Arrowhead has always been one of the underrated parks. I’m not someone who limits myself to one kind of paddling — rivers, inland lakes, big water — I love all of it. So when we plan family camping trips, I always look for somewhere with good exploration potential. Arrowhead delivered immediately.
The Big East River’s winding oxbows, the small inland lakes, the hiking, the cliffs, the waterfalls — it’s all packed into one compact area. And if you paddle the Big East past the park boundary, you can link into Lake Vernon and keep exploring an entire network of connected lakes.
Even driving through the gates feels different. You pass Mayflower Lake right away — glassy, quiet, and almost begging you to pull over and launch a kayak. Our campsite ended up being one of the largest I’ve ever seen, and we lucked out with no neighbours. Once the tent was up and lunch was done, the weekend’s paddling plan fell into place:
Day 1: the Big East River.
Day 2: Arrowhead Lake and the Little East River.
And as it turned out, both days came with surprises I didn’t expect.
Arrowhead Lake
Waterfalls, rolling hills and giant snapping turtles — Arrowhead Lake seems to have everything you could hope for. The small lake looks like something out of an outdoor resort brochure. The moment my daughter saw it, she asked, “Daddy, I can kayak with you in that lake, right?” That was an easy “Yes, LET’S GO!”
Into the kayak we went. The first thing we noticed was the colour of the water — like someone had left a giant tea bag in the lake. It made the scene feel atmospheric. We circled the lake slowly, stopping to look at every trillium, tree and rock face. Eventually Abbey decided that swimming on the beach outranked paddling up the Little East River.
The beach is clean and the view across the lake is beautiful. Abbey was in heaven. While she swam, I explored under the iconic bridge leading toward the Little East River.
The scenery is spectacular from the lake entrance all the way to the top of Stubb’s Falls. From the water, the falls feel different — unexpected, almost out of place. The top is crowded and there isn’t anywhere to stash a kayak safely, so after seeing it from the river I paddled back and hiked the trail instead.
The Big East River
The first time I saw a photo of the Big Bend was on Instagram and I knew instantly: I need to kayak there. When I get fixated on something, I go full research mode — maps, trip logs, local intel, the whole thing.
I launched at Williamsport — parking is tricky, so I arranged a shuttle. After unloading gear and lugging it downhill, I got a hero’s send-off from the family. In the excitement I waved to them mid-rapid and slammed into a rock. A quick reminder to pay attention. After that, the river settled into a quiet, scenic groove.
Around every bend, another giant sand bank. Towering pine. That black-tea water. Bird calls and moving current. The route is popular — lots of friendly paddlers to trade stories with — but never in a way that takes away from the wilderness feeling.
By the tenth oxbow I started thinking I had missed the Big Bend entirely. Some of the earlier bends were enormous. But then through the trees I saw it — a massive yellow cliff face emerging like a wall. Even after all the photos I’d seen, the scale was shocking.
I stayed there for a while just sitting with the view. These are the moments that make trips like this feel special.
After watching canoes glide past below and photographers gather at the lookout above, I kept paddling. Stubb’s Falls was still on the list.
The final stretch runs through cottages and trailer parks — not everyone’s favourite, but I don’t mind it. It gives me a chance to put away the camera and just focus on paddling.
We’ll definitely be back. Arrowhead gave us a weekend full of memories I won’t forget.
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