Black Feather Upper Magnetawan River Canoe Trip

Ontario's Magnetawan River drains the western side of Algonquin Park into Georgian Bay. The "Mag" is a less-well-known whitewater river for paddlers as the water levels are suitable for canoeists for only part of the year. In early spring the melting snows flood the river and make the route very challenging. Sometimes in August, however, there is too little water to paddle at all. Ah, but when the water is right, this is a great run. We start our Black Feather trip at Ahmic Lake. Our three-day route takes us west to Wahwashkesh Lake some 30 km downstream. The river drops over 60 metres in a series of rocky rapids. These range from easy Class 1 rapids to a few "heart-in-your-mouth" Class 3 runs. In between there are swifts, a few narrow lakes, and several short portages. This spring run is a super introduction to your season of paddling and/or makes a great warm-up for a northern trip later in the summer. Paddlers for the Upper Magnetawan River should be confident intermediate to advanced canoeists looking for some spring excitement!