Where to Go Paddling in the Bay of Quinte Region
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to try that boat launch that’s right in town, or the one you’ve so often driven by on your way to work or to the cottage? What adventure would you have if you pulled over, placed your kayak on the water and let the current take you away? As an avid kayaker and the photographer behind @Sophie.Shay.Outdoors on Instagram, I had the opportunity to paddle from five of the 16 public boat launches in the Bay of Quinte region—what an eye-opener! I discovered picturesque vistas and an abundance of wildlife, and that these accessible public launches are a paddler’s, and a nature photographer’s, paradise.
Written and Photographed by Sophie Shay
Read time: 4 min
Belleville: Moira River
After an easy put-in at the O’Brien Bridge boat launch on the Moira River (next to Hwy 37, Plainfield), I let my kayak float under the bridge, where I watched water spiders skimming across the water. An eagle flew overhead as I paddled further south. After missing a great egret and a kingfisher shot, I remembered the challenge of photographing from a kayak on a river. At least the red-winged blackbirds posed for me in between chasing off crows, hawks and herons. For three entire hours, a lone angler was the only other person I saw. Paddling back to the launch, I considered all the nature therapy I’d just received in a boat, only ten minutes from downtown Belleville.
* Please note: travelling further up or down the Moira River can lead to rapids and dams, but this boat launch is in a calm stretch of the river to explore.
Belleville: Bay of Quinte
George Street boat ramp is another Belleville gem. I paddled towards the Bay Bridge, following the Bayshore Trail, and chatted with an angler who told me that the resident heron was called “Mooch.” Paddling below the bridge, I saw several anglers in boats. I watched a volleyball game at West Zwick’s park and considered getting a snack from one of the food vendors at the pop-ups. An inquisitive beaver swam up to me through cottonwood fluff before slapping its tail and disappearing below the water. Add the many turtles and the osprey diving for fish, and I knew this first, fun-filled paddle from George Street wouldn’t be my last.
Quinte West: Trent River
I arrived at the Kiwanis Riverside Park boat launch in Quinte West early enough to see the downtown Trenton lights reflecting off the Trent River. I paddled across to the Front Street Farmers’ Market, which has a ramp for boaters to stop and shop. Past the bridge, towards the Bay of Quinte, the scent of wildflowers filled the air. From my kayak, I watched the entire sunrise and saw a turtle cover the eggs she’d just laid. Travelling north again, a loon popped up only feet away from me. The beautiful trestle bridge ahead beckoned, but I had to return home. I vowed to return to go beyond it next time. What a wonderful adventure I had right in town.
Brighton: Presqu'ile Bay and Lake Ontario
At dawn in Brighton, the lily pads reflected light from the orange sun sitting on the horizon. I headed from the Ontario Street boat launch to Presqu’ile Point, marking my location on my phone. I saw several ospreys and a juvenile loon along the way. Knowing paddle-ins don’t require a day pass, I pulled up my kayak at the lighthouse in Presqu’ile Provincial Park, went for a swim and rested a bit before the long paddle back to the launch. On my return trip, I hugged the shore for a bit and saw a merganser and her ten tiny chicks. I spotted a bald eagle, who allowed me to take his portrait. At the launch again, I marvelled over the beauty of Presqu’ile Bay and all I had experienced in just one morning on the water.
Napanee: Napanee River
My final paddle brought me to the King Street boat launch on Water Street. Travelling south with the current, I soon discovered that a dam would prevent my visit to the bay.
* If you want a launch in Napanee that lets you travel down the river to the Bay, try out the Napanee River boat launch on Water Street, next to the Waterfront River Pub & Terrace.
Heading back north past the daisy-covered riverbanks, the air was suddenly filled with the scent of the cedars. Both a great blue heron and a green heron landed in front of me and lingered a while before flying off down the river. I navigated the twists and turns of the river for hours, far past the bridge under Hwy 401, until a fallen tree prevented further exploration. Paddling back, the cutest muskrat checked me out, as did a rose-breasted grosbeak, a bird I had only seen twice before! I marvelled over my day.
Driving home from this fifth paddle, I reflected on the entire experience and how much beauty and wildlife I had seen, promising myself to explore from more of the boat launches in the region, as well as to return to each of these and paddle further and take more photos.
