10. Beaver River - Waterhen River to ~ KM 65 on Hwy 155
Grand...if the other paddling routes are great...this one is superb! This route ranks in the top 3 of all the paddling routes in the Meadow Lake area. The first 6 km of the route are relatively quiet. From km 6 to km 30, the route is relatively swiftly flowing with increasing occurrence of extended riffles and Class 1 rapids. A notable feature at ~ km 18 is a Water Survey of Canada monitoring station (a suspended cable extends across the river). The monitoring station is on the west side of the river and offers a convenient place to stop and stretch. The small tower and trolley cart are worth climbing up and exploring. A section of this route, after the monitoring station, is known locally as 'the Grand Rapids' (~ km 21.5 to 23.5 km) and is compromised of a fantastic continuous run of Class 1 rapids. The current continues swiftly to the end of the route at ~ km 29. Expect to see bald eagles, pelicans, kingfishers, pileated woodpeckers, Canada geese, multiple species of ducks, beaver and otter...and of course - remember that this is part of the historic fur trade route into the heartland of Canada.
Fur trade info:
Comprehensive history of the Canadian fur trade
Green Lake
Ile a la Crosse (second oldest community in Saskatachewan)
A brief description of paddling the Beaver River in ~ 1997 can also be found here.
Length: ~ 30.0 km (about 5.0 hours of paddling)
Time of year: All summer (mid-May to late September)
Experience required: Novice
Noteworthy features: This is an historic voyageur route.
Access and parking: Great access and parking at both start and finish locations off of Hwy 155 north of Green Lake.
Start location: An unnamed road immediately opposite Mistik Management Ltd.'s Gallant Lake Road (just north of the Hwy 155 Waterhen River bridge and on the east side of Hwy 155). Follow the road straight east for about 2.5 km until you come to a gate / chain fence across the road (leads to a cabin so don't disturb) - instead turn right (south) and follow the trail that leads down to the river. Turn around and park on this access road.
Take out location: At ~ km 65 on Hwy 155. Drive about 500 m north of Mistik's 'Athabasca Mill Road' sign (west side of the highway) and there will be a small road leading to a cabin (visible from the highway). Turn in and park off to the side of the road so as not to block access to the cabin. Exit off of the river is to south - there is a small trail that leads up the bank of the river to the cabin site.
Route location (Google Earth kmz file):
Fur trade info:
Comprehensive history of the Canadian fur trade
Green Lake
Ile a la Crosse (second oldest community in Saskatachewan)
A brief description of paddling the Beaver River in ~ 1997 can also be found here.
Length: ~ 30.0 km (about 5.0 hours of paddling)
Time of year: All summer (mid-May to late September)
Experience required: Novice
Noteworthy features: This is an historic voyageur route.
Access and parking: Great access and parking at both start and finish locations off of Hwy 155 north of Green Lake.
Start location: An unnamed road immediately opposite Mistik Management Ltd.'s Gallant Lake Road (just north of the Hwy 155 Waterhen River bridge and on the east side of Hwy 155). Follow the road straight east for about 2.5 km until you come to a gate / chain fence across the road (leads to a cabin so don't disturb) - instead turn right (south) and follow the trail that leads down to the river. Turn around and park on this access road.
Take out location: At ~ km 65 on Hwy 155. Drive about 500 m north of Mistik's 'Athabasca Mill Road' sign (west side of the highway) and there will be a small road leading to a cabin (visible from the highway). Turn in and park off to the side of the road so as not to block access to the cabin. Exit off of the river is to south - there is a small trail that leads up the bank of the river to the cabin site.
Route location (Google Earth kmz file):
| Beaver River - Waterhen River to km 65 Cabin (Hwy 155) |