The French River figure-8 portage loop is the most popular canoe route in French River Provincial Park, and it deserves that reputation. Starting and finishing at Hartley Bay Marina, the four-day loop takes you south through the delta to Georgian Bay and back, covering 38.3 kilometres of paddling with just 350 metres of portaging across three carries. The portages are short enough that this is accessible to beginner paddlers, but the delta navigation is complex enough that you’ll stay interested the whole way. Add Georgian Bay to the itinerary and you have something that most Ontario river routes can’t offer: open water, rocky channels, and the kind of scenery that justifies the drive north.
At a glance
| Park | French River |
|---|---|
| Access point | Hartley Bay Marina |
| Route type | Loop |
| Longest portage | 300m |
| Booking type | Lake-zone reservation. Book the lake; sites are first-come, first-served. |
| Permit required | Yes, Ontario Parks interior permit via ontarioparks.ca |
| Parking | One vehicle free with your backcountry permit. |
| Drive from Toronto | Approx. 3.5 hours |
| Drive from Barrie | Approx. 2.5 hours |
Route overview
The French River figure-8 loop starts and ends at Hartley Bay Marina and does exactly what it sounds like: traces a loose figure-eight through the delta. You head south down the Main Outlet to Georgian Bay, then come back north through Bass Creek and the Eastern Outlet to close the loop. Three nights on the water before you’re home. Three short portages. The longest is 300 metres at Dalles Rapids.
What makes this route different from most Ontario canoe trips is the environment. The French River delta is not a chain of open lakes connected by portage trails. It’s a maze of channels, islands, and narrow passages carved out of Precambrian rock, and navigating it is part of the experience. You will stop and check your map. You will take a channel and wonder if it’s the right one. That’s normal, and it keeps things interesting throughout. Most paddlers used to Algonquin-style lake hopping find the delta surprisingly engaging.
The route is rated intermediate by Ontario Parks, which is accurate. The portages are easy. The paddling distance is manageable. The challenge is navigation and Georgian Bay. The delta channels look different from what you expect, and the bay can turn rough quickly if wind builds from the southwest. Neither is beyond a prepared beginner paddler, but both deserve respect.
Day-by-day figure-8 portage loop breakdown
Day 1: Hartley Bay Marina to Wanapitei Bay
Short trip on the first day after a long drive. Camp at the top of Wanapitei Bay.
3.1km paddle 0m portage
Day one is deliberately short. Register at Hartley Bay Marina’s welcome centre when you arrive, get your gear loaded, and get on the water. From the marina, you paddle west into Wanapitei Bay, a broad open stretch of water that connects the marina to the rest of the delta. It’s exposed to wind, and on a busy summer weekend you’ll share it with motorboats from the surrounding cottages. Neither of those things lasts.
Three kilometres gets you to your Night 1 site. That’s by design: the first day is about getting your bearings, setting up camp properly, and studying the map for Day 2. Look at where the Canoe Channel heads south, where the Elbow sits, and where the Dalles portage lands relative to your intended Georgian Bay camp. Day 2 is the biggest day on the trip and you want to start it with a clear picture of the route.
Day 2: Wanapitei Bay to Georgian Bay
The biggest day on the route. Sixteen kilometres, the main portage, and Georgian Bay at the end of it.
16km paddle 300m portage
From your Wanapitei Bay camp, you head south through the Canoe Channel toward the Elbow. The channel forks repeatedly, islands break your sightlines, and it’s easy to drift off your intended line without noticing. Keep your map out and confirm your position at each split. Your target is the Elbow, where the main channel bends west toward Dalles Rapids.
From there, it’s a few more kilometres of paddling to the rapids. You’ll see the Little Dalles first, a smaller set that some paddlers run depending on conditions. The main Dalles follow shortly after. Take the 300-metre portage on river right. It’s well-worn and well-signed. At the trailhead you’ll find the rusting remains of an Alligator boat, a steam-powered log-hauler used during the French River logging era. Worth a minute before you start moving gear.
One thing the portage trail map clearly shows: there is significant poison ivy along the Dalles portage trail and at the campsite near the put-in below the rapids. Stay on the established trail, wear long pants, and check your arms and ankles after the carry.
Below the rapids the river opens up and flattens out. You’ll pass the old French River village site and the ruins of a historic lighthouse as you approach the bay. Then Georgian Bay opens up in front of you, and the scale of it is a nice surprise after a day of channels. There are a number of sites at the top of the Bay that make a great camp. Note that bay campsites can fill quickly in peak season.
Day 3: Georgian Bay to the Elbow
A short day with two easy carries.
7.03km paddle 50m portage
Your exit from Georgian Bay is via Bass Creek, a narrow channel that heads north back into the interior. Finding the Bass Creek entrance from the open bay requires a bit of hunting; it is not obvious until you’re close. Slow down and look for the portage sign on the north shore.
