The French River

Discover the French River

History of the French River

Five Finger Rapids, French River, Ontario

The French river was formed circa 800 BC, when it emerged from the depths of Georgian Bay (Lake Huron) as the land tilted in a southwesterly direction in response to the release of pressures exerted by the ice sheet during the last ice age. The total drop of the river is 19 metres and its total length is 105 kilometres. In the summer the water is warm and in the winter thick ice covers the river.

The fascinating history of this waterway from geological times, as an aboriginal trade route, the French and British fur trade eras, to the modern day, can be fully appreciated by reading author Toni Harting's book, The French River: Canoeing the River of the Stick-Wavers.

The French River is an intimate collection of channels and lakes, bays and marshes, rapids and falls, strategically located between the Ottawa River watershed to the east and the Great Lakes to the west. The French River shows so much physical diversity and has such a rich history that it is among the most exceptional and fascinating rivers in the province, if not Canada for wilderness canoeing.
The French river was formed circa 800 BC, when it emerged from the depths of Georgian Bay (Lake Huron) as the land tilted in a southwesterly direction in response to the release of pressures exerted by the ice sheet during the last ice age.

Birds, mammals, fish and flora abound here, and the river's unique role in world history is a fascinating story. During the more than 250 years that the western fur trade lasted, the French River formed a small but vital link in the lifeline between east and west.

Activities

The French River with its lakes, bays, islands, rapids, delta, cliffs and beaches, is surrounded by forests that seem to go on forever. The river is a vast watershed and is almost endlessly variable from 5 sets of completely independent rapid systems 20 - 40 minutes from the lodge providing unique places to visit for the purposes of hiking, art, whitewater canoeing, picnicking, photography, wildlife observation or just relaxing in some of natures more beautiful places.

We have canoes designed for both smooth and white water canoeing. You can rent a fishing boat with outboard motor to explore and fish from. Enjoy our hiking trails and camp riverside for a night by the rapids. Whatever, you decide to do, start and finish your day from the Lodge at Pine Cove.

Canoeing/Kayaking

Leave from our beach or let us drop you off at your put-in spot and paddle the Canadian Shield, were you will find a world of wilderness, magnificence and endless lakes and rivers. Some of the finest canoeing and sea kayaking waters in the world are in our backyard. Explore, swim, fish, camp on an island, run a rapid and return to a luxurious meal and cottage at the end of the day. We will supply equipment, instruction, route planning and guides in any combination you wish.

Guided Multi-day Canoe Trips

We have operated guided trips from overnighters to two-week trips on the French River for over 10 years, and have a wealth of knowledge and fun to share with you. Novice or expert will have the chance to enjoy a memorable get-away on a vast and unconventional waterway system that is truly magnificent.

Canoe Day-Tripping from The Lodge

We provide daily, one-day canoe excursions to areas of great beauty on the river. Some trips will leave directly by canoe from The Lodge, while others will begin and end with Water-Taxi Shuttles. This enables canoeists to reach parts of the river that would normally require an overnight camp.

Voyageur Canoe

We own a 34-foot Montreal canoe that will take groups of 6 - 12 guests plus guides. This canoe can be rented by guests or by canoeists travelling in Northern Ontario. You can also join us in a historical experience designed by the Canadian Canoe Museum.

Canoe Instruction - Flat water

Ruth White, one of Ontario's top canoe instructors, will teach you the basics of canoeing from simple paddle strokes to advanced techniques that will help prepare you for independent canoe tripping or just brush up those rusty skills.

Customized Trips

We will be happy to plan with you customized paddling trips to suit any occasion or level of ability. Some of the special trips we have planned are: vacations with different activities each day (e.g. canoeing, fly-fishing, hiking, a night out on the river and many other variations); to locate spots for wedding invitation photos; guide artists to special painting/sketching locations; wedding anniversary trips on the river with picnics; special fishing or hiking trips or whatever else you would like us to arrange. We have assisted a family in order to distribute the ashes of a relative who was a keen paddler, and have responded to many other personal requests.

Fly Fishing

Experts will revel in a world-class waterway were river, rapid, lake or drift are all possible. Beginners will be encouraged to try a variety of wonderful experiences that will take them to where art and sport are one.

Fly Fishing Programs

Full details will be posted mid March.

TLC Fly

Introduction for beginners 2 days/2 nights.

French River Fly

Guided packages for the fly fisher.

Tie Fly

Learn to tie your own flies and cast them for bass, pike, muskie and walleye.

