A big part of the reason I came here was to be close to what I love, outdoor activities, especially whitewater kayaking... here is great, you have the classic Ottawa River Roché Fendu section about 45 minutes away with all it's classic waves and channels, some decent semi-exploratory stuff, you're only 3 hours from the Laurentians and upstate New York, you've got the Upper Petawawa in Algonquin Park about an hour away as well as it's various flatwater sections, and the Dumoine in QC not far away.
But right here in town, in the middle of Petawawa, you have the Petawawa town section. It's a medium volume mess of flatwater and 4 notable rapids (Railroad, Lovers, Catwalk and Golf course) if you put in at the regular decommissioned railway trestle, add some more rapids and lots of flat if you put in at the highway. The usual takeout is by the golf course near Black Bay on the Ottawa where the rivers intersect, or rather the Pet river meets one of the Ottawa dammed in lake sections near Petawawa Point, a nice beach.
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| Lovers rapid at medium-lower flows. Photo Blue Ridge Voyageurs. |
The river is always runnable, depending on your tolerances for low and high water levels, with a general rating of class IV that varies a bit with levels. This year we started running it in March...it peaked in late March/early April and will probably be at lower summer levels sometime in June. I think we stop running it in October usually, so not a bad season for our latitudes. Perfect to get out after work half the year and shred.
On top of that the area has nice scenery, hiking, mountain biking, snow biking and all kinds of skiing nearby, it's not bad.
Enjoy a little video here: After work Pet laps
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