French River: Wolseley Bay to Hwy 69 (3 days / 38 km)

While I was visiting Ontario, my dad and I planned a short canoe trip with a little whitewater. We chose the French River because it was easy to do a self-shuttle, not too far from where we live and had easy enough whitewater that I felt comfortable doing it with just one boat.
We started on Wolseley Bay and paddled the section "Five Mile Rapids", tackling two CII rapids and a handful of swifts. Water levels were low so we had to line one rapid and portage another. Since it was September, we saw very few other people - only one other canoe and a dozen or so fishing boats.
This is a great route for beginner whitewater paddlers.
Trip Completed: September 2022
Trip Summary
Starting Point: Lodge at Pine Cove
Ending Point: French River Supply Post
Total Distance: 38 km
Duration: 3 days
Difficulty: Intermediate
Location: This route takes place in French River Provincial Park, starting at Wolseley Bay to Hwy 69.
Traditional Territory: This route occurs on the territory of the Mississauga and Anishinabewaki (source).
Maps & Resources
Maps: We carried a copy of the Ontario Parks' French River Map, purchased from Chrismar Adventure Maps. It had all of the access points, campsites, portages and rapids labeled.
Interactive Route Map: Click here to view and edit this route using the Canoe Route Planner.
Reservations & Permits
Campsite Reservations: We had to do a Backcountry Registration through the Ontario Parks reservation portal. We had to select which 'Zone' we would camp in each night. For this route, we did Zone 4 on night one and Zone 5 on night two. For two nights and two people, the permits came to $44.
Note: The new campsite numbers correspond to the zone number. Campsites starting with a 4 are in Zone 4, campsites starting with a 5 are in Zone 5, and so one.
Outfitters & Shuttles
Outfitters: We rented a canoe from Swift Canoe & Kayak along the 400 Highway. In additio...
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