Rankin River
NOTE:
The Rankin River below Boat Lake is impassable. We suggest that you do
not paddle it at this time.
The Rankin River canoe route travels from Sky Lake to Sauble Falls, a distance of 18 km with a travel time of 5-7 hours. (Please note: these times are typical for mid-summer. Actual time may vary depending on the ability of the paddler and water conditions.) Campsites at Sauble Falls Provincial Park are easily accessible or book space at one of the private campgrounds located close to the canoe route.
Paddle the Rankin all in one trip or break it down into three shorter trips...whichever route suits!
The Beginning
Red Bay Road Access to County Road 13 (7 km, approx. 2 hrs.)
Parking is available on the south side of the Red Bay-Mar Road. Access for this part of the route is here too. Follow the river to Isaac Lake and then to Bruce County Road 13. The water is shallow here and boasts healthy aquatic plant life. The Isaac Lake access point has parking, a picnic area and washrooms. The old bridge on Bruce County Road 13 offers similar amenities.
The Middle
Bruce County Road 13 to the Rankin River Dam (7 km, approx. 2 hrs.)
Paddle further down the river to Boat Lake; be prepared for a challenge on this lake if it's a windy day! Note the flooded woodland at either end of the lake caused by higher water levels after the dam was built. At the south end of the lake, a marker points the way to the Rankin River outlet. From here to the dam, the river meanders its way through flooded woodland.
The End is in Sight!
Rankin Dam to Sauble Falls ( 4 km, approx. 1.5 hrs.)
The river follows a narrow, shallow channel below the dam. The heavy mixed forest lining the route thrives in the well drained sand dunes left behind by the long-gone glacial Lake Algonquin. Often, beaver dams can be spotted along the river. Two sets of rapids must be lined or portaged when water levels are low. Take a peek over the side of the canoe to catch a glimpse of the saw logs visible on the bottom of the river, reminders of the logging industry which once used the river for transport. And, pack insect repellent, because the bugs can be mighty hungry in the wooded sections of the river! Just downstream from the confluence of the Rankin and Sauble Rivers is Sauble Falls; exit on the left bank upstream from the bridge.
FYI
Like to cross country ski? The trails of the Sauble Cross Country Ski Club offer a wonderful view of the Rankin River dam during the winter.
History
Located at the "waist" of the Bruce Peninsula, the Rankin River was used for hundreds of years by the First Nations peoples to travel between Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. The route was also used by missionaries and early settlers to avoid the long, dangerous journey by water around the peninsula. In the 1860's, the river was used by the lumber industry to float square timber and saw logs down to Lake Huron. Twenty years later, the steamer "Water Witch" towed rafts of saw logs from Sky, Isaac and Boat Lakes to the mill at Sauble Falls.
In 1921, a drainage project was attempted to reclaim possible agriculture land. The project was abandoned when it was discovered the soil was unworkable. A dam was constructed on the lower Rankin River in 1961 by the Sauble Valley Conservation Authority to control the wildly fluctuating lake levels and to restore the valuable wetlands for increased wildlife habitation.
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