Try an evening canoe, kayak or raft trip on the Grand River to view Canadian wildlife. The sighting of returned species once gone from the valley has become the highlight of an evening paddle on the Grand River.
For visitors from Europe, Asia and around the world, the nearness of the Grand River to Toronto is an excellent opportunity to experience a piece of Canadian outdoors without traveling hundreds of miles. This unique Canadian wilderness is one hour from the Toronto Airport just off the 403 Highway near Paris.

Many people don’t realize that the Carolinian Forest along the shores of the Grand River has the largest diversity of plants and wildlife in Canada. The best way to see wildlife is with a guided quiet evening drift on the river. Traveling in the middle of the river allows minimum disturbance to observe. Creatures absent twenty years ago are being sighted… even the locals are in disbelief.

The bald eagle is back, the fishing ospreys are nesting and the extinct turkeys abound. There are snarling possums, random sleek otters and an abundance of beaver. Fish populations have changed with the migration of steelhead trout and increase in smallmouth bass. As the varieties of species in the food chain expand, there is an increase response from the predators above.

There is also the regular wildlife to view. In the sky soar the huge turkey vultures, the echoing geese and chattering kingfishers. The whitetail deer populations are abundant in the valley and often visible along the river in the evening and early spring. On moonlight paddles there are coyotes howling, horned owls hooting and large blue herons croaking. There are muskrats feeding, mink fishing, raccoons washing and red-tail foxes.

With the settling of birds the evening songs finish with a silent hush. A choir of crickets, toads and frogs turn the river into an amphitheater of sound. There is the snorting of startled deer… the smack of alarmed beavers and the splash of breaching fish. With the approach of dusk ones’ senses change from eyes to ears. Paddlers become amazed at seeing with sound.

Raft drifts are the best way to experience an evening drift. These stable boats are an excellent vehicle for families and non-water people to experience river travel safely together. There is presently one company offering evening wildlife viewing paddles on a regular basis called the Grand River Rafting Company. They offer guided evening services with canoes, kayaks and rafts. There are even platform raft drifts with deckchairs for those wishing to sit and observe. The trips are 2 to 3 hours in length and are designed to fit the travelers’ time frame.

The Grand River is nature’s safari route through the wilderness of Southern Ontario. A guided paddle through this Carolinian forest is worth the visit. It is just a short distance from Toronto with a maximum Canadian wildlife experience nearby.