When people enter Big Creek, they know they are paddling a different river. Big Creek averages two meters deep and about 15 meters wide. It is surrounded by a lush forest of green waterfalls. Instead of sky, there’s a canopy of trees…hence the name “Canadian Amazon.”

This is a river of trees… one paddles under them… winds around them… glides through them… and sometimes crawls over them. It’s the only trip where people eventually have to throw leaves off their canoe.

The only downside to this Amazon canoe trip is the bugs. Deer flies and mosquitoes swarm nearby…so come equipped with spray and long sleeves. Paddling in early spring or mid-September offers the best times to beat this problem.

The headwaters of Big Creeks are south of the town called Burford. The river flows through the Norfolk Sand Plains, with Delhi being the only major city on the route. But Delhi is still too far north to row. One wants to head to the Deer Creek Conservation Area or go down to enter this river. On Regional Rd 60, just below the village of Walsingham, there is a Long Point Authority canoe/kayak launch. This river meanders, so County Rd 42 (Port Royal) is a good ending point.

If you want a swamp and lake paddling experience, another unique experience is arriving in Port Royal and paddling out to the Isthmus or Long Point Bay.

When you paddle from Big Creek to Long Point Marsh… the sky opens up. The swamp is a place of fascination. This treeless paradise is full of plants. A world of singing red-winged black birds…abundant with waterfowl, fish, amphibians and reptiles.

There is the thrill of gliding over shallow places where one could never walk. The fly/mosquito problem is significantly less. But on a windy day, paddling the waves in the swamp is not a pleasant experience. Better to stay in the hidden interior of Big Creek.

There are currently no canoe or kayak rentals available in the Big Creek area. There is a company called Long Point Eco-Adventures that offers guided half-day canoe and kayak paddle trips on Big Creek. Their guided trips last around 3 hours and offer an introduction to paddling in this Canadian Amazonian setting.

An important point to note is that there are no local taxi services available in the area for return transfers. In case of taking your own boats, it is best to take two vehicles to park at the start and end point. The company that offers the guided canoe/kayak tours may offer transportation services, but this information is not known.

This trip to Big Creek, although in southern Ontario, is on the remote side. This river is best managed in a canoe, but kayaks are good too. There is not a high volume of paddle traffic. There are no local sporting goods stores, taxi services, or boat rentals by the day. So to enjoy this unique Amazonian paddle… come prepared!

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