A lumber baron by the name of Gilles came up from Perth, bought the mill site on the Clyde. On his own back, he carried in a 90 pound saw from Brockville. He became a Valley timber baron, and later sold the site to Herron.

END:

Convenient to Lanark, Snow Road Station, Ottawa, Kingston, Perth and Sharbot Lake, your trip will end where the Clyde River meets Clarence Street in Lanark Village. You can also start here and return if you have only one vehicle.
START:

There are two start points for the lower Clyde River Water Trail.

The First Optional Start Point for the lower Clyde River Water Trail is just about 3 km north of Lanark, at Clydesville, so you can walk or cycle back to your car. Adventure Agent recommends this as the best choice all around.

You'll be looking for the Mississippi River Valley Conservation Authority building, on the west side of the road. Be extra cautious about traffic at this hilly spot. Heavy-loaded tankers cannot stop on a dime. Keep pedestrians, vehicles and equipment off the roadway. You can launch your paddle craft just downhill from there.

The Second Optional Start Point for the lower Clyde River Water Trail is just a short distance further north of Clydesville, where the next bridge crosses the Clyde River. Be careful of the heavy trucks using the 511 here. You'll notice a small block building that is used for water flow information, and it's not too bad for carrying your boat to the river. You can do this without crossing into private lands, and rather, use the roadway allowance. Don't tresspass.

ABOUT THE TOUR:

At Clydesville, you can hardly paddle the wrong direction. If you paddle upstream (where the water is flowing from) from the put-in (start), in just about three minutes you will come to a small rock-garden in the river (shallow rapids). It's worth the short bit of extra paddling to see.

Otherwise, from the start, turn right. You will shortly be in Kerr Lake, a bulge in the river. Lots of interesting marsh birds, turtles, ospreys, herons, black terns (sort of like sea gulls) and who knows what else. Carry on downsteam, under a steel framed bridge, and into the Village of Lanark. Watch on the right for the small, sandy beach-like area, where you may dis-embark to walk, cycle or drive back to the MVC site.

Starting Above Clydesville You can paddle upstream toward the broken dam at Herron's Mill, if you like, and then head downstream. There is heavy steel re-inforcement bar underwater, and anchored in concrete. Injuries to people and boats can happen. Don't fool around near the dam.

Downstream, a short distance, is Drummond's Rapids. Use caution, and if you don't know about river running, take some instruction. Contact Adventure Agent. Don't take chances with moving water. Anyway, this is shallow water, and your boat is at risk of rock-dragging here, and the rapid running isn't really worth it for the excitement. It may be worth the water walking, though, for the experience. Have ropes for lining the boat down, and practise somewhere before you do an actual river run in the boonies, please. Again, instruction courses rule. Right up there with wisdom.

Do that trip! GetCLYDE RIVER, JOE'S LAKE
Adventure Agent to help with your shuttle arrangements.

LINK HERE TO SEE THE:LINK HERE TO SEE THE:
INTRO to the CLYDE RIVER
CLYDE RIVER, JOE'S LAKE
CLYDE RIVER, BRIGHTSIDE
CLYDE RIVER, HOPETOWN
DALHOUSIE LAKE ROUTE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER ROUTE

Any obstruction on a river, no matter how it got there, is a hazard. Always be prudent. Rapids can have dear consequences, even inocent looking rapids. Slow-moving water is easily underestimated. Study, instruction, and experience are the right way to a long practice of river-running. DON'T TAKE FOOLISH CHANCES!