more.

Paddling connects us intimately with the land, the water, each other, and ourselves. The adventures we have while paddling are unique in how we experience the Canadian Canoe Culture and the natural wonders of the wilderness. In Northern Ontario you have seemingly endless options to explore our cultural routes, serene routes, and exhilarating routes. We've rounded up the top 10 types of canoe trips offered in Ontario to suit your personal sense of adventure. 

Pick your adventure now and #PaddleON

1.  FLY-IN CANOE ADVENTURES

Man in bow of a canoe looking at a float plane.
Refresh your soul with a backcountry adventure. 

This is the ultimate wilderness escape. Start your custom backcountry canoe trip from deep in the wilds, after being dropped off on a remote lake or river by a floatplane. Enjoy awesome fishing, wildlife viewing, stargazing, and the Aurora Borealis.

 

2.  TRAIN-IN PADDLING ADVENTURE

Man helping to unload a red canoe from a Via Rail Train.
Train-in to Wabakimi Provincial Park. 

Canoes, gear, and paddlers—all aboard! Hop on the Via Rail at Armstrong Station and take an epic journey into the boreal forest of Wabakimi Provincial Park, accessible only by train, plane, or paddle. Or, board the Polar Bear Express in Cochrane, then unload at Moose River Crossing to begin your adventure on the Moose River to the historic Cree settlements of Moosonee and Moose Factory.

 

3. CANOE & HIKE ADVENTURES

Man hiking on white rocks with beautiful lake in background.
Killarney Provincial Park is big, wild and upspolied. 

Killarney Provincial Park is a rugged, mountainous wilderness of sapphire lakes, jack pine, and majestic vistas to hike to. Or visit the Temagami Region, which has incredible backcountry paddling and hiking in old growth forests.    

 

4.  VOYAGEUR CANOE ADVENTUREs

People paddling a voyageur canoe on Lake Superior.
Experience voyageur canoe brigage adventure on Lake Superior.

Retrace the route of the fur voyageurs on guided adventure along the north shore of Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake. Fur trade life comes alive at the incredible Fort William Historical Park.

 

5.  AUTHENTIC INDIGENOUS ADVENTUREs

Enjoy the solitude at Point Grondine Park. Photo: Peter Baumgarten.

Discover Ontario’s rich and diverse Indigenous history and culture with a guided tour. Experience a deep connection to the land and water through their traditions, knowledge, and stories.

 

6.  FAMILY & YOUTH PADDLING ADVENTURES

Man, woman and three children swimming under a rocky outcrop.
Create life-long memories with Voyageur Wilderness Programme.

Simply put, kids are happy in nature. They quickly forget about screens and video games. They'll make new friends to paddle and swim with, and you'll see non-stop smiles. Take a guided trip or stay at an ecolodge.

 

7.  FIND YOUR ZEN  

Close-up of a woman paddling a kayak on Georgian Bay with three other women kayakers.
Find your zen on Georgian Bay.

Take your zen to a new level. Instead of doing your yoga in a studio, paddle into the wilderness and experience the powerful energy of doing your practice on an ancient rocky shore. Be inspired on a paddling photography workshop. Discover a new sense of zen on a combination adventure.

 

8. WHITEWATER ADVENTUREs

Two people paddling a green canoe on a whitewater river.
Feel the thrill of whitewater paddling on the Missinaibi River.

Looking for a challenge? Feel the rush as you test your paddling skills on our whitewater rivers.

 

9. PADDLE WITH PURPOSE – RACES AND FESTIVALS

Three men in a kayak paddling hard.
Go for it in the Great Canadian Kayak Challenge.

Not everyone goes canoeing, kayaking, or paddleboarding to escape the clock—sometimes they try to beat it. Challenge yourself at a paddling race, or celebrate paddling at a festival.

 

10.  COOL LODGINGS – COMFORTABLY WILD

Relax in comfort in Nature's Harmony Ecolodge's mongolian yurt. Photo: Destination Ontario.

Want to experience nature but not rough it? Go glamping and get the best of both worlds. Enjoy exciting paddling, hiking, or wildlife viewing during the day, but sleep in comfort in a well-appointed, pre-pitched platform tent, teepee, or yurt.

About Trish Manning

Trish Manning is an adventure travel writer and the content coordinator for Ontario Outdoor Adventures. She is an avid outdoor person who loves to hike, paddle, SUP, snowshoe, cross-country ski and explore Ontario's great outdoors with her golden retriever, Daisy.

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