Trip Rating: 2.5/5
Launch Sites
15 Mile Creek gets its name from its distance from the Niagara River. It’s a quiet, easy-access paddle that works well for beginners and anyone looking for a relaxed outing close to home.
There are a few launch points along the creek, but my favourite is a small hidden dock on Glass Avenue. To find it, enter the following coordinates into Google Maps:
43.163689, -79.315724
The dock is stable, the parking is decent, and it’s usually quiet (at least it used to be when I went there :). There are no washrooms or canoe/kayak rentals onsite, so plan ahead.
Trip Length
A full tour of the harbour including the old shipwreck which is sadly gone now :(, is around 9 km. Most paddlers will complete it in 2 to 4 hours, depending on wind and water conditions.
Cost
Free.
Difficulty
Class A1 — beginner-friendly. Conditions are generally calm, but basic safety gear is still important. Stay aware of wind pushing into or out of the harbour and give yourself extra margin if you are new to paddling.
About Fifteen Mile Creek
Fifteen Mile Creek begins above the Niagara Escarpment in an agricultural region. From there, it flows over Rockway Falls and into a long, one-kilometre pond separated from Lake Ontario by a vegetated sandbar. The creek winds through fields, fruit orchards, and escarpment forest, creating a quiet and scenic paddle route.
This watershed drains roughly 42.5 square kilometres of land. Above the escarpment the landscape is mostly field crops, while below it transitions to orchards and natural forest. Much of the lower section is protected by a healthy vegetative buffer.
The valley is recognized as an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest for its excellent representation of Niagara Escarpment features. Rockway Conservation Area, managed by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, is also part of the watershed and contains two waterfalls — the larger dropping 18.3 metres and the smaller 12.2 metres.
0 comments