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We set out to paddle this last section of the Tay River on the long weekend in September. Each section of the Tay River seems to have it’s own personality, and this route was no exception. We had already worked our way through the very low key (but physically challenging) Upper Tay, navigated the more exciting Middle Tay, and were eager to see what the Lower Tay had to offer.
Feeling a little lazy, we decided to bring two cars into Perth so we could do the route only one way. We had thought this route would be 10 kilometres, but it ended up being only 8.5. So we decided to go to the Perth fair after. 🙂
One of the best things about this route is that there is an option to camp at both ends. You could decide to paddle out and spend a night, or out and back and then spend a night where you started.
Our view paddling to the upper Beveridges lock.
Getting There
We knew we were going to end our route at the Beveridges Lockstation, so we dropped a car off at the parking lot there near the oTentniks. We parked by the upper locks right by the river. There was room for a lot of cars and we called down to the lockmaster to make sure it was okay for us to park there. It was, AND it was free.
Near the upper locks, there’s a small building that has toilets available for the public, and a phone that can be used to call the lockmaster. There’s also a shower in the back of the building, but it was locked. I’m assuming it’s only for those who are renting the oTentniks. There are also kayaks for rent here, so if you didn’t have your own you could rent some here and hit the water! You can use these coordinate to get there: 44.877196, -76.146042.
We decided to put in at Last Duel Park in Perth. You can use these coordinates to get there: 44.899411, -76.239808. There was parking for at least fifty cars in the parking lot, right next to the launch. There was also a small camp office that had washrooms and a shower. These are only open during the day though. Behind the camp office, there’s a campsite where many people have set up RVs for the summer. There are tent sites available at Last Duel Park as well.
Power boats are allowed on this section of the Tay River, and many use the public launch at Last Duel Park. We noticed a sign asking that us to pay to launch, at the camp office. Turned out this was for power boats only, but we did have to register our vehicle with the office. Parking was free.
The launch at Last Duel Park in Perth, ON.
Camping
Camping at different lockstations in Ontario is something that I think is not done nearly often enough. We’ve never done it, and we’re hoping to change that soon!
You can camp at both the upper and lower Beveridges locks for only $4.90 per person per night. The lockmaster I talked to said he prefers the upper locks for camping. There’s more space to set yourself back from the water and get a secluded feeling. He also mentioned that they have campfire bowls that they can move into place for you. There are washrooms and a shower available, and the oTentniks looked like a pretty cool way to camp (glamp?) too.
If there’s no lockmaster there when you arrive, that’s okay- they said you can try and pay up the next day. I forgot to ask whether they take debit, but it’s probably a good bet for you to bring cash if you’re hoping to camp at the locks.
Campsites and a brand new log cabin are available for overnight stays in Last Duel Park. This park is typically open from mid-May to mid-October for tenters and RVers. This year though, it didn’t open until the beginning of June due to flooding.
There are washrooms and showers at Last Duel Park that can be accessed by campers any time of the day. You’re given an entry code by the park attendant when you arrive. Campfires are allowed. The cost for a tent site is just under $30.00 per night, with the log cabin going for just under $85.00. The park attendant is only able to accept cash or debit as payment.
Camping at the locks is probably a cooler experience. I’m just being honest.
The Route
We set off from the launch and headed to our right in order to head east towards the Tay Canal and Lower Rideau Lake. We paddled past the RVs on our right, and along a section of the Tay River that was as lovely as we had come to expect, with trees hanging over the banks. On this section of the river, we saw more people than we had seen on any of our journeys along the Tay. At one point, there was a line of seven powerboats coming towards us down the river, heading back towards Last Duel Park.
The Tay River right before it opens up to wider views.
After paddling for four kilometres, the river opened right up, and we began to paddle through a really neat section of what I would describe as a marsh, with tall grasses everywhere. Despite how open this space felt, it was still easy to navigate; unlike the rest of the Tay River, there were buoys all through this section that highlighted the route.
Blue skies and wide open spaces on the Tay River.
There was next to no current throughout this entire route, and that included throughout the marsh. The wind actually picked up a bit while we were in this area, which made the paddling a bit more strenuous.
The Tay River heads northeast for roughly 7.2 kilometres after Last Duel Park. On the satellite images we viewed before heading out on this route, it looks like you could just continue along the river to take “the long way” into Lower Rideau Lake. But, there’s a huge dam that runs the length of the river at this point, with warning signs. We chose not to get close enough to get a good look, although I would have loved to see the other side!
The dam on Tay River.
At this point, we stayed to the right of the split, so we could enter into the Tay Canal. Once again, it was really easy to see where to go because of the signs that were posted.
Entering the Tay Canal.
Getting Home
As expected, the Tay Canal was very calm. We arrived at the upper lockstation after having paddled 8.5 kilometres, which took us an hour and forty minutes. There were two low docks alongside the wall to our left, and we used these to get out. Pulling up alongside them, the docks were about even with the tops of our kayaks. Getting out wasn’t graceful, but we got it done!
The dock at the upper Beveridges lock.
We had brought our kayak locks with us, but noticed a small pile of kayaks behind the lockmaster’s building. We decided to just camouflage our kayaks among these other ones instead of spending the time to lock them up. After all, who would dare steal from the lockmaster?
Kayaks for rent at the Beveridges locks.
If we were going to do this route again, we would just bring one car. Then we would paddle out and back from Last Duel Park. The Beveridges lockstation is a lovely green space with picnic tables and benches available for you to lounge on, and would make a great place to stop for a break and some lunch. I loved checking out the lockstation and seeing all the big boats waiting to move through.
The lower Beveridges lock.
You could also do the opposite and paddle out and back from the Upper Beveridges Locks. If you wanted to make a day of it, you could end your route by camping at the locks at night.
I hope this trip report has enough info to get you there too. Let me know in the comments, or share and tag a friend to start planning your next adventure!
Map
Our map of the route- we started at the pin near the top, and ended at the pin near the bottom.
Gear We Brought
- Kayaks
- Life jackets
- Bailing buckets with rope and whistle
- Kayak locks
- 2 x 1 litre bottles of water
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Waterproof camera
- Cell phones
- Waterproof phone cases
- 35 litre dry bag
- Clothes we wore to the launch
- Canvas shoes
