Trip Rating
Description
I’ve only completed this trip once, right after a COVID lockdown. I had been looking at this paddle for years, but the logistics are tricky. With a lot of free time during lockdown, I finally sat down, planned it properly, and once the window opened, we went for it.
Launching from Port Bruce
I wanted to visit Hawk Cliff. The top access appears to be fully restricted now, which makes viewing it from the water the best—and least invasive—option. The round-trip from Port Bruce is about 26 km, so expect a full day. Launching from Port Stanley shortens it considerably, but the same safety considerations apply.
The bluffs are massive
We launched from Port Bruce Provincial Park: good parking, clean washrooms, and entry is covered with an Ontario Parks pass. The downside is the long, exposed portage to the water.
Once on the water, we headed west toward Port Stanley. Conditions were forecast to be dead calm, which is essential for this trip. The entire coastline is one continuous sand bluff rising 15 to 200 metres, with almost no viable emergency landing sites. The few valleys that exist are often unstable and prone to slides. Treat this stretch with extreme caution.
The scenery is incredible—raptor nests, towering bluffs, and some very clear signs of erosion. We identified muster points and lunch options in the river valleys. We stopped at one of them… and that’s where the warning we had heard about became very real.
Hawk Cliff itself was a bit underwhelming from the water, so we turned back. Returning to our lunch spot for a water break, we discovered a fresh landslide—right where we had been sitting.
Our lunch spot
After the landslide
The paddle home was calm and scenic. We finished with an impressive sunburn and a stop at what used to be a chip truck—but is now a taco truck.
The chip truck is a taco truck now
Launch Options
- Port Bruce Provincial Park – Full day (~25 km)
- Port Stanley – Much shorter (~8 km)
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This route requires Level 2 skills or higher depending on conditions.
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