Modern Travel - Exploring 2 Northern Ontario lighthouses by kayak

Photos by Clayton Seams & Jay Kana

Ontario has a rich history of light houses and while the majority of them can be enjoyed on land, there are a few that are only accessible via water.
Sure, Clayton and I could’ve taken a power boat but as a frequent traveller, the journey holds as much weight as the destination.
A quick background before we dive in…jump in…kayak in!

Clayton Seams is a lighthouse aficionado who’s on a quest to see all 146 of Ontario’s classic lighthouses. He’s been to 60 (nearly half!) of Ontario’s lighthouses so far since he started this journey in 2020. He invited me to join him to see these two lighthouses as he and I are both avid kayakers, we get along quite well (which helps when it’s an 800 km round trip voyage) and it’s summer, so we should spend as much time outdoors as possible.
(How’s that for a massive run-on sentence!)

Shoutout to Mazda Canada for having the all-new 2023 CX-50 crossover be our chariot, which easily accommodated our kayaks being strapped to the roof, provided a comfortable cabin and enjoyable driving experience on our tour.
And with that…

Our first stop was to Lighthouse Shoal Lighthouse on Lake Rosseau, Muskoka, about 250 km north of Mississauga in, you guessed it, Rosseau, Ontario.
We parked at the Rosseau Waterfront Park, unstrapped our kayaks, and did the 30-second walk to the waterfront with our kayaks. The park has a playground, dock, water fountain, bottle filler, and bathrooms, so it makes for an ideal launching location. 

You can launch from the water’s edge or from a pier - we opted for the beach as it’s what’s comfortable for us and there’s a lower risk of tipping.

It’s approximately a one kilometre paddle southbound to reach the seawashed lighthouse and as we were sheltered by the bay and had calm waters, the paddle was quite easy, enjoyable and we rank it as something a beginner kayaker can do.
It’s a 10-minute paddle if you