The first carry is 40 metres with some uphill on loose rock underfoot. It’s not hard, but it’s not flat either. Take your time with the footing, especially if it’s wet. This portage puts you into a small unnamed lake edged with lily pads, one of the quieter and prettier spots on the whole route. A beautiful short paddle up a rocky channel leads to the second carry: 10 metres, basically a lift-over, nothing more. From there it’s Bass Lake and then a straight run north to the Elbow.
We recommend camping at a site within the Elbow. The Elbow sits where the Main Outlet meets the Eastern Outlet, and it’s the busiest part of the route by boat traffic. But it’s also centrally positioned for one of the better optional paddles on the trip.
Day 4: The Elbow to Hartley Bay Marina
The loop closes. No portages, and usually a tailwind home.
12.14km paddle 0m portage
The last day closes the loop. From the Elbow you head north up the Main Outlet, back through Wanapitei Bay, and east to Hartley Bay Marina. No portages, no complex navigation. The prevailing wind typically runs from the southwest, which puts you on a tailwind most of the way home. A 12-kilometre day with the wind at your back goes quickly.
There’s no reason to rush. Stop at anything you missed on the way out: a channel you didn’t explore, the Alligator ruins if you want another look, a flat rock somewhere on Wanapitei Bay if the morning light is worth sitting in. The marina will still be there.
Portage breakdown for the French River figure-8 loop
Three portages, all pretty manageable for a standard group of four carrying a reasonable amount of gear. With so little portaging overall, it’s also a great route if you want to bring along a few extra comforts without making the trip noticeably harder.
| Portage | Distance | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalles Rapids | 300 m | Moderate | River right. Well-worn and clearly signed. Relatively flat with good footing. Alligator boat ruins at the trailhead. Heavy poison ivy along the trail and at the campsite near the put-in; stay on the path and wear long pants. The rapids are Class I–II at typical water levels and some paddlers choose to run them, but the portage trail is easy enough that there is no good reason to unless you are confident in moving water. |
| Bass Creek upper | 40 m | Easy | Short but uphill, with loose rock underfoot. Unload the canoe before lifting it over. Puts you into a small rocky channel; one of the prettier spots on the route. |
| Bass Creek lower | 10 m | Easy | A lift-over connecting the channel to Bass Lake. No real difficulty. |
Where to camp on the French River figure-8 loop
Since the 2025 season, French River Provincial Park uses a site-specific reservation system. You pick your numbered campsite for each night when you book online. No more zone reservations and hoping something good is still open when you arrive.
Night 1: Wanapitei Bay
The Wanapitei Bay campsites sit on a busy stretch of water that sees both paddler and motorboat traffic. They’re well-positioned for the Day 2 push south, but they’re not the most memorable sites on the route. Look for elevated rocky points when selecting your site. Higher ground means better wind exposure and fewer bugs. The site we used on Night 1 works well and offers good sightlines across the bay.
Night 2: Georgian Bay
There are only five designated campsites on the Georgian Bay section of the figure-8 loop, so your options are limited by design. The environment here is different from anywhere else on the route: open Precambrian rock, windswept pines, wide sky, and the sound of the bay instead of the quiet of the river channels. It feels more remote than it is, and that’s part of what makes it the highlight night of the trip for most groups.
The bay sites are not well suited to a weather layover. Plan around the weather and aim to arrive in early afternoon before the wind builds.
We stayed at a large island site that was private, well protected, and caught a dead-calm night. The views looking south over the open bay that evening were worth every kilometre of Day 2.
Night 3: The Elbow
The Elbow is the central hub of the delta, where the Main Outlet and Eastern Outlet meet. Campsites in this area sit on the rocky shoreline and are well spread out through the channel network. Most have firepits and thunderboxes. Expect more boat and paddler traffic here than anywhere else on the route; it is the junction that everyone passes through.
That said, the location is excellent. The channels around the Elbow are worth a few hours of unloaded exploring in the afternoon, even if you have already paddled through them on the way south. We stayed at a site that gave us good access to the water and a quiet enough night for a Saturday in September.
