Urban paddle primer: Where to float your boat in Hamilton

Hamilton Spectator

24-06-2025

Summer is finally here
and you're hearing the song of the paddle.
But you know what ruins a would-be relaxing day on the water? A white-knuckle, hours-long ride through highway gridlock in search of canoe country.
Luckily, you can find a paddling paradise right here in your Hamilton backyard.
Whatever your experience level, the city has options to float your boat.
A standup paddleboarder and a kayaker make their way across Hamilton Harbour off Bayfront Park in August 2021.
Rookie kayakers and canoeists or standup paddle board fans can get their feet wet safely — and take advantage of boat and life-jacket rentals — at three reservoirs-turned-inland lakes in Flamborough or Binbrook.
Have your own boat or board?
Cootes Paradise marsh can be an urban paddler's dream — so long as you pick your spots — while the greater Hamilton Harbour offers a mix of greenery, wildlife and stark industrial scenery, not to mention
bayfront ice cream
.
Here's a selection of reporter-paddler Matthew Van Dongen's favourite close-to-home paddling spots — and a few to avoid — along with best bets to rent the equipment you need to stay safe on the water.
These
human-made reservoirs
were created by damming Spencer Creek in the 1960s. Both are owned and maintained by the Hamilton Conservation Authority.
This sunset shot — an awards finalist in 2017 — shows why paddlers and photographers love Christie Lake.
Highlights: Both lakes are relatively small and safe for rookie paddlers, with forested shorelines for birdwatching and the opportunity to nose into winding, wetland-filled tributaries of Spencer Creek. In spots, you can see the drowned stumps and fence lines of long-flooded trees and farms.
Both lakes offer swimming-friendly beaches with
monitoring for E. coli levels by Hamilton public health
— and this year, the HCA has added paddle boards to its boat rental options.
Be aware: Avoid paddling too close to either dam structure to stay safe. Water levels can drop in fall or summer drought conditions.
Costs: You have to pay to spend the day ($16.50 per vehicle plus $5.50 per passenger over five) and a four-hour boat rental costs $50, or $70 for the day.
Where: Valens is at 1691 Regional Rd. 97 and Christie Lake is at 100 Hwy. 5 W. (
conservationhamilton.ca
)
This five-kilometre-long
reservoir in Binbrook
was created in 1971 by damming the Welland River and is maintained by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. There are also boat rentals and swimming at this lake, with
water safety tests
conducted weekly by Hamilton public health.
Lake Niapenco in the Binbrook Conservation Area is one of the largest inland lakes in the area.
Highlights: One of the largest inland lakes in the Hamilton-Niagara area and a popular spot for fishing. Watch for bald eagles!
Be aware: Bridge replacement work on Harrison Road may reroute your drive into the conservation area. There are unique fish consumption guidelines for the reservoir thanks to
historical firefighting pollution originating upriver.
(Swimming is safe regardless.) If you're a paddling angler, check out
ontario.ca/fishguide
.
Costs: You have to pay to spend the day ($14.75 to park a vehicle plus passenger fees to a max of $30). Binbrook Wave Rentals charges between $30 and $45 per hour for various watercraft.
Where: 5050 Harrison Rd., Binbrook (
npca.ca
)
This shallow, federally protected migratory bird and fish-spawning area is being rehabilitated by the Royal Botanical Gardens. It features 25 kilometres of shoreline and 16 creek outfalls — including the infamously sewage-ravaged Chedoke Creek.
Cootes Paradise is a magical paddling spot in any weather.
Highlights: The big Sewergate spill soiled Cootes' reputation — but most of the marsh is truly a paddler's paradise, especially in early summer when water levels are higher and algae blooms have yet to invade. The back end of the marsh (closer to Dundas) is a particular delight for birders and other wildlife watchers and you can explore the outlet of Spencer Creek as well as the end of the Desjardins Canal.
Be aware: No boat rentals. Heavy underwater vegetation makes paddleboarding a challenge right now. A section of the old canal in the western marsh is also seasonally off-limits to protect breeding birds; watch for signs.
Wondering where the water is cleanest (i.e. safe to fall in)? The RBG has a colour-coded map of the marsh at Princess Point that clearly shows urban pollution hot spots to avoid. Tip: maybe skip the kayak trip up the Chedoke Creek channel after a big rainfall.
Costs: If you put in at Princess Point, you'll pay a parking fee.
Where: Princess Point is at the bottom of the Longwood Road North hill. Some paddlers also slip a canoe in the waters of the old canal off Olympic Drive near King Street East in Dundas. You enter the marsh through the West Pond. (
rbg.ca
)
Hamilton Harbour gives you an eyeful of industrial smokestacks, urban parkland and wildlife-stuffed wetlands around Grindstone Creek and the Hendrie Valley.
Grindstone Creek is a beautiful, winding paddle — but short, if water levels are too low.
Highlights: For a fun and tasty paddle, put in at Princess Point and access the main harbour via the old Desjardin Canal that flows under the McQuesten high-level bridge. (You have to portage from Cootes Paradise into the canal; watch for the sign.) Follow the western shoreline all the way to Bayfront Park — where you might find a food truck or two — or nose into the marina and nearby ice cream shop at Pier 8.
If you're looking for a more natural setting — and endless bird watching — you can wind your way up Grindstone Creek beyond the popular wooden boardwalks and bridges of the Royal Botanical Gardens' Hendrie Valley trail system. You'll also get a faint whiff of the holidays, courtesy of Christmas tree berms strategically placed along the creek to thwart carp.
Be aware: Paddling into the busy eastern industrial harbour — and into the path of 200-metre lakers — is not the best plan. Also watch the weather, because winds can whip up big waves in the harbour.
Costs: There are no canoe or kayak rentals directly on the harbour, so you'll need to rent or borrow elsewhere.
Where: There is free parking and a boat launch on the harbour at Bayfront Park. For Grindstone, there is a small parking lot off Spring Gardens Road at the mouth of the creek.
Grindstone Creek is a go-to visit for paddlers and birders. Egrets are a common site along the creek.
This winding, forested section of Flamborough Creek is for more experienced paddlers who aren't afraid of exploring, fallen trees or bug attacks.
Highlights: In spring or a wet summer stretch, a determined paddler can navigate the eco-sensitive Beverly Swamp from the Concession 8 bridge (between Valens and Westover roads) as far as Middletown Road — if you don't mind dodging tree blockades and culverts.
Be aware: No rentals or facilities of any kind. Dry weather could scuttle your paddle; scout water levels ahead of time. The creek is legal to paddle — but it winds through private property, so be aware of trespass risk if you get out of your boat.
Cost: Whatever you plan to spend on bug repellent.
Where: There is a pull-off spot by the Concession 8 bridge that belongs to the Hamilton Conservation Authority.
The law (and common sense) requires canoeists and kayakers to carry mandatory safety equipment, including a life-jacket or PFD, whistle, bail bucket or pump, 15-metre heaving line, extra paddle and (if you're out at night) flashlight. Standup paddle boarders require a life-jacket, rope and whistle. Life-saving tip: wear the life-jacket, don't sit on it.
If you don't own a boat or board — and you're not heading to rental-friendly reservoirs listed above — you'll need to rent (or borrow) watercraft and safety gear elsewhere.
To rent, try out Element Canoes (
elementcanoes.com
) in the lower city, Adventure Attic in Dundas
(adventureattic.net
) or SUP Hamilton in east Hamilton (
suphamilton.com
).
If you're a newbie in need of safe-paddle training — always a good idea — check out Kayak Ontario (
kayak-ontario.com
).