Enjoy Whitewater Fun on a Spanish River Canoe Trip

If I were to design the ultimate introductory river for a whitewater canoe trip, it would look an awful lot like the Spanish River. It has all the required ingredients: it feels remote but is easy to get to; it has beautiful wilderness scenery, ranging from boreal forest to cliffs to open valley; it is a provincial park waterway so has marked campsites and portages; there are different options for how to run it; best of all, it has lots of easy rapids and kilometres worth of fast-moving swifts, affectionately known as “boogie water.”

I think of the Spanish nostalgically, since it was my first whitewater canoe trip way back when I was a teenager. After spending the intervening years working as a whitewater guide all across the continent, where do you think I took my kids for their first whitewater canoe trip? A Spanish River canoe trip was the perfect place to start.

Anybody can do this trip. But which one? There are options. Here’s a quick geography primer: the Spanish is less than an hour northwest of Sudbury, and runs from the north to south. The river is shaped like the letter Y, with two branches that meet at The Forks, then continue on as one. If you are new to whitewater canoeing, then take the East Branch: it starts with calm lakes, then adds some easy swifts, and sprinkles in some rocks along the way toward novice-worthy class II rapids.

But if you have some skills and are looking for a challenge, then the West Branch is for you. This options starts as class III with a half-dozen rocky rapids, a portage or three, and then merges at The Forks for lots of easy boogie water.

On our trip, my wife and I sterned the canoes, while the boys paddled from the bow. We went in late July—the water was low, and bugs were minimal until dusk. We fished, swam several times a day, and let the current pull us along.

My boys loved the modest rapids, which gave them a sense of confidence without any real stress, and we only portaged twice.

The perfect river? It sure seemed like it.

Spanish River Canoe Routes

Kevin Callan outlines the East Branch route in his Top 50 Canoe Routes of Ontario book. It takes five to six days, has 11 portages and is 142 kilometres long. It starts at Duke Lake and follows the east branch of the river. It finishes at Agnew Lake Lodge. The East Branch of the Spanish is a great introduction to whitewater paddling (except in high water).

The West Branch is a little more remote with more rapids to paddle. It is suitable for more experienced paddlers. There are portages around every rapid so it can be used as a “practice” whitewater route. 

For a first-ever trip, I suggest you take the train up to The Forks, where you can take two or three days to get down to The Elbow, a notable bend in the river with road access. The East Branch—the next easy option, with the upper lakes and easy swifts—is long, at 100 kilometres over six or seven days. Likewise, the West Branch has a longer option, from Biscotasi Lake, but it doesn’t get you much more whitewater. Below The Elbow, experienced paddlers might appreciate a series of big rapids and portages, but the real draw is an additional 20 kilometres of swifts. This option adds 50 kilometres and ends at Agnew Lake.

The local outfitters can provide you with excellent Spanish River canoe route trip route planning services.

Camping Permits and Reservations

Camping reservations are not available at this Park. All campsites are first-come, first-served.

Interior camping permits are required for backcountry camping at Spanish River Provincial Park. Permits can be purchased online up to two weeks in advance of your arrival date.

Interior camping permits may also be obtained from Chutes, Windy Lake and Halfway Lake provincial parks, or from a local permit issuer. For a complete list of local permit issuers please contact the park office.

Spanish River Access Points

These are some of the most commonly used access points.

• Duke Lake: Offers a boat launch and privy
• The Elbow
• Bisocasting: Biscotasing General Store offers parking and a boat launch. This is the most popular access point for whitewater paddlers.
• Agnew Lake: This is the most popular take-out point. You can take-out at the Agnew Lake Lodge.
• Bannerman Creek
• Various stops along the Via Rail, including Sinker Creek and Forks 

Canoe Rentals for the Spanish River 

Spanish River Outfitters will provide the ultimate Northern Ontario wilderness experience. They provide planning services, canoe outfitting services (canoe rentals, camping equipment) and shuttle service. Stay at Fox Lake Lodge before and after your trip.

Agnew Lake Lodge provides canoe outfitting services (canoe rentals and camping equipment rentals) as well as shuttle service. Plus you can purchase your Spanish River Provincial Park permit at the lodge. Stay at the lodge before and after your trip.

Fly-in Canoe Trips on the Spanish River

True North Airways  offer a fly-in service with your own canoe or you can rent one from them. Avoid the hassles of shuttling vehicles. Board a bush plane called the Beaver and get dropped off at their outpost camp on Biscotasi Lake, a great starting point for a three-, five or seven-day Spanish River canoe trip.

