Kayak Jordan Harbour
Wondering what to expect when you kayak Jordan Harbour? While it has a history as a commercial fishery harbour, it is now shallow and not open to motorized boat traffic, making it a great spot to kayak. We’ve have been to kayak Jordan Harbour many times because it’s the kind of spot where it’s hard to get bored – there are so many little corners and channels to explore.
A derelict pirate ship, combined with a large lake, train bridge and wetlands make Jordan Harbour a great spot to spend a day exploring! This spot offers lots of variety for paddlers of all ages and capabilities.
Read on for more about kayaking at Jordan Harbour, or visit our Where to Paddle page for links to more great kayaking destinations in Southern Ontario and beyond.
Our Recommended Trip
Put In / Take Out: Jordan Harbour Conservation Area, 4579 Twenty-First St, Vineland Station, ON. L0R 2E0
There is a small dock, and launching from the shore is also possible.
Trip Length: 3-5 hours, approximately 11 km around the perimeter. You can cover as much or as little of the harbour as you wish when you kayak Jordan Harbour.
Cost: There were no admission or launch fees.
Degree of Difficulty: Beginner (except for the Pirate Ship! You must venture onto Lake Ontario to access the shipwreck. Kayaking on a Great Lake is very different than a small body of water. Please read more below in the Gear Recommendations section and use caution if you decide to explore this feature of Jordan Harbour.)
Gear Recommendations
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.
You should always consider the conditions on the water, your capabilities, and your kayak before deciding whether to venture onto the Great Lakes. To access the abandoned ship, you need to kayak across a portion of Lake Ontario and enter into an operating marina that can be busy. Choppy conditions, heavy marine traffic, or low visibility are all factors to consider. If you have any doubts, it’s better to be safe and save the ship for another day.
A Pirate Ship
You may see me refer to the abandoned ship as a pirate ship, but that’s only because that’s what our family affectionately calls it. Of course, any kid who sees a rickety black ship would imagine it a pirate ship, and my kids (and even us adults!) are no different. This ship has no doubt inspired dreams and fairy tales for kids for years!
Not to spoil it for you, this “pirate ship” was never a pirate ship. She had an interesting life, starting out in 1914 as a steam ferry in Trois-Rivieres, and later being converted into a replica of one of the 3 tall ships that Jacque Cartier used to explore the St. Lawrence River in 1535. Eventually “La Grande Hermine” came to Jordan Harbour in 1997. The owner died before the ship could be restored, and it has sat at Jordan Harbour ever since. If you’re interested, check out a few of the articles I found about it in the Suggested Reading section below for some more details about the history of this unique landmark.
Access to the ship wreck is only possible by crossing a section of Lake Ontario and entering into a marina. As mentioned above, you should always consider the conditions on the water, your capabilities, and your kayak before deciding whether to venture onto the Great Lakes. To access the derelict ship, you need to kayak across a portion of Lake Ontario and enter into a marina that can be busy. Use caution!
Venturing Into the Marsh
Jordan Harbour is located in the Twenty Valley watershed, at the entry of Twenty Mile Creek to Lake Ontario. The creek is 20 miles west of the Niagara River. The area around Twenty Creek was settled around 1780, and the creek was used to power mills. Further up Twenty Mile Creek, at the top of the escarpment, is Ball’s Falls, now a conservation area and popular hiking spot, which was once home to a mill owned and operated by the Ball family.
The marsh is considered a provincially significant coastal wetland, and is one of the largest remaining wetlands in the Niagara Region. The Harbour is about a kilometre wide, and is bordered to the North by the QEW Highway, and to the east by cottages and homes. To the south, you can venture beyond the train bridge and enter into the wetlands. Here, open corridors flow through cattail marshes and around small islands, providing lots of shoreline to explore. You can follow the Western corridor back all the way past a small farm and right up to Jordan Valley Campground. This privately operated campground has signs posted to keep paddlers off of their property. While this is understandable, we think that they might be better off to set up an ice-cream stand open to the public – it would definitely have been a welcome treat mid paddle!
The marsh is home to many species of birds. When we went to kayak Jordan Harbour, we saw a family of mute swans, as well as red winged black birds, cliff and bank swallows, belted kingfishers, great blue herons, and several kinds of ducks. We also spied a beaver dam, frogs, and lots and lots of turtles. We also saw many people fishing, and the harbour is supposed to be a good spot to catch fish.
Niagara Rowing Club
When we went to kayak Jordan Harbour in 2020, the Niagara Rowing Club was largely shut down because of COVID-19. We have, however, been warned that the harbour can be quite busy with rowers practicing, so you should take care when launching and paddling to stay clear of their boats.
A water lily and a cattail. We tend to follow the Leave No Trace principles, but this boy does love to collect rocks, sticks, and the odd bit of vegetation.
Additional Reading
La Grande Hermine
Clifton Hill Blog – La Grande Hermine
Outfitter Options
Rentals are available from Niagara Rowing School.
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.
