Trips

Route of The Paddling Divas (Smiths Falls to Kemptville) Friday to Sunday

A group of nurses and social workers, or, in other words, Amazons, start at Edmunds on a Friday, leaving at 10am, to arrive mid-to-late-afternoon at the Lions Club Park in Merrickville, travels from Merrickville to reach lower Burritt's Saturday afternoon, then ends Sunday afternoon at a public launch site past Rideau River Provincial Park.

This trip maximizes the Merrickville pub experience, gives a quieter night at Burritt's, then offers some serious tripping on the final day. We named this trip for the self-named Paddling Divas, a great group of fund-raising hell-raisers.

If you're thinking of a trip for a group, this itinerary is ideal - good down-river tripping, comfortable campsites with nightlife, and lots of memories. References upon request.

The Rideau upriver from Merrickville is worth exploring: lots of wildlife sightings, photo ops, and barren shorelines. The south shore from Merrickville west towards Kilmarnock is a bird sanctuary, so it is totally undeveloped.

The river opens up to a wide expanse to the south as it takes you to Jasper. You can spend a lot of time exploring the southern area. If you go straight to Kilmarnock, you'll get there in less than three hours. Parks Canada has a washroom there, but there are no other facilities, so pack a lunch and bring beverages. Kilmarnock is quiet and scenic, and a great location for a quiet picnic.

There is no public land where you can beach your boat, except for two public boat launch sites on the north shore.

Bring your camera and a dry bag. You'll see shorebirds, herons, loons, muskrats, ducks, and more.

Murphy's Point is a convenient launch site, and once you pass through the Narrows Locks, you'll be paddling downstream through some of the most dramatic landscapes of the entire system. This is a thoroughly enjoyable trip, and an eye-opener.

The trip to Burritt's Rapids is easy - quiet, sheltered waters, downstream, many houses along the way, and short distances from lock to lock. Lots of wildlife.

We'll pick up the boats at the Lockmaster's station at Burritt's for a fee (call ahead). You'll want to purchase a day pass from Parks Canada to get through the locks. You can pick it up at the Merrickville locks.

Pack a picnic lunch, and have a quiet lunch at Andrewsville - (Upper Nicholson's), before heading to Burritt's. Watch out, though...Andrewsville is reputed to be a ghost town. Don't get spooked.

If you decide to portage and skip locking through, plan on two portages and three hours of paddling/portaging.