Via Rail Baggage Car Service for the Spanish River

Maybe the ultimate thing about this river? You can take the train! 

Via Rail runs its baggage car service (affectionately known as the “Budd Car”) parallel to the West Branch. You can put your canoe and all your gear on. Just tell the engineer where to drop you.

We boarded at the village of Cartier and got off at Sinker Creek. Our gear was hustled out to us, and just like that, the train left us on the side of the track. From here, we had five easy days to paddle 70 kilometres back to our car. The train only runs on certain days of the week, and weekends often sell out, so book in advance.

Guided Canoe Trips on the Spanish River 

MHO Adventures

MHO Adventures offers two guided Spanish River Family Adventures: a seven-day trip that involves paddling 100 kilometres and a four-day trip that involves paddling 53 kilometres. Both trips begin at The Forks and traverse a section of the Spanish that has very family-friendly whitewater. Your trip will begin with a train ride and end with lifelong memories. This is a fully guided and outfitted trip.

In collaboration with Paddle Like a Girl, MHO also offers a six-day women's trip on the Spanish River. MHO will guide the trip, but Paddle Like a Girl will provide preparation and support leading up to the trip. The trip involves paddling 103 kilometres from The Forks to Agnew Lake Lodge.

Black Feather

The Spanish River Getaway from Black Feather offers paddlers beautiful scenery, an ever-changing landscape, few portages and some great whitewater challenges. Beginning in Sudbury, you will meet your group and guides and hop on the historical “Budd Car” to start your journey down the Spanish River’s West Branch at The Forks. From there, four and a half days’ worth of paddling, portaging, rapid scouting and rapid running await you.

Organic Boat Shop

The Organice Boat Shop is offering a five-day Spanish River Whitewater Training & Backcountry Expedition. The trip runs from The Forks to The Elbow and is designed to help provide paddlers gain confidence in moving water.

Spanish River Canoe Trip Map 

The best—and potentially only—Spanish River canoe route map is The Adventure Map by Chrismar Mapping. It is an exceptionally detailed 1:60,000 scale topographic map that shows the rapids, falls, swifts, campsites, portages, access points and more.

Best Campsites on the Spanish River

No matter how you set up the trip, you’re guaranteed an adventure. This is true Canadian wilderness; the only signs of civilization are the train tracks you’ll paddle along once in a while, or the call of the train as it passes nearby. The campsites are all top notch, but there are a few you don’t want to miss. Following are Colin Field's top picks for campsites on the Spanish.

Expanse Lake (East Branch)

The campsite on river right just downstream from the 110-kilometre marker on the Spanish River Adventure Map is awesome. There’s a great beach for landing and lots of room for five tents or more. There’s also (depending on the year) a fish cleaning station, which can only mean one thing; get those fishing rods out! The fishing here is great.

Cliff Rapids

It’s hard to argue that the best campsite on the Spanish River is at Cliff Rapids. Cliff Rapids end at a lovely little pool, at the base of some massive cliffs. The campsite itself is on river right and is a three- to four-metre climb up the river bank. There’s a large flat spot with plenty of room to set up a campfire (as long as a fire ban isn’t in effect).

My group fit five tents here without any problem and you may be able to fit one or two more. Watching the sunset as the light bounces off the cliffs makes for a perfect evening on the river. The cliff provides an amazing foreground when darkness falls and the stars pop out, too.

Cascades

The campsite at the bottom of the Graveyard Rapids and the Cascades is beautiful. It’s just downriver from The Elbow, after the last ledge of the Cascades. It’s easy enough to pull off on river right before the last ledge to get to the campsite. Then you can run the final ledge in an unloaded canoe. It’s a difficult drop depending on water levels, so it’s a fun one to practice on.

This is such a perfect campsite you may want to spend a full day here. Why not just hang out for a couple nights? Fish, swim and enjoy a rest day. Massive slabs of Canadian Shield rocks spill out to the final ledge of the rapids and they’re perfect for lazing around on, absorbing the warmth of  the sun and enjoying some quality down time. The site has plenty of space for five tents or more.

Reynold’s Creek

The camp at Reynold’s Creek is a lovely spot to spend the night. It’s a nice large flat area under some evergreens with plenty of room for up to seven tents. If you hike a little ways southeast into the woods you’ll discover some incredible old growth forest that’s worth exploring. Give a giant tree a hug while you’re there! 

Get out and explore the Spanish River

Whether you're an experienced whitewater paddler or just starting out, there's lots to love about the Spanish River. Plan short or long trip—doesn't matter which, as long as you get out there to experience it for yourself. 

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