Healey Falls to Crowe Bridge

Paddling the Trent-Severn Waterway:
Lock 15, Healey Falls to
Crowe Bridge Conservation Area

written by The Land Canadian Adventures. Read more by The Land.

Difficulty: Easy paddling, but be aware and respectful of power boat traffic and the current from Healey Falls just above Lock 15. Accessing the Crowe Bridge Conservation Area requires good mobility on rocky footing. You need to pull your boat up onto relatively rocky shore south of the falls and walk up in the shallow water or along the exposed rock. This is a particularly fun adventure in the summer when water shoes and bathing suits are on already.

Distance: Approx. 5km round trip, but as short or as long as you wish! (You can put in at Lock 16/17 if you’d like a slightly longer paddle and more lockage).

Portages: None

Launch point: At Lock 15 you can turn left onto Canal Rd off of 11th Line W and immediately on your right you’ll see an access point - a little gravel and pavement ramp. You can drop your boat and gear here and then bring your car up to the Lock parking lot. As this puts you at the top side of the locks you get to lock through which is what I recommend if you are kayaking and/or are concerned about carrying your canoe down the stairs. If you want to skip the lock you can portage your vessel down the stairs.  This is easier to do in a canoe though as there is a foot and a half drop from the canal down and the natural shoreline beyond is fairly rocky. This still requires some agility and strength to put your vessel in the water.

Shuttle Info: Round trip – no shuttle required.

Directions: 10 minutes north of Campbellford. Map Link.

Best Time to Go: Since the easiest access point for this route is from the top of Lock 15, May to October is the best time of year to take this route so you can take full advantage of the Locks while the Waterway is open. Otherwise, it requires portaging down the stairs and putting in from the canal side (1.5 feet up from the water- depending on water levels).

Just Dooher It!

My paddling partner along this route last fall was my five year old daughter, Lily Maeve. Lily knows paddling is good exercise, just ask her: “Paddling is hard work!”. Even though her version of ‘paddling’ still involves a fair bit of head drooping over the gunnels, peering into the depths, she’s right - you do work up an appetite with every stroke, and every breath of fresh air. So, it’s always important to have snacks on hand when out for a day on the water, and you can make a whole day of this route if you pack a picnic. I highly recommend stopping in Campbellford at the renowned Dooher’s Bakery - the salty caramel donuts are sensational, and the pizza buns, too!! Lily and I are huge pizza bun fans and Dooher’s definitely pass muster. We brought along some fresh veggies, pepperoni sticks, and some apples:  shore lunch made super easy. Keep in mind the bakery is closed Sundays. It can get really busy in there, but they often run a separate register for cash only which moves quickly. 

The Perks of Paddling to Parks:

Paddling the Trent-Severn Waterway is a pleasant change from some of the other routes we take, as there is a always a friendly Parks Canada staff there to greet you. You also have the convenience of the accessible washroom facilities at each lock for those last minute “I have to gooooo!” times.

Launching from Canal Rd. is the way to go to avoid portaging your boat down the stairs. Either way, once you’re south of the lock, if the current is not too strong, it’s worth an attempt paddling around the point after the canal for a peek at the magnificent Healey Falls. The reason for Locks 15, 16 and 17 is a 22 meter drop down the set of falls. If the current is too strong to get a good look, don’t despair! Go with the flow then head north (or make a left) where the Trent opens up to Crowe Bay and paddle towards the mouth of the Crowe River. You can meander along the west bank around some small islands but ultimately you want to get to the east shore where you can pull your boat up (bring a rope to tie it off on a nearby tree just in case). With your snacks and towels in your backpack, keep your PFDs and life jackets on. Hop from rock to rock, or wade through the water if you feel like cooling off (old tennis shoes or close-toed sandals are best in these conditions). 

You can choose to spread out on the rocks right along shore or land a picnic table in the shade if you’d like. Since Lily and I made the trip in the fall, we opted for rock hopping and picnicked right on the rocks. Walk east along the park road and see if you can find an abandoned mini-golf course. Across the road from the park gate is an abandoned campground. Outhouses are available at the parking lot.

Where/When Are We?

This is a well-loved local swimming hole, so there will likely be new friends to be made while combing the shores and shallow waters for fossils and crawfish. The Crowe River lies just inside the area known as The Land Between, an ecotone where the Canadian Shield and the Saint Lawrence Lowlands meet. The ‘stepping stones’ of limestone plain along the riverbed and shoreline at Crowe Bridge are a signature feature of the southern boundary of The Land Between and are often rich with Paleozoic fossils (half a billion years old?). We have a budding geologist, Lily, who collects all things rocky and shiny. We encourage collecting photos of most of the specimens, rather than carrying them all home. Lily was gifted a shock and waterproof camera from her grandparents last Christmas; it has been wonderful addition to her daypack on every trip.

Birl  noun Chiefly Northern U.S.

1. a game played by lumberjacks, in which each tries to balance longest on a floating log while rotating the log with the feet.

As with many of the waterways we paddle in Ontario, the Trent River was once jammed with massive red and white pine logs bobbing up and down. The log drivers would have herded these giants along the river all the way to Lake Ontario and on to Europe. It seems absolutely crazy to think about buildings in England that were once tall trees on the banks of our rivers here! With the canals slowing the flow of the river significantly, it’s hard to imagine how long it will take a log to ever arrive at its destination. Before the canals and the locks, you could see some daring log drivers.

 ‘Burling down, and down the white water.

That’s where the log driver learns to step lightly.’

And since it’s always good to have a song to share on the water…

Log Driver’s Waltz