Trip Rating: 5.0/5
The Bruce Peninsula is one of those special places that you would only think exists in movies. The water is the bluest I have ever seen, and the cliffs lining the park are stunningly beautiful. The park is huge with large swaths of forest, if you are lucky, (or unlucky) you could see black bears, rare reptiles and Pileated Woodpeckers in the rocky areas and diverse wetlands. If you are into star gazing, the park is a Dark Sky Preserve.
Due to the giant crowds, who have been flocking to the area the past few years, we decided to schedule our trip for late October. A big plus of this time of year, aside from the park being nearly empty, is that we could book a Yurt. With our three year old, this made things very comfortable and she loved having a wood burning stove and the bunk beds.
Launch Sites:
There are many great routes to take in this park. We got a bit unlucky with the weather, it was 6C with 50-60km/h winds which was making 2-3 meter waves in the Bay, so I decided to explore the Cyprus and Cameron Lake areas.
The Yurt was right on the shores of Lake Cyprus, so I wet launched off the beach. I didn’t see a specified launch area. Something to keep in mind on this lake is, it is susceptible to invasive species. There are specific instructions to follow with your boat if it has been in another lake in the last 5 days.
Trip Length:
The lakes are small, about 2 km across. However, there is a 500-750 m creek that connects the two lakes together. The views were awesome and refreshing. The wind was very strong but manageable and it was cold.
Cost: $350 for the weekend.
Difficulty: The lakes are pretty shallow and even with the strong winds the waves weren’t that bad. This would be a good place for a novice paddler. Please be sure to wear and bring all of your safety gear.
Bonus: The Grotto Side Trip
We decided to make the trip out to the Grotto on Saturday afternoon. Have a look at the slide show. It was well worth the time!
———
If you are interested in supporting Kayak Ontario, please do so by attending our kayaking lessons (clinics, classes and events). To find more information, please visit our shop by clicking here
You must be logged in to post a comment.