Located near the towns of Hanover and Walkerton, the Saugeen River is an ideal trail for paddlers looking for a longer trip that isn’t too challenging. The trail is perfect for those looking to improve skills in a moderately easy environment—while there are some rapids and eddies, they’re small and relatively easy to handle. There are four portages over the course, so inexperienced paddlers may want to start closer to Walkerton, which offers a shorter course with only one portage. The trail is 102 km long if you begin in Hanover, and takes about 3 or 4 days to complete.
For the anglers on your journey, the Saugeen River offers one of Ontario’s best steelhead and Chinook salmon runs, and has a healthy population of brown and brook trout, large- and small-mouth bass, northern pike and muskies.
Amenities: Access point 4, which is a recommended launch point, has parking and a canoe launch.
How to get there: To get to access point 4, take County Road 10, turn right on Queen St., take the first left onto David Winkler Pkwy/County Road 10. Turn left onto 10th St/County Road 4 S/Grey Road 4, then left again after 3.1 km on Maple Hill Rd.
View Larger Map
Related Story Paddle the Missinaibi River
Related Story Paddle Quetico Provincial Park