Picking the Best Backcountry Site
On the French River, the best sites are on elevated rocky points with good wind exposure off the water. Higher ground means fewer bugs and better sightlines. Avoid low-lying sites near marshy inlets; they’re damp and the horse flies are brutal in summer. On Georgian Bay, prioritise sites tucked behind island cover over anything open to the southwest. Read our full guide to picking the perfect backcountry campsite →
Hartley Bay Marina: access, parking, and rentals for the figure-8 loop
Hartley Bay Marina is your access point for the figure-8 loop. The Palmer family has been running it since 1952 and the staff are helpful with route planning, conditions, and gear. They carry a selection of canoes available for rent, including Nova Craft Kevlar and ABS models, all supplied with paddles, PFDs, and a safety kit. Canoe rentals must be reserved in advance. Parking is paid and required; this is a private marina, not a provincial facility, so budget for it separately from your Ontario Parks permit.
| Canoe rentals | Available; must be reserved in advance. Call 705-857-2038 or email hartleybaymarina@gmail.com |
|---|---|
| Barrel rentals | Available and recommended if you don’t have your own |
| Parking | Paid parking required. Hartley Bay is a private marina; fees are separate from your Ontario Parks permit. Confirm current rates at hartleybaymarina.com before your trip. |
| Permit purchase | Online only at reservations.ontarioparks.ca before your trip. Not sold at the marina. |
| Marina website | hartleybaymarina.com |
| Location | Hartley Bay Road off Highway 69; approx. 15 km (30 min) from the highway |
Hartley Bay is a private operation inside the park boundary. Parking and launching fees are set by the marina and are separate from your Ontario Parks backcountry permit. Confirm current rates directly with the marina before your trip.
Planning tips for the French River figure-8 portage loop
Direction of travel
The French River has virtually no current, so you can paddle the figure-8 either way without it making a difference on the water. The route described here goes south via the Main Outlet first, returning north via Bass Creek. One reason to favour this direction: the Dalles Rapids can only be run heading downstream, so if running them is something your group wants to try, this is the way to go.
Wind is what the French River is about
The prevailing wind blows from the southwest off Georgian Bay and funnels up the delta waterways. Paddling south toward the bay in the morning is usually fine. Paddling south in the afternoon can be a grind.
Get a proper map
The official French River Provincial Park map is a great addition. Without it the delta channels can be disorienting. Don’t solely rely on a phone app as your only navigation tool: channels split and merge constantly, and you need to be able to cross-reference your position at a glance.
Poison ivy
The Dalles Rapids portage has one of the more concentrated patches of poison ivy on the route. It’s on the trail itself and at the campsite below the rapids. Wear long pants, stay on the path, and check yourself afterward. If you’re someone who reacts strongly, bring a skin barrier cream and know the early wash-off protocol.
Food storage
Bears are active in the French River area, flagged regularly around The Elbow and Dalles Rapids. The marina recommends barrel packs and they’re right. At minimum, hang your food. Rodents can be present, so don’t leave your pack unattended on the ground overnight.
Go in September if you can
The deer flies and horse flies that make July miserable are gone after Labour Day. Motorboat traffic drops off significantly. Water temperatures are still swimmable after a long day. The delta in late September light, with the rock colours and the absence of crowds, is a different and better experience than peak summer.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the French River figure-8 canoe loop?
The French River figure-8 loop is 38 to 40 kilometres of paddling depending on which channels you take through the delta. Most groups complete it in three to four days. The four-day version described in this guide covers 38.3 kilometres of paddling with 350 metres of portaging across three carries.
Is the French River figure-8 loop good for beginner paddlers?
It can be, with some caveats. The portages are short and easy, and the daily distances are manageable. But the delta navigation can be challenging if you’re new to map reading. Georgian Bay also requires more caution and judgment than a typical Ontario river or lake. A beginner who is a confident navigator and comfortable paddling in open water with wind can handle this route. A complete first-timer paddling solo would be better served doing something simpler first.
Do you need a permit to canoe the French River figure-8 loop?
Yes. A backcountry camping permit from Ontario Parks is required for all overnight paddling in French River Provincial Park. Since 2025 these are site-specific reservations booked in advance at reservations.ontarioparks.ca. Reservations open five months before your arrival date. Permits are not sold in person at Hartley Bay Marina.
Can you run Dalles Rapids or do you have to portage?
Some paddlers run the Dalles, and in lower water conditions (typical late summer and fall) they’re often manageable for experienced paddlers. At higher water levels they can be more advanced. The 300-metre portage trail on river right is easy and well-signed, so most groups portage regardless of conditions. If you’re considering running: scout from shore first, know your ability level honestly, and don’t let anyone else’s comfort level override your own judgment.
What is the best time of year to paddle the French River figure-8 loop?
Late September is the best overall window: no bugs, minimal motorboat traffic, swimmable water, and the delta at its quietest. May and early June are also excellent for solitude, though blackflies can be bad. July and August are the warmest but also the most crowded, buggiest, and most competitive for campsites. If you’re going in peak season, book as soon as the five-month reservation window opens.
Are there bears on the French River figure-8 loop?
Yes. Bears are active throughout the park and the figure-8 route sees activity around the Dalles Rapids and the Elbow in particular. Hang your food or use a barrel every night. Hartley Bay Marina rents barrels if you don’t have your own.
