Visit the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough. It rocks!June 26 (Saturday) is National Canoe Day, and you can learn about some of the local festivities happening here in Peterborough by visiting the Canadian Canoe Museum website.
In honour of National Canoe Day, Peterborough's Kevin Callan—a renowned expert on canoeing, camping, and the great outdoors—gives PtboCanada some great paddling routes for people to try in the Kawarthas:
Eels Creek
Route 1: Take Highway 28 north, through Burleigh Falls and before Haultain. Drive over Eels Creek bridge on highway and park immediately to the right. Put in and paddle downstream to Northey’s Bay Rd. Take out or simply paddle back up stream.
Route 2: Shortly before Haultain, turn right off Highway 28 onto Northey’s Bay Road, towards Petroglyphs Provincial Park. Use parking area on the northwest side of Eels Creek bridge. Paddle upstream to Highfalls and return via same route.
Crab Lake
Route: Take Highway 28 north, through Burleigh Falls and almost to Apsley. Turn left off highway onto Anstruther Road. Drive five kilometers and turn left on to small road leading to Wolf Lake public access. Paddle across Wolf Lake and take 107 meter portage to Crab Lake.
Lovesick Lake Wolf Island Provincial Park
Route: Drive north on Highway 28 to Burleigh Falls. Put in at the public launch on the northwest side of the falls. Paddle upstream to Lock 30 and circle Wolf Island.
Gold and Cold Lakes
Route: Drive north on Highway 36, north of Buckhorn, then yield right onto Highway 507 (at Flynn’s Corner store). Approx. 15 km make a right onto Beaver Lake Rd. A public access for Catchacoma Lake is about 3 km along but you can continue, crossing the bridge. Park along the road before the second bridge. Gold Lake is to your right. Paddle almost directly across to the 100 meter portage on beach, to the right of creek leading into Cold Lake.
Coon Lake Ponds
Route: Drive north on Highway 28. Shortly after Burleigh Falls, turn left onto Coon Lake Road. Watch it. It curves to the left after a couple of kilometers. After about 6 kilometers you’ll see a rough parking area and the Coon Lake access is down the grade to your right. Paddle across Coon, portage up and over a hill to the first pond and take shorter portages into two remaining ponds. Return via same route.
[Kevin Callan - The Happy Camper; Kevin's Explore Blog; The Canadian Canoe Museum]
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