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French River

Information for planning a canoe trip on the French River.

This is boreal, weathered Canadian shield at its finest. The delta of the French river fans out making a vast collection of breathtaking islands displaying White and Jack Pines holding on for dear life to a rise of granite about the water's surface. This river is really something to see and explore. We've only run the bottom delta area, which itself can offer new content for at least five trips, but there there are barely any rapids. The upper parts have some that we haven't yet experienced. This river can be paddled from Lake Nipissing all the way to Georgian Bay. 

I particularly enjoy the small parts south of the connecting Pickerel River where the passages get small, sometimes only wide enough for one canoe at a time. It's really something to see. The large sections, unfortunately do attract some motor boat travel, which makes the smaller sections that much more amazing. See our map below for route suggestions. 

If the winds are calm, we suggest paddling out to the Bustard Islands and exploring around there. It's really a lake-land boreal dream.

The French is also designated a Canadian Heritage River. It was a key fur trading passage, a shortcut really, to get from Lake Huron to the Ottawa River with the least amount of portaging. 

Fun fact, the park was actually on fire the last time we were there and had to be evacuated. Pictures below. 

Overall planning information

Nights

• As many as you want. In the delta, mapped below, you can choose any route that you'd like. It can be a loop, a there and back again. Stay a bunch at the same site. Whatever you want it to be, as long as you've booked it ahead of time.

Booking

• Since it's a Provincial Park, you'll need to book your sites here. They use a book-the-site system like many Ontario parks have moved to. So you won't have the freedom to choose as you go anymore, but at least you'll have some piece of mind that you'll have a site waiting for you when you get there. It's been hard to find sites in the past so this is likely why they switched to this system. 

• Since a lot of it is accessible by motor boats, the park warden can zip around checking everyone's papers and kicking people off sites if they are over 9 people per site (from personal experience!).

Routes: 

• While there are many routes that you can take (see suggestions in the map below) we highly recommend the routes that get away from the motor boats which frequent the larger passage ways and are a mixture of park and private cottage land. There are two little tight pathways that flow south from the Pickerel River that are excellent. 

Resources: 

• Maps by Jeff - French River This is the best map for the French River. You can use the complete map online for planning and the physical maps are made of a very strong polymer so you'll have no need for a map case. Just fold and ram that sucker into your PFD pocket. 

• French River Map - By Ontario Parks. An older and decent map, but doesn't have as much detail as Jeff's Map linked above. Jeff has added more interesting routes through the small sections where only canoes can go (ok, kayaks). This map is usually available at the Hartley Marina. 

• Organic Boat Shop's Guided French River trips If you're looking for a guided trip where someone takes care of all the complex stuff for you, try these guys first.

• Ramblin' Boy - French River. If you really want to dig in deep to this river, have a look at the French River section on the Ramblin' Boy's site.

• Canoe Daddy's Little French, to the French, to the Pickerel River route.

South channel route

(Written by Bill Wilkie @thunderboxdiaries)

Here are the details for planning a trip through the South Channel and 5-mile Rapids section of the French River.

The French River often conjures up images of windswept pines and barren rocky landscapes…and for good reason. People often flock to the French River Delta where this waterway, steeped in history, spews into Georgian Bay. This section of the French is dominated by those images. It is something to experience for sure, but there is more to the French than just the delta. 

The river stretches nearly halfway across central Ontario, between Lake Nippissing and Georgian Bay and some would say it serves as the unofficial dividing point between Northern and Southern Ontario. The South Channel is one of the lesser traveled sections of the French River. Located between Wolseley and Dry Pine Bays, this stretch of water is home to 5-mile Rapids. As the name would imply, for approximately five miles (8km) the French crashes over a series of drop and pool rapids before continuing for about another 30km where it once again joins the main channel (not far from Recollette Falls). For the thrill seekers, many of these rapids are easily runnable with low consequences if you dump. If you would rather skip the rapids, there are portages around each one.

