Seeley’s Bay is a charming destination on the heritage Rideau Waterway, offering a friendly port of call for paddlers and a full range of services for all visitors, including public washrooms, showers, liquor, wine and beer, fresh groceries, local arts and crafts, fishing supplies, a variety of accommodations, and more.  Visitors arriving by water will find it very easy to walk up to the Main Street to buy ice cream, groceries, a bottle of wine and the makings of a picnic, etc., knowing that their goods are stowed safely back at the shore.  Paddlers arriving by land will find free convenient parking right at the paddling station, or, can easily arrange a ride to the paddling station with one of several friendly accommodation operators in the area).

From Seeley’s Bay, paddling “trails” beckon in every direction.  One of the best goes north to Whitefish Lake, then east through Morton Cut and past Rock Dunder (one of the best views and picnic spots in Eastern Ontario).  Continuing on through the ancient rocks and forests of the reach to Morton, paddlers can then portage into the Morton Creek, loop through the islands of Beverley Lake (with a side trip to the village of Delta for those with an interest in touring the historic mill at that location) and down the Gananoque River to the St. Lawrence at the town of Gananoque.  James Raffan, one of Canada’s most celebrated paddlers, has said that this route is one of his absolute favourites in the country.  “It has a little of everything,” he said, “accessible wilderness, blue lake and rocky shore, history, spring water, excellent camping, and one of the most dramatic transitions from shield to lowland at Marble Rock Dam.  Places are few where you can hear the cry of the loon, see wild deer, fry fresh fish over an open fire, experience quiet and solitude and paddle over or under the TransCanada pipeline, the CPR, Highway 401, all of Canada’s main energy, communication and transportation links … in one trip.”