Craigleith Provincial Park & Nottawasaga Island
I grew up at Craigleith Provincial Park. Back then, The Blue Mountains wasn’t a town and the ski hill was a shadow of what it is today. My brother and I spent entire summers here — digging for fossils along the shale shoreline and launching ourselves down the old “Great Slide Ride,” which in hindsight was a near-death sport disguised as fun. Coming back as an adult, with a kayak on the roof, felt like returning to a place I knew by memory but not by water.
We booked Canada Day long weekend at the park airshow in Thornbury, fireworks on the hill, and a stretch of open Georgian Bay that looked promising for some coastal exploration. The launch, however, was less than ideal. Craigleith has no designated boat access and the high water levels had turned much of the shoreline into a steep, dumping mess of shale. I ended up launching from what used to be a walking path. There are better launch options if you drive up the coast, but for this weekend, convenience won out.
Our launch spot inside Craigleith Provincial Park
Day 1 — Out to Nottawasaga Island
From the top of Blue Mountain, one landmark dominates the bay: the lighthouse on Nottawasaga Island. All winter, I’d looked at that silhouette and wondered what it would feel like to paddle there. This weekend, with choppy .7m swell rolling through the bay, I was finally going to find out.
I handrailed the shoreline from Craigleith to Lighthouse Point before committing to the open crossing. Once past the point, the bay immediately felt more exposed — scenic, but surprisingly open for southern Georgian Bay. The swell wasn’t breaking, which made the ride fun rather than threatening, but it demanded attention.
Lighthouse Point
As I angled toward Collingwood, the grain silo appeared first, then the island’s shape sharpened. I chose the most sheltered approach, paddling directly into the wind to meet the lee side of the island. The water was messy — enough that taking photos felt like a circus act — but timing worked out perfectly with the small ferry transporting birders to the island.
The island itself was stunning. Tens of thousands of birds, raw limestone, and the unmistakable smell of a healthy rookery. As the depth dropped, the waves steepened and began breaking across the shoals, creating reef-like conditions that demanded respect.
Approaching the north end of Nottawasaga Island
At the north end, I found a large shoal with waves dumping hard over the top. Behind it — the lighthouse framed against the Niagara Escarpment. It was the moment I had been chasing all winter. Hard work, rewarded by a view that felt earned. I took a break, sipped some water, took in the scene, and then turned for home.
Heading back toward Craigleith Provincial Park
The return offered the best scenery of the entire day — the escarpment rising from the shoreline, the ski hill cuts visible but not distracting. The full loop was roughly 20 km of exposed water, a solid Level 2-type commitment depending on conditions.
Day 2 — Thornbury & the Beaver River
The next day, I launched from the same inconvenient shale path and headed west. The Thornbury airshow was underway, providing a surreal backdrop of aircraft darting over open water.
Paddling toward the Thornbury airshow
After watching for a while, I slipped into the Beaver River. It’s a scenic, peaceful paddle, but the exploration ends at a dam not far upstream. Still — totally worth the diversion.
Upstream on the Beaver River
The highlight of the day was the return across open water. With the sun hitting the escarpment and Blue Mountain now green instead of snow-covered, the landscape looked entirely different from the winter version I knew so well.
Looking toward Blue Mountain from the water
Final Notes
Craigleith isn’t the easiest launch, but the area offers beautiful paddling if you’re willing to work for it. Nottawasaga Island is a true highlight — but fully exposed, requiring judgment and solid conditions. A minimum of Level 2 skills is recommended, and conditions can easily bump that to Level 2+, especially near the shoals.
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