TRIP RATING
DESCRIPTION:
I have been paddling in the Long Point area for a long time. It is a convenient place for people who live south of Hamilton to camp and explore. The thing is, it can get a bit boring because, visually, it has to be one of the flattest places in Canada. However, it is a place where wildlife thrives and there are so many fish in the water. As you can imagine, “people of the fish” and hunters love this area. Since I spent so much time here, I was determined to find a good paddle. This is now one of my favourite day trips. I will explain. When I was doing one of my usual Google Maps exploratory sessions on my break at work, I came across a place called the Chip Ship. It had a great rating and it looked like a challenging place to find on the water. Challenge accepted.
We met up in Port Rowan to start the trip. The Big Creek is nearby, so I guess if you wanted to start at Crommiller’s, that would work, too. After gathering up the group in a small bay beside the parking lot, we decided to head towards Long Point Provincial Park. This trip is a challenging one; there is a lot of open water unless you want to do a huge arc through the bay. The water is also super shallow, so you really need to be mindful of east winds. This trip is best in the summer with the prevailing SW winds.
It’s a good idea to start the trip by following the shoreline. Along the way, you’ll come across the mouth of Big Creek. It becomes apparent how difficult it is to spot landmarks like river mouths if you’re unfamiliar with what to look for. While it’s not particularly remarkable (there is nothing Amazonian about it), turning towards Big Creek makes for a pleasant paddle.
As you pass by, the scenery is mostly marsh. You can also see Long Point in the distance. It stretches as far as the eye can see into the lake. After a while, channels start to appear. They are lined with cottages and frankly remind me of a poor man’s Venice.
After a short paddle through the paddles, it’s time for the reward. The best fries ever at The Chip Ship. They have the best poutine, but most people come here for the pickle fries. It is definitely not my thing personally, but people absolutely love them.
LAUNCH SPOT OPTIONS:
To make this a full-day trip, it’s best to leave from Lion’s Park in Port Rowan. This way, the trip will take most of the day, and you can also visit the chip truck. However, if you want to explore and eat afterwards, there are some ideas listed below.
APRES OPTIONS:
- The Boat House Restaurant has good fish and chips.
- Uncle’s Country Coffee was awesome, but it seems to be closed now.
- The Chip Ship – See above.
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This trip would require a minimum of level 2 or higher skills, depending on the conditions.
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