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...