Sat May 2 2026 MAD River (Whitewater) Creemore to Glencairn Ont. 14 km river. 90 min from Toronto

Submitted by HuetonAndy on
Updated on Mon, 04/06/2026 - 08:41
Outing Type → 
Whitewater

I    will be running the MAD River again from County Road 9 in Creemore to Glencairn  this year. The reason that I am putting it in the WCA schedule several times is because I live very close to it and I like it so much.  Because I live so close I can check it for safety at a bunch of access point bridges In previous years we liked the river to be at flow levels above 8 to 9 cubic meters per sec. (Env Canada flow gauge at Airport in Avening). The winter of 2025-26 made the ice on the river much thicker than usual so the river did a lot of riverbank scouring shore to shore in the upper sections of the part we run. . Trees, scrubs, stumps etc all moved downstream. For this reason I would like to keep the trip of the season a small group of tandems. The second and other trips can be bigger As usual I scout the river beforehand from ten different river access points. We have one log jam after the South Nottawasaga Concession 3 / Nottawasaga 6 Sideroad 6 Nottawasaga ATV Access Trail as it meets the river. We will be scouting that piece before we canoe it. If the trip fills up, I will post another trip for Sunday the same weekend. We paddle 14 km from Riverside Dr in Creemore to Glencairn Conservation Area in Glencairn. Due to the spring 2026 ice scouring, there are a couple extra kilometers of real fun Class I swifts above Carruthers Park that I know you will like a lot. 14 km of river paddling in total.

The Basics
Event Location

Meet at Riverside Drive, one km north of Riverside Drive and County Road 9 in Creemore

Date(s) & Time
Event Duration
one day (six hours paddling including lunch)
Difficulty Rating
Advanced
Registration Cut Off
Friday May 1 2026 6pm
Participant Info
Who's Invited
WCA Members and their guests
Maximum Group Size
4 boats
Minimum Group Size
2 tandem canoes
Itinerary
Itinerary description

Meet at Riverside Drive , one km north of County Road 9 in Creemore, where the river comes closest to the road. 10am. Drop boats and gear and shuttle as many cars as we can to Glencairn Conservation Area on Webster Road in Glencairn (no parking fee) Lunch will be somewhere on the river, probably at Carruthers Memorial Park in Avening. From Carruthers the river slows down a bit until our takeout at Glencairn Conservation. For safety reasons, first trip on this river this season and no trip reports online, I want only tandem canoes this first trip. My other trips later in the season will take solo canoes, just not this first trip.

I like the river flow levels to be about 8 to 9 cu meters per sec. Environment Canada Flow Station 02ED015.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02ED015

We often run it at 10 to 11 cu meters per sec. It has been my observation, checking flow rates and looking at erosion along the shoreline that flow rats above 12 cu meters per sec cause very high erosion rates that you can actually wtech from shore at certain places on the river. Last year in April 2025, we ran the river at 5.7 cu meters per second and we still loved it. so the target flow rates for the first paddle will be above 5.5 cu meters per second and below 10 cu M /s. If on trip day, the flow rate is too high, we will talk about only doing the bottom half of the trip from Carruthers Park to Glencairn. Cold water. River has been scoured by ice thicker than it has been in 30 years. Lots of tree debris been relocated. That's why I don't want solo canoes or kayaks until I have seen the river once this season. I would like to do the full 14 km, but we will talk. Not set in stone.

Required Items to Bring

Your own canoe (for tandem pairs) . I have an extra canoe to lend. Drysuit or wetsuit. (I have a spare to lend for 6 ft, 200 pound). PFD. Helmet. Close toe shoes (no flip flops) . Painters for both ends of the canoe. Throw ropes. Bring one, even if you don’t bring a canoe. Wee need extras. Also bring your Whitewater PIN Kit – carabiners, pulleys, accessory cord, webbing and throw bag, in case we wrap a canoe and good hand saw if you have one. Lots of sweepers and wood piles on this river, although the spring ice out event cleaned the river well, we won’t know where the wood ent downriver until we see it. Bring canoes that can handle hitting a few rocks (no kevlar or carbon fiber). Pac Boats? Call me first.

Recommended Items to Bring

SRT Trained paddlers, bring full kit. Others if you have it bring whitewater rescue ropes, carabiners, webbing. Spare clothes to leave in the car for ride home

How to Get There
Event Directions

 

From Barrie: Take County Road 90 (Dunlop St exit off hwy 400 to Angus. Turn right on County Road 10 (just after Yellow NO FRILLS) Building. Continue on County Road 10 to County Road 9 (for New Lowell and Creemore) Drive through New Lowell, continue past Airport Road (Cashtown Corners) to Riverside Drive. Turn Right on Riverside Drive. Drive one km to where the river comes closest to the road. Park. 10am

From western Toronto, drive up hwy 410 to hwy 89, right on hwy 89 to Airport Road. And drive north to Cashtown Corners (County Road 9). Turn left on County Road 9. Drive 4.5 km to Riverside Drive. Turn right on Riverside. Drive one km to where the river comes closest to the road. Park. 10am

Carpool Info

Contact Trip Organizer. Maybe I can connect you with someone

Other
Notes

Subject to 36 hour cancellation / reschedule by the organizer if pre scouting or online flow meter shows flow rates that I nthe opinion of ht organizer exceed safe paddling conditions. For first trip I want flow rates less than ten cu m /s on the Environment Canada Avening flow gauge 02ED015
Every person who registers on this trip is subject to review and acceptance by the trip organizer, which includes having each paddlers submit a canoeing / river resume of training and experience on whitewater rivers. Please submit your paddling experience summary even if you have paddled with me before

Cancellation Policy
Friday May 1 2026 6pm

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