Paddle the
Ottawa valley
Lots of rivers, lots of
ways to find them
If
you’re wondering where to paddle in
the upper Ottawa Valley, the experts
have some ideas. The Ottawa Valley Tourist
Association along with canoe and kayak
enthusiasts have assembled a collection
of routes to help visitors and locals alike the road. At the junction just over the big getting there
explore these waterways. bridge, turn right and the park is down that On Highway 17 about 12 kilometres west
The Paddle Routes of the Ottawa Valley road about a kilometre. of Cobden, turn northeast onto Cornerview
Guide has a sampling of its many flatwater For your GPS, it’s Lat. N 45.389813, Long. Road, and follow it to the next intersection.
and whitewater trips – from a few hours W 76.570735 Turn right and park your car at the side of
and kilometres to weekend and multi-day the road beside Muskrat Lake.
routes. The guide provides directions with On-water DirectiOns For your GPS, it’s Lat. N 45.715859 and
put-in and take-out locations, points of Launch your canoe and travel downstream Long. W 76.967341.
interest, skill levels and route descriptions. (to the left) following the shoreline and To order or download your free copy of
Keep in mind that Ontario Power exploring the little bays. Just before the Paddle Routes of the Ottawa Valley, a travel
Generation operates hydroelectric power- big Stewartville Dam, glide across the river guide and roadmap, visit www.ottawavalley.
generating dams and stations along the to a sloping pasture where you can stop org or call 1-800-757-6580.
Madawaska River and many others. Play it for lunch. After lunch, follow the south
safe. Stay well clear of stations, dams, their shoreline back to the park. On-water DirectiOns
shorelines and surrounding waterways. Paddle southwest to the right or “up”
Stay on the sign-posted portage routes, Other resOurces Muskrat Lake from the put-in. Muskrat Lake
and obey all warnings, signs, audible alerts, • Scout the Madawaska River, and is 14 kilometres long in a pre-glacial valley
booms and buoys. watch a multimedia trip guide on the at that occupies an old fault line. The lake’s
Here’s a look inside Paddle Routes. www.riverviewmultimedia.com western shore abuts a clay plain, while
• Backcountry Adventures, located at the an escarpment of Precambrian Rock rises
maDawaska riVer at
Calabogie Peaks Resort more than 60 metres to the east. Enter
burnstOwn (flatwater)
• Madawaska River Voyage Excursion – the Snake River 4.5 kilometres from the
Burnstown is a small, historic hamlet $47 per person at www.calabogie.com put-in. It flows into Muskrat Lake from the
at the junction of County Road 508 and or 1-800-669-4861 west. Paddle upstream as far as your time
County Road 52. This is a scenic flatwater permits. Keep en eye open for migrating
stretch of the Madawaska River with a
muskrat lake anD snake riVer
ducks in spring and fall, otters and muskrat,
public beach, ideal for put-ins just 400
(flatwater)
sandhill cranes and the diminutive green
metres east of Burnstown on 508. This route has a rich natural environment heron. «OO
and varied wildlife partly because it runs
getting there through the Snake
There are two ways to get to the put-in. River Conservation
Drive north of Arnprior on Highway 17 to the Reserve, a provincially
turnoff at County Road 508 to Burnstown significant wetland.
and Calabogie. About one kilometre before Samuel de Champlain
Burnstown is a municipal park along the passed this way in 1615,
Madawaska. There may be someone there when he canoed along
to collect a loonie for launching canoes. The the Muskrat Lake, the
second route is to turn west in Pakenham entry point to the river,
on Waba Road (Scoops is just around the on his exploration up

MEDIA
corner), and travel to White Lake. Turn the Ottawa Valley.
Y

RAPID
north at the intersection in White Lake

B
T
O
and Burnstown is the next hamlet down
P
HO
www.OttawaOutdoors.ca OTTAWA >> SUMMER/FALL 2008 39
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