Rafting Trips 1 Hour West of Toronto, A Great Idea for Red Hats

Just outside of Toronto, the Red Hat Societies can enjoy a day of leisure rafting on the beautiful Grand River. Each raft holds up to 7 people plus a teaching guide. These rafts allow women regardless of age or size to participate in drifting down the river in safety and in comfort.

The rafts are easy to get into… some walk in, some flop in… there is no raft etiquette. When on the water people can stand up in the rafts and change places. The inflated air seats are comfortable. But the fact that the rafts don’t tip is the greatest comfort to the non-swimmer.

The Grand River averages 3 feet in depth with six foot deep pools and the moving water is not fast. But meanders through a landscape of beauty. There are small rapids which the big boats simply float over with ease. Skill of paddling is not a concern because the guide steers the boat from the back.

As the group drifts down the valley, the guides stop for short walks to teach on different types of plants/trees, wildlife and First Nation’s history. There is the opportunity to drink cold spring water, visit an old mine and see a Blue Heron rookery. Many groups stop for a lunch at a lookout or a campfire cookout along the way. On a hot summer day, women can slip out of the rafts to float down the river in their life jackets. Even non swimmers want to do this.

Groups really enjoy the community effect of being together in a raft. Sitting together provides ease of talking and hearing. There is the uniqueness of experiencing together, when spotting wildlife or drifting into a panoramic scene.

There is also the discovery of playing together… when an evil raft starts to splash, the child within everyone suddenly returns. Sometimes it is hard to tell the evil rafts from the good rafts.

Being surrounded by nature, refreshes the spirit. It is a Huck Fin moment. There is the blue sky... towering greenery… the stillness of moving water… a landscape that changes at every bend. This new found world always leaves its footprint within.

When the 3-4 hour trips end, the group is shuttled back by taxi or bus to their vehicles at the starting point. Everyone is amazed at how fast the day went.

Being parked near Paris allows the opportunity for boutique shopping, riverside cafés and fine dining. If wishing overnight accommodations, there is the nearby Hampton Inn or Best Western, plus a selection of Bed & Breakfasts. Paris is a hidden Niagara-On-the-Lake... people marvel at how beautiful it is.

For many Red Hats, rafting is a first time event… approached with apprehension. But when the shore is touched… the paddle laid down… the Red Hats know they're coming back again!

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Nearby 3-4 hr day rafting trips for Red Hats