Features of the Cayuga Paddle

Meet at Bean Park in Paris... welcome to the beautiful Grand River Valley... 

Meet your guides... suit up with paddles, life jackets and waterproof camera bags... if bringing lunches pack them in our coolers...  then onto the river.                                                                                        

The Grand is a shallow moving river averaging about one meter in depth, with 2 meter deep pools... the river speeds up at elevation drops but averages about 3 kilometres per hour.

This river is about 300 kilometers long... the largest river in Southern Ontario,

For those wishing a group team building exercise... we pull over to do Noah's Ark...

Each team is given a 1x1 meter cardboard sheet, scissors and  tape...

As a team they must design and build a boat that will float a 4 kg rock over a 1 meter drop... and race a kilometer down the river.

Some interesting arks!

The delight of everyone...

Dumping out the water bottles and filling up with cold spring water coming out along the bank from underwater aquifiers.

This water has a taste that is good!

"Shoot the Bloop" ... this is a thriller for everyone as they approach this drop-shelf with a standing wave.

The rafts glide over and up with ease... and the cry "can we do it again or is there more?"... always comes next!

The Bloop is the second most aggressive wave on the Grand River next to the Elora Gorge section.

Visit an 1830 mine along the banks of the Grand.

The town of Paris got it's name from the plaster ... Plaster of Paris.

Gypsum was mined all along this section for about 70 years.

This photo is the Torrence Mine... closed in the early 1900's

Further down the river we take a hike on the Grand Valley Hiking Trail.

Along the way... we visit a beaver chew and learn about other wildlife in the valley,

We identify some edible trees and plants and give taste samples.

See what poison ivy looks like... and discover the worse way to get it... a surprise to everyone!

The lookout is worth the visit... climb heart attack hill to take in the view.

The view offers the perfect setting to hear about the Attawandarons... one of the most fierce nations in the valley.

Learn about their pecularities and status that set them apart from the rest of the Iroquois.

Hear about the wars in the valley and the destruction of this great race.

 Further down we paddle through the remains of an old stone dam... past an Attawandaron village where the grindstone still sits.

Hear the amazing "Drunk Jump" story as we drift under the 403 bridge.

Further down at the great white oak... we pull over if wishing a cookout campfire.

Paddle by the biggest blue heron rookery on the Grand River with over 75 nests.

This rookery was originally southwest of here in the Hatchley area until a tornado ripped through in 1977.

When the rookery is at its peak population there are roughly 300 birds here.

 The return of health to the river...  is a story in itself.

There are fish, birds of prey and wildlife.

As you paddle... the guide turns the raft into a floating classroom.

Have fun with our Joe Bushman Quiz which each rafting group tries to answer as they paddle the river.

See the small mouth hen guarding her nest?

Chain-gang body surfing... when the water is warm.

Wade up the river...

Lay back in your life jacket.

Enjoy floating down on a 400 meter river swift into the pool down below.

Something many people have never experienced... definitely a highlight.

Our favorite contest that we host for groups..."Cook dat Egg".

Each rafting team is given a pot, matches and an egg.

Each team has to work together to build a fire from scratch... boil water... cook the egg.. and eat it.

Talk about teamwork with imagination!