Welland Recreational Canal

Trip Rating: 3.75/5

One of my go-to spring and fall trip destinations is the Welland Recreational Canal. It’s a calm, urban paddle through downtown Welland, with waterfront bars, concert stages, joggers, walkers, and a surprising amount of history woven into the route.

Source: seaway.dot.gov

The Welland Canal was created in 1818 to connect Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Its purpose was to allow ships to bypass the Niagara River and the 320-foot escarpment drop at Niagara Falls.

The Welland Canal bypasses Niagara Falls.

Over the past 200 years, the canal has gone through four iterations. In 1973, the latest alignment bypassed the city of Welland entirely. The 12 km section through town was left in place and eventually became the Welland Recreational Canal.

Launch Sites:

There are two launch sites. The best is the Welland International Flatwater Centre. Enter the following into your GPS:
16 Townline Tunnel Road, Welland, ON L3C 2T4

I didn’t see any public washrooms at the launch, but town is close enough if needed.

One of many bridges along the route.

Difficulty:
This is a long, flat, straight paddle. Lots to look at but nothing technical. I prefer doing it in the cooler shoulder seasons because it’s quieter and more relaxed.

Under one of the downtown bridges.

Always be prepared and use proper safety gear.

Another bridge along the route.

Past downtown the canal feels more natural and grown-in.

Trip Length:
The canal is 12 km long one way. You can reach the real shipping canal at the far end.
DO NOT ENTER THE REAL CANAL.

For a moment it even feels like a river.

The full round trip is 24 km. I paddled for about 3.5 hours and didn’t see the entire thing.

An old bridge along the route.

Cost: $0

A very interesting dock on the return trip.

You can paddle right underneath and explore.

Be careful exploring tight structures.

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