Fishing

Hire a boat or use our launching ramp and discover the French River. Pike, Walleye, Bass and Muskie make this a great fishing river. Hire one of our experienced guides and find the special spots on this magnificent water.

If you would like to employ the services of one of our guides, please ask us at the time of booking your fishing trip.

Cruises

Cruise the French River with Rene Lahaie, raconteur and avid historian, as he takes you on the route of the Voyageurs, Canada's intrepid fur traders and explorers.

French River Cruises - May 7th through October 11th

The Lodge at Pine Cove Dinner Cruise

Experience a French River sunset cruise and dinner from our wonderful kitchen.

Paths of the Voyageur

Cruise the route of the Voyageurs whilst your guide explains the history of this romantic period in Canada's past.

Five Finger Cruise

Travel to one of Ontario's most beautiful natural settings and gently hike or take a canoe adventure to rapids and waterfalls.

Please visit www.frenchrivercruise.com for a cruise schedule.

Hiking

Hiking can be directly from the Lodge, by canoeing/kayaking or being dropped off and picked up again by one of our boats at the start and end of a hike. Hike woodland trails, visit a heronry, picnic on pink granite by the shoreline, swim in beautiful small lakes, hike several beautiful rapid systems, visit beaver dams, hike in a gorge to a stunning small waterfall and natural swimming pool. There is hiking at the lodge at Pine Cove suitable for all experience levels. Lodge staff will assist you in arranging your hike, with maps, suggestions, delicious lodge picnics (please order the day prior to your hike) and transportation to and from the hiking areas.

Hiking directly from the Lodge at Pine Cove

Nicki's Trail - circuit trail from the lodge.

Hike around a beautiful small lake and out to the North Channel of the French River - time 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. Difficulty - This hike can be broken into an easy hike to the lake (25 minutes each way) and return. A more moderate hike extends around the lake by way of the North Channel (1 1/2 hours). Viewing possibilities - beaver dam, beaver, osprey, snapping turtles, pileated woodpeckers, ruffed grouse, bald eagle, blue heron, many varieties of small birds, waterfowl, large white and red pine, spruce, many broad leaf deciduous shrubs. Activities - Hiking, swimming, picnicking, gathering blueberries and cranberries in season.

Hwy 528A to Clear Lake - out and back with an additional trail that can be explored down one side of Clear Lake.

Hike or jog from the lodge on a beautiful small paved road, with not much traffic, to Clear Lake - time 40 minutes each way. Difficultly - This hike can be a gentle walk, a good jog with a couple of testing hills or can be extended as a more moderate hike by hiking a trail down the side of Clear Lake which adds an additional 40 minutes to the hike. Viewing possibilities - much the same as Nicki's trail, also wonderful fall colours along the road, red fox (there is den along side the road where fox cubs play), picnicking, swimming in Clear Lake.

Boat/Canoe/Kayak accessible hiking from the Lodge at Pine Cove

The French River or as the French explorers called this part of the river, Lac Jeunes Marie as it is much more like a big lake than river, is one of the great canoeing/kayaking destinations in Ontario. Combining a paddle, a hike, perhaps a picnic and swim, is a wonderful way to spend great days exploring this water wonderland of pink granite and its dozens of uninhabited islands.

Five Finger Rapids - hike along one of Ontario's most beautiful rapid systems.

Hiking Fiver Finger Rapids from the lodge is an absolute must for a visitor to the Lodge at Pine Cove. It truly is a geological gem. Accessible by motor boat or lodge pontoon boat (15 minutes), canoe or kayak (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours paddling one way). Time 40 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Hiking is easy to moderate depending on how far you wish to go. Hikers need to collect a First Nations permit from the lodge front desk prior hiking as the hike is over Ojibwa land. The Dokis First Nation graciously allow visitors to hike, picnic and swim here for a nominal sum per person, which covers the cost of a boardwalk, conservation officer patrol, bush toilet and trail development from the Dokis village.

Cedar Rapids - a moderately remote and beautiful rapid system.

Hiking Cedar Rapids on the North Channel after a 30 minute boat ride or 2 hour paddle from the lodge is a delight. A short hike - time 20 minutes (longer if one extends the hike down the river) - leads to a stunning picnic and swimming spot where one can float amongst tiny islands, get a back massage in a small rapid or rough hike further afield. Difficulty - Moderate to difficult if one decides to hike further down the river where there is no developed trail but walking amongst the Jack Pines high above the river collecting blueberries, photographing, birding in this remote area is a great way to spend the day.

Restoule Gorge - a deep gorge on the Restoule River.

Hiking the Restoule gorge means a 45 minute boat ride from the Lodge at Pine Cove or an overnight canoe/kayak trip. The boat trip takes you through some of the French River's most beautiful scenery, past a bald eagle's nest and follows the route of the voyageurs, Canada's fur traders who used the French River as a highway to the West. There are two hikes: a) a 20 minute hike along the portage trail to a set of pools and rapids that makes a wonderful area to picnic and play in the rapids. Difficulty - moderate as the beginning of the trail is steep. b) a 20 minute hike along the bottom of the gorge (please stick to the trail as this is an area where lobelia cardinalis grows wild, blooming in early August) up to a stunning small waterfall and natural swimming pool. Difficulty - moderate as there is a steep bit of bank to be negotiated.

Eighteen Mile Island - a large island with many hunt trails.

Hiking Eighteen Mile Island is an easy 20 minute to 45 minute paddle from the Lodge at Pine Cove or a quick motor boat trip. There are many hikes ranging from an hour to several hours that can be made on the island which is uninhabited in all of its eastern end, except for one small cottage. The island has many lakes - some with heronry's, a lot of wildlife - Moose, bear, wolf, deer, beaver and plenty of birdlife. Difficulty - moderate to difficult as navigation skills are needed to find ones way on the myriad of hunt and game trails. Sightings of large animal tracks are common and picnics by the side of remote lakes make one feel civilization is very long way off.

Rainy Rapids and the South Shore of the French River - remote hiking on hunt trails into a completely uninhabited region of the French.

Hiking in this area of the French River is an easy 1 hour paddle from the lodge or a 10 minute boat ride. Accessed by hunt trails this area is remote and hiking times can be from 1 hour to several hours. Difficulty - moderate to difficult as navigation skills are needed. Sightings of animal tracks is common in this area.
A shorter and easy hike of 20 to 60 minutes, down past the Rainy Rapids is on the shoreline trail is an excellent opportunity to see duck, osprey, Bald Eagle and picnic in several beautiful spots along the riverbank.

Car accessible hiking from the Lodge at Pine Cove

Mashkinonje Provincial Park - various circuit trails

Hiking Mashkinonje is a must for the serious hiker or naturalist and only a very easy 25 minutes from the lodge by car. Pick up some elk sausage (delicious) on the way back to the lodge, at Buechli's Elk Farm.
Mashkinonje has 35 kilometres of hiking trails that cross bedrock outcrops to peatlands, beaver ponds and the scenic West Arm of Lake Nipissing. A network of nine trails starting from two kilometres in length provides many hiking opportunities. The Loudon Peatland Trail is the easiest trail; the others have varying levels of difficulty up to the most difficult Coastal Trail. The first half kilometre of the Loudon Peatlands Trail past the boardwalk are now wheelchair and stroller accessible. View the newsletter section of the maskinonge web site for the latest information. www.mashkinonje.com/newsletter.html This park can also be canoe/kayak hiked - canoe or kayak down the shoreline, hike a trail and return to your craft.

Recollet Falls

Hiking from the Visitor Centre to Recollet Falls is approximately 40 minutes. Difficulty is easy to moderate and hiking is along the spectacular French River gorge to Recollet Falls. Driving time from the Lodge at Pine Cove is 40 minutes. The French River Visitor Centre is a small walking museum of very high quality, displaying the natural and social history of one of Canada's most historical rivers. There is also a pedestrian suspension bridge that spans the French River gorge, accessible from the Visitor Centre.

Killarney Provincial Park

Hiking for the novice to expert and located 1 1/2 hours drive from the Lodge at Pine Cove. A web hiking page can be accessed by viewing - http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/kill-hiking.html

Free hiking

There are endless opportunities to hike through the open woodland, along shorelines and find inland lakes, huge trees in this part of the French River if you have navigation skills and are an experienced backcountry hiker.

Advice/things to take:

Register with the lodge prior to starting your hike and let us know where you are hiking and when you expect to return. Register your return with us, so that we know you are back.
Wear appropriate footwear.This is rugged country.
Take clothing suitable to the season and in case or temperature changes.
Take plenty of water.
Trail snacks and other high energy foods are good to take along on your hike.
A first aid kit to deal with emergencies, cuts, insect bites, a sprained ankle.
A compass or GPS.
A light pair of binoculars for wildlife sightings.
Camera for that unforgettable shot.
A map of the French River available from the front desk.
Hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and a walking stick.
Do not venture off trails or shorelines, unless you are a competent navigator.

