Fish Eagle Over the Grand River (Osprey)
The zip lines at Long Point are less then 2 hours west of Toronto on Lake Erie, while rafting is 1 hour west of Toronto on the Grand River. Both adventures offer a learning experience from "thrill & splash" to "plants and wildlife". Visitors can choose to spend a day or weekend in this wilderness setting.
At Long Point there is more then zip lines. There are canopy suspended bridges, climbing walls and an astronomy observatory for star gazing. The view overlooking the marshes of Lake Erie is beautiful. There are elevated boardwalks along the edge of the marsh allowing visitors to get closer for bird watching. This Long Point area also has walking and hybrid-cycling trails running through the acres of reforested pine plantations.
Visitors can now rent canoes to paddle the Long Point area. But even better, visitors can explore the nearby Big Creek. This creek is narrow but deep, winding under a canopy of trees. When paddling there are many short portages of fallen trees… but this trip is like going through the Canadian Amazon jungle. The best time to paddle Big Creek is in the spring or fall when the deer flies are gone… otherwise wear long sleeves and pants... armed with insect repellent!
Forty five minutes away from the Long Point zip lines, is the opportunity to raft, canoe, kayak, cycle and hike the beautiful wilderness of the Grand River Valley. A complete contrast to the Great Lakes. This valley has the largest array of plants wildlife and fish in Canada. The Grand River’s width makes it insect-free all season.
Rafting the Grand River is a Huck Finn adventure. The rafts don’t tip. They can accommodate people of all sizes, weights and ages, great for non-swimmers!
In this area is the Rail Trail for cycling and hiking along the Grand. There are night paddles to learn the star constellations…
If choosing a weekend venue, there are a number of accommodations in the areas. Visitors can rent secluded campsites along the Grand River or tent at the Provincial Parks on Lake Erie. The river rafting area has a larger selection of hotels with bed & breakfasts… but there are hotels twenty minutes from the Long Point zip lines. As for restaurants and eateries, there are many. There is the award winning Camp 31 smoked ribs on the Grand, to platters of fresh perch on Lake Erie. Here is the link of things to do in the area: http://grandriverrafting.ca/
So whether a weekend or days adventure… the zip lines of Long Point and the rafting of the Grand River… offer another experience in Southern Ontario!
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
