White Water Rafting the Ottawa River, Ontario

By the time the Ottawa River reaches Ontario, it's ready for rafting.

Once known simply as 'The Grand River', it's Canada's second longest waterway to lead to the Atlantic, and is named after the Anishinabe tribe's word for trader, 'Odawa'.

Ontario is blessed with natural resources, and the river was the means of transporting valuable timber from the province's forests. Today, it’s a river for rafting: fantastic white water sections are packed within a section just 12km long.

The water is surprisingly warm - Precambrian rocks in the area are great at storing the sun's heat, which then passes to the river – while the rapids are wild, and start just an hour and a half's drive from Ottawa.

Routes here are well known but remain challenging. Starting at the McCoy Chute, there's crumbling white water that will have you on the edge of your raft and paddling hard.

Rapids on the Ottawa River are created from huge vertical drops and passages forged between its mid-stream islands. And they get big!

The river's two channels offer very different experiences: The 'main channel' is the rafters' favourite with full-flowing rapids, while the 'middle channel' is favoured by kayakers. And with names such as 'Hell's Half Mile', you know it's a place to have some serious fun.

Drops are rated class III to V, so expect a pulse-quickening ride. If it's your first run, don't worry: the rafting companies know every inch and eddy of this stretch of water. You'll still work hard for your thrills though, gripping on as you plummet and pitch your way downstream.

Rafters will get all the fun they could ever hope for; running through the third major rapid you'll find your raft tackling the whirlpools of a drop pool, known menacingly as 'Butcher's Knife'.

Drenched with spray and invigorated from the day's rafting, it's time to catch up with other crew members. Rafting is a social sport so expect to be chatting wildly about your adventures long into the night.

The Ottawa River is 1,200km long and defines Ontario's border with Quebec. Let the river be your guide to the province's water sports, and you'll discover canoeing, kayaking even jet-skiing are also here to be enjoyed.

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