Kayak the Speed River: Guelph to Cambridge, ON
Wondering what to expect when you kayak the Speed River? This tributary of the Grand River runs from Guelph to Cambridge. Read on to find out more about this kayaking trip.
This trip is best suited to paddling in the Spring before the water levels on the Speed get too low. When we went to kayak the Speed River in May 2024, there were already many shallow spots where we had to get out and move our kayaks off of the gravelly bars they got caught up on.
Our Recommended Trip
Put in: We launched at a public launch at the base of the Royal Recreational Trail (43.527099, -80.258702), parking in a quiet cul-de-sac at the end of Municipal Street.
Take out: Hespler Mill Pond Access parking lot, with a dock and parking lot located at 95-61 Spring St, Cambridge, ON N3C 2A5 (43.4333198, -80.308434). There is an alternate take-out at Blackbridge Canoe Launch (43.451392, -80.298799) at the top end of the Hespler Pond. This shaves a bit of paddling off the trip (11.7 km to this take-out) but we found that this location was very busy, so it was harder to secure a parking spot here. The lot was also not well set up for trailers, so we opted for Hespler Pond the second time we did this trip.
Shuttle Required: Like most river routes, this stretch of the Speed River requires a shuttle as you are unable to paddle back upstream. You’ll need to arrange to leave a car or bike at the put in and at the end. We left a car in Cambridge, then took our trailer up to the launch point in Guelph to begin our paddle. When we finished the trip, we took the car to pick up our trailer and then we loaded the kayaks on the trailer.
Trip Length: 14 km (approximately 3 hours).
Cost: There were no admission or launch fees.
Degree of Difficulty: Intermediate. There were a couple of swift moving spots and one small weir shortly after launching that you will need to cross over that add a bit of complexity. There are many shallow sections which may require you to get out of your kayak so you need to be able to re-board in moving water quickly. Please read more below in Gear Recommendations section and take care if you decide to paddle this section of the Speed.
Recommended Gear
Life jackets and all Transport Canada required safety gear are always a must. Sunscreen and sun hats are definitely recommended when you’re on the water.
Be sure to dress for the water temperatures, not the air temperatures, when paddling in the early spring. Immersion, even for short periods, can be dangerous. A change of dry clothes in a dry bag is a good extra to bring along right in your kayak.
A throw rope and extra paddle are always recommended for paddling on moving rivers.
Kayak the Speed River: Launching in Guelph
We headed out to paddle the Speed on a quiet Saturday on the May Long weekend 2024. The Royal Recreational Trail was busy with hikers, but the Speed River was quiet. (We didn’t meet another paddler until we were almost at Blackbridge in Hespler.) There had been a bit of rain and heat during the week, and everything was green and fresh after a late and cool spring.
Even with the recent rain, there were definitely sections of the river that were low, and in several cases we had to get out to pull our boats over sand or gravel bars that we got hung up on as we came around corners.
We launched just below the overpasses for Highway 6 North, heading left to go downstream. Soon after, we encountered an old wier. With lower water levels, we might have had to lift our boats over, but we were all able to paddle over it, keeping to the right. This is a spot to be careful – if you’re uncomfortable, you can easily work your way to the shore and walk past this spot. We also encountered a few small swifts, but overall the current was gentle through most stretches of the river.
Having just kayaked the Humber the previous weekend and noticing how clean it was, it was disappointing to see the stretch of the Speed in Guelph littered with a lot of garbage. As we left the city limits of Guelph behind and hit m the country, we found that the river got cleaner as we went.
Blackbridge
As we approached the north end of Cambridge, we came to the iconic Balckbridge in Cambridge. As you pass Blackbridge, you are entering into a marshier area known as Hespler Mill Pond. This marsh is formed by a dam to the south of the exit we took, which has slowed the Speed down.
Kayak the Speed River: Hespler Pond
Along the entire paddle, we spied the usual Canada geese with their goslings, ducks (not yet with any ducklings), a couple of blue heron, a king fisher, and a couple of green herons. The birds really picked up as we headed into the marshier Hespler Mill Pond just south of Black Bridge, where we also spotted (surprisingly!) a pair of sandhill cranes. These birds migrate from their winter grounds in the US up to the Hudson-James Bay region of Ontario, and were likely just stopping over, though nesting seems to be spreading further south too. The birds are huge: tall, grey bodies, with white faces and crimson coloured caps. Sometimes their bodies look rusty brown, as was the case with the ones we saw. They make a distinctive bugling call, which alerted us to their presence. The marshes were too shallow and muddy for me to get a photo, though I was able to pick them out clearly on my binoculars.
We came down the marsh keeping to the left, as the right side is very shallow and muddy, even in early spring. Great habitat for shore-birds, but awfully difficult for kayakers!
The exit at Hespler Pond was on the left at a public dock. With low water levels, it was nice to have help stabilizing the boats as we climbed out.
We sent a car up with a driver to bring back the trailer and then we loaded up to go home.
Additional Reading
The Record article about the efforts to restore the health of the Speed River.
More Kayaking Destinations
For more trip planning inspiration, don’t miss our Where to Paddle page for links to more great kayaking destinations in Southern Ontario and beyond.