Nights

• Depending on the distance you’re willing to cover in a day, 3-4 nights is manageable. Headwinds are a constant struggle travelling downstream on the French. Weather patterns generally see glassy calm mornings. As things warm up, wind starts blowing off Georgian Bay, making downstream travel quite difficult in the afternoon. If you’re an early riser the best advice is to get on the water right away and cover as much distance as you can. 

Booking

• French River Provincial Park recently switched to a “site booking” permit structure (this is a touchy subject with some people). Up until recently, zone booking was the standard and reservations were open only 2 weeks prior to your trip date (Backcountry Registration). Now site specific reservations are booked on a per night basis.

• Reservations can be made on the Ontario Parks Reservation System up to five months in advance.

Put in:

• Lodge at Pine Cove. 

• Expect to pay a $10-15/day parking fee for each vehicle in your party.

Take out:

• French River Supply Post

• Expect to pay a $10-15/day parking fee for each vehicle in your party if you plan on leaving a vehicle at the take-out for return to the put-in or docking fee for use of the boat launch.

Portages

• There are 5 portages along this route (211m being the longest). If you have basic whitewater skills most portages are avoidable. Lining your boat down some rapids is also an option depending on water levels.

• Portages are clearly marked and well traveled. Watch out for poison ivy!

Shuttle service/Canoe rentals

• The Organic Boat Shop’s French River location is very close to both the put-in and take-out. Contact them for boat rentals and assistance with logistics if needed

French River trip story

In July of 2018, four families, all with small children (two of which were one-year-olds) paddled the French River for a few nights. Since we all had our hands full with children, we didn't get that far into the park and base-camped. Or at least tried to base-camp until a grumpy park ranger told us on the second day that we had to move since we had too many people on one site. Fair enough. We were definitely over the limit. So we moved to a site that had an adjacent site. 

We were enjoying our time on the French river. Swimming, keeping the kids from drowning, paddling around, chasing away a Massasauga Rattler from the site, and eating gloriously. 

On the third day we out out for a long day-paddle. We could see smoke coming up from over the tree line to the south. We chatted with some other folks on the river and learned that there's a forest fire south of the park, but it's not coming this way. The smoke was though (and that perhaps should have made us think.) By the end of our day-paddle it was 'snowing' white ash and black smoke had darkened the sun to a red ball (pictures below). The tips of every wave and ripple of the river reflected the dark red. It felt as though we were paddling towards Bowser's lair. 

So, we went to bed after watching the red glow on the horizon. The following morning was spent chilling around the campsite. Tim worked on rigging up a sail on a canoe. Others went swimming or just were laying around reading. Things took a bit of a turn when a guy in a small aluminum fishing boat came zipping up to our side hollering, "You've got to evacuate! The fire is coming this way now!" 

So, we packed up and started heading back to the marina. Though, we still managed to stop for a swim on the way since it certainly didn't look like the fire was any where close. We also passed by some cottagers on their dock with beers who weren't taking this fire thing very serious.

When we got to the marina we met some people who took it very seriously, in a "run for your lives!" kind of way. Several people ran down the dock and helped us grab the canoes out of the water only removing the large packs. Groups of people hurried the boats to the cars where we started to move with more urgency. The smoke that was settling down all around the area did seem to support the concern. 

On our drive out, we were stopped by some fire-fighters at a truck with lights flashing. Using a clipboard, he asked for our names which apparently would be crosschecked with the parks records on who is out on the water. My (Tim) earlier suspicions that this isn't that critical of an emergency were confirmed by the fire-fighter who didn't rush us on but was happy to chit chat about the fire without urgency. Even though the winds had shifted, it was still many hours away from where we were. We definitely needed to evacuate, but our lives were not in any eminent danger. 

The wind was blowing quite a bit of smoke across the highway on the way out, which actually became the most concerning part since visibility was reduced. We learned later that the fire never reached all the way to where we camped or the marina. Interestingly enough, it did rip through the area where I wanted to camp, but we didn't get that far in. That section is only accessible by canoe and that fishing boat dude would not have been able to get to us. 

Two years later we went back and camped at that burned out site though. It was pretty awesome, but not much shade anymore and the kids faces were covered in soot.

(Written by Tim Robinson)