french river provincial park

Some of the best smallmouth fishing in the world, plus largemouth, pike and pickerel (wall-eye, for us non-Canadians). I had a fantastic time as a guest at Kamp Kaintuck. we fished ten days and I was fortunate to catch over eighty smallmouth on the trip that were over ten inches. We saw wolves, bear, deer and bald eagles during the trip as well. The area is unlike anyplace else I've visited. Large rock outcroppings and water everywhere. The area is pristine and well cared for by locals and visitors alike. The area has also produced record muskie, however we were not fortunate enough to land one.

we really enjoy our north drive to French river, there are some amazing places to visit. The fishing is fantastic in season, we found the locals are helpful and friendly and offer tips and advice to make the most out of the area. Head to the trading post, they have some great shopping and you can get a mean burger.

Tons of fish, not a busy park, great camping, and a fun family trip. We will be back next year for more.

You may see Mississauga Rattlers here very rarely but so much wild vegetation is there for the eye to see. Great to walk along the French River and see the various parts of the river. Watch your step amongst the rocks though!! Keep your eyes open!!! Such an historic river with the Jesuits here long ago.

FRENCH RIVER—CANOEING ON WOLSELEY BAY AND CAMPING ON BOOMERANG ISLAND, AUGUST, 2013Here we come, French River, again! Yes, we stayed here in 2011, two years ago, but because it was so windy every day, we could hardly paddle anywhere—even a very short trip around an adjacent island turned out to be a major chore. So, we hoped to make up all that lost time now!We were planning to launch the canoe from Wolseley Lodge, but we took a wrong turn and ended up at a different lodge. Unfortunately, it did not have a ramp and we were supposed to carry our belongings to the water and, on top of that, pay for that privilege $7.00 launch fee plus $8.00 per day for parking the car at a remote parking lot. So, we turned around and drove to Wolseley Lodge.The put-in was free and parking was just $2.00 per day—much cheaper and we could literally drive the car into the water—as well as the parking was next to the water and the lodge. The lodge owner said they kept an eye on the parked vehicles.After paddling for over one hour—and hearing a few stinging comments from passing boaters about how much stuff we were carrying (to which we had already gotten accustomed), we arrived at our beautiful campsite—hallelujah, nobody was on it! Since we had camped on the very same campsite in 2011, we realized it was probably one of the best campsites in the area. Quickly, we claimed it. It had not changed significantly over the past two years. A primitive plywood table was quite convenient; there were several white bones kicking around, probably belonging to previous campers, who might have had a nasty encounter with a hungry black bear… OK, I am kidding… the bones were probably deer’s or moose’s and they were neatly laid out on the rock. The campsite was very spacious, with many potential tent sites, two thunder boxes (i.e., outhouse sans the house) and beautiful view of sunsets. At night we did not see anything around, just an occasional boat showed up here and there, with some fishermen, who kept fishing, but in most cases, to no avail. Because the shape of the island resembled a boomerang, I had always been calling it Boomerang Island.It was full moon (blue moon) and in the evening we went for a paddle to other islands with several campsites—all of them were unoccupied. The moon was soon up and indeed, it was very bright, round and yellow-golden. While paddling, I was also trolling and finally caught a 63 cm pike. Alas, according to the Fishing Regulations, it had to be released; being a good, law-abiding citizen, release it I did, albeit half-heartedly. So long, our supper!Whereas evening paddles are relaxing, so are morning jaunts. Thus, one day we awoke early in the morning, at 5:00 am, got into the canoe and went for a sally on the lake in North Channel. The moon was still visible, everything was so quiet and we did not see any motorboats on the river. There was a tent pitched on the north shore of the channel, which was crown land, no park fee required. The campers were apparently asleep, yet their dog quietly ran down to the shore to check us out. On we went, finally reaching the characteristic pine we had seen from our campsite while sitting at the rock and admiring sunsets. There was a cottage on the other shore, at the park boundary. We loved paddling along the rocks and at one point came ashore—there was a fire pit made of rocks as well as a table: apparently somebody (or a group of people) frequented this camp.Eventually we reached the Cedar Rapids. The water level was quite low, judging upon the water lines on the trees and rocks. We secured the canoe to a tree and took a nap, being lulled to sleep by the sound of the rushing water.The paddle back to the campsite took us at least 2 hours. We also took other trips. Once we paddled to the Five Mile Rapids, just across from Crane’s Lochaven Wilderness Lodge. After carried the canoe through a shallow and rocky stretch of the river, we were able to again paddle for a while, until we reached another obstacle requiring a (longer) portage, the Little Pine Rapids (which obviously we did not attempt to portage). The area was very scenic and beautiful and we spent about one hour walking around.That evening I caught a 5-6 kg ugly looking catfish which I cleaned and later fried. It was the only fish I caught and ate this whole summer! Well, I can proudly boast that I rarely exceed the daily catch limit—in the whole year!As I mentioned before, we had stayed on the very same campsite 2 years ago and of course, I wrote an extensive blog, in which I extolled virtues of this campsite. The next day after our arrival a few canoes paddled by and one of the canoeists shouted towards us: “Is this the famous campsite number XXX?” “Why was it famous?”, I asked. “It was featured in a very well-known blog”, she said.I was almost flabbergasted at her words and would not say anything. Should I have told her that it was I who wrote that blog? During our stay at the campsite, we saw at least 3 other groups of canoeists who apparently were looking forwards to stay at this site and some were extremely disillusioned to find out that it had already been occupied. Well, it seems that people do read my blog and even act upon its recommendations!While we were sitting on the rock at the campsite, we saw two loons performing a mating dance ritual, which ended in hopefully a new baby loon gracing this earth.On Sunday we got up early, packed up and headed to the car. Our plan was to drive to Oastler Lake Provincial Park, located 6 km south of Parry Sound. No sooner did we get all our gear packed into the van when it began thundering, lighting and heavy rain pelted down.Considering the weather, we realized it would be impossible to set up a tent in the park. So, we made the wise choice and drove straight to Toronto, arriving about midnight. Because the weather was very crappy the next few days, this decision certainly saved us from a camping nightmare experience.Overall, we enjoyed this trip very much and I just started planning our next trip to another stretch of the French River!