Native Adventures

Pa-Pa-Se or Spirits of the Forest will take you on a hike to explore native culture as it relates to the landscape about you, experience a sweat lodge or paddle a 36-foot canoe to the Dokis First Nation's Canada Day Pow-Wow. Your guides will be Ojibwe natives who live on the French river.

Ojibwe Native Adventure Programs

Spirits of the Forest Hike

Guided hike exploring the forest and its native medicinal plants. July 25th to October 11th.

Pa-Pa-Se Fish and Sweat Lodge

Hike and learn about traditional fishing methods and experience a native sweat lodge. May 7th to July 25th.

Paddle to the Pow-Wow

Paddle to an Ojibwe Pow-Wow in a replica fur-trade canoe. June 27th to June 30th.

Voyageur Canoeing

Paddle a 36-foot Montreal Canoe with a guide or charter this magnificent vessel for a unique vacation on some of the finest paddling water in the world.

Voyageur Canoe Trips

Fur-trade Canoe

Our modern-day Voyageurs leave the lodge and make their way to one of the many beauty spots on the French River for a delicious picnic lunch were swimming, sunbathing, photographic opportunities and exploring are part of the adventure. Dates - this program will run all season.

Paddle to the Pow-Wow

Paddle to an Ojibwe Pow-Wow in a replica fur-trade canoe. June 27th to June 30th.

Montreal Canoe Charter

Set out on your own adventure of discovery, exactly as the explorers and fur traders did. Planned routes, guides and full outfitting are all available.

Other Activities

Please check back in a few weeks as we are currently finalizing details for many of these programs.

Ballroom Dancing and Instruction

This is a dance you won't forget, in a beautiful lodge with huge maple floors, a romantic setting and fun instruction. Enjoy the dancing, the food, the scenery and a river adventure to one of Ontario's most beautiful natural settings. September 2004.

Bridge at The Lodge at Pine Cove

We are arranging a bridge program at The Lodge for those experts or beginners who would like to get together and play a few hands of that wonderful game and combine it with a soft adventure on the river.

Sightseeing Flights

Enjoy a short sightseeing flight in a classic De Havilland Beaver float plane. Your take-off and landing is in front of the lodge (dependant on weather and aircraft availability). A half-hour flight will give you a tremendous appreciation for this magnificent waterway with its rapids, lakes, rivers and huge surrounding forests that seem to go on forever.

Float Plane Fly-In

The first annual Lodge at Pine Cove float plane fly-in. Come and stay at one of Ontario's finest small resorts. Enjoy fabulous food and great accommodation in a very private setting. Good water landing in front of The Lodge. September 2004.

A wonderful slide show of the French River and its history

Toni Harting - author of French River, Canoeing the River of the Stick-Wavers - will take you on a visual and musical journey down the French River. You will see the entire waterway and learn of the Voyageurs, explorers and other fascinating history of the French. On request.

Weddings, private retreats & events, executive business getaways

The Lodge at Pine Cove is a very private and beautiful setting, ideal for special gatherings. If you want the intimacy of having a resort to yourself with amenities that will impress your guests, e-mail or call us and we will be happy to help you plan your event.

Want to run a program at The Lodge at Pine Cove

If you think you might like to use the resort to run a program that would benefit from a setting like ours, please contact us and we would be happy to discuss your ideas with you.

Visitors to the Lodge and the Cottages at Pine Cove will find useful information on how to find us, driving distances and comparisons to other vacation destinations, along with some very helpful hints to make your journey extra special. For those guests arriving by air, we have also included information for pilots. We look forward to welcoming you soon.

Driving Distance Comparison

People driving to the French River area for the first time often ask us to compare the distance to the Lodge at Pine Cove to the distances to other parts of Ontario's near-north vacation country. We have compiled a list that will help you plan your trip to the the French River and the Lodge at Pine Cove. Please let us know if you have further questions or require more details.

	KM/Miles	Hours (approx.)
Toronto International Airport (Pearson) to the Lodge at Pine Cove:	349 km (216 miles)	4 hrs
Toronto to Algonquin Park: Compare to Arowhon Pines, Killarney Lodge, Couples Only Resort (Whitney)	300 km (186 miles)	3.5-4 hrs
Toronto to Bay of Islands (Georgian Bay): Compare to The Island Lodge	475 km (100 miles)	5.5-6 hrs
Toronto to Collingwood: Compare to The Blue Mountain Resort	150 km (93 miles)	1.5-2 hrs
Toronto to Haliburton: Compare to Sir Sam's Inn & Water Spa, Domain of Killien	250 km (155 miles)	2.5-3 hrs
Toronto to Huntsville: Compare to Bartlett Lodge, Deerhurst Resort	215 km (135 miles)	2.5-3 hrs
Toronto to Killarney: Compare to Killarney Mountain Lodge	415 km (257 miles)	5-5.5 hrs
Toronto to Muskoka (Gravenhurst): Compare to Taboo	169 km (105 miles)	1.5-2 hrs
Toronto to Muskoka (Lake Rosseau): Compare to JW Marriott	211 km (131 miles)	2.5-3 hrs
Toronto to Peterborough/Kawartha Lakes: Compare to Westwind Inn on the Lake	150 km (93 miles)	1.5-2 hrs
Toronto to Port Severn: Compare to Rawley Resort, Inn at Christie's Mill	160 km (100 miles)	1.5-2 hrs

	KM/Miles	Hours (approx.)
Toronto to Bancroft:	240 km (150 miles)	2.5-3 hrs
Toronto to Goderich:	225 km (140 miles)	2.5-3 hrs
Toronto to Kingston:	260 km (163 miles)	2.5-3 hrs
Toronto to North Bay:	345 km (215 miles)	3.5-4 hrs
Toronto to Owen Sound:	190 km (119 miles)	2-2.5 hrs
Toronto to Parry Sound:	225 km (140 miles)	3-3.5 hrs
Toronto to Sudbury:	390 km (244 miles)	4-4.5 hrs
Toronto to Tobermory:	300 km (188 miles)	3.5-4 hrs
Ottawa to the Lodge	475 km (295 miles)	5-5.5 hrs

Directions from Toronto

Map to The Lodge
pdf

Directions from Toronto

North on Hwy. 400 to Barrie (approx. 100 km)
North on Hwy. 400 and 69 to Hwy. 64 (approx. 235 km)
East on Hwy. 64 to 528 (approx. 18 km)
East on 528 to 528A (approx. 12 km)
South and then east on 528A to end (approx. 5 km)
Toronto to The Lodge: approx. 370 km

Helpful Hints

Visit Ste. Marie Among the Hurons, a wonderfully reconstructed Jesuit missionary from the 1630s. It is located near Midland, Ontario, a short drive west off Hwy. 400.
Visit Website »

The French River Visitor Centre, at the junction of the French River and Hwy 69 (an award winning architectural masterpiece opened in 2006 by the Ontario Provincial Government) will give a visitor to the Lodge at Pine Cove, a fascinating historical background from which to explore this magnificent water system.
Visit Website »

Also pay a visit to The French River Trading Post on Hwy. 69 just north of the French River highway bridge. This is a lovely, rustic shop with high-quality items.
Visit Website »

Note: The highway just got a bit shorter and lot faster, due to the new by-pass around Nobel. It will shave ten minutes off your travel time from Toronto. If you want to stop for a break there is a Tim Horton’s just south of Parry Sound on the east side of Hwy 400 - watch for the signs at exit 214 Seguin Trail.

Information for Pilots

Any aviator arriving at The Lodge via float plane would be advised to land anywhere in the Wolsely Bay with a landing run parallel to and around 100yds from either shoreline, wind, wave, under-surface rocks, and the presence of surface craft being taken into careful account. It is unwise to land too close to a lee shore because the precipitous topography induces a pronounced down flow in the wind-pattern if the wind direction is more than about 30 degrees off the east/west orientation of the main bay. If a cross-wind is judged to be too hazardous to land or take-off, a 'cross-bay' approximately a half-mile east of The Lodge is roomy enough to permit landing in any wind condition. Upon taxiing to The Lodge, any size aircraft can be safely beached on either side of the dock complex although, for convenience, beaching to the east side of the dock is preferred. The coordinates for The Lodge are 46o 05.625 minutes North, 80o 13.833 minutes West.

Wheel equipped aircraft are welcome to use the turf runways at North Monetville Skypark (PX4 in the Canadian Flight Supplement) at 46 12N, 80 19W...about 22km by road due north of the Lodge. Of course, both Sudbury (CYSB) and North Bay (CYYB) airports are full-service aerodromes capable of handling the world's largest aircraft. These airports are around 100km by road northwest and northeast of The Lodge at Pine Cove respectively.