We got to hike here a bit, but didn't get to paddle. The visitor center is actually quite good, there is a small admission fee, but it is really comprehensive dealing with history and nature. This small park is definitely worth a stop on the drive, and especially if you can make it to Recollet Falls.

Informative visitor center and amazing view of French River from the bridge. Worth the 1 hour drive from Parry Sound. Also great fall colors.

Stayed at Grundy Lake Provincial Park. French River is a short 5 min drive. The Visitor Centre was beautifully done eith very interesting exhibits. It was a short 5 min drive to French River. The Recollet Falls hike was really fun...about an hour or so over rocks and exposed tree roots.. We loved the interesting variations o tge trail. We did find tge Gut Lake trail in Grundy Lake had better views.. I would do this hike again. Nice to have additional trails.With our Grundy Lake permit, access to the park and visitor centre was free.

Stopped here on our way north and stopped to see the snowmoble bridge. Worth taking a few minutes to stop and walk over it. It is such a beautiful view! Really glad we stopped and looked. Did not go into the visitor centre, but for only a dollar may be worth a visit!

You can't camp here but you can spend a great day looking at the exhibits on the fur trade that made the French River famous. There is also a great walking trail along side of the French River. The trail is rough and requires good foot wear. Fall is the best time to see this park since the biting bugs are gone.

This was a beautiful place to stop and unlike many of the provincial parks did not require a permit. There was a visitor center that had a museum that required the park permit or a fee, rest rooms and a small gift shops. Hiking trails one short that lead to the gorge and another slightly longer that went to falls that were quite short and more like rapids. Also there was a very substantial suspension bridge that was built by a snowmobile club. It is open to walk across the French river and has a place for donations for upkeep. It gives a beautiful view of the river and gorge.

If you like to canoe and camp, this park offers the spectacular scenery of the Georgian Bay delta. Take four or five days and enjoy!

Whether yiu actually visit this provincial park of not... you must stop at the visitor centre. An interactive experience detailing the importance of the river to Aboriginal peoples, the fur trade, missionaries and explorers. Very well done.

We only visited the hiking trail at the visitor centre. At the end of it, there is a beautiful view of the french river gorge and a small waterfall.

The area is very scenic, not always easy access for canoes & boats. Will have to spend more time here to give a more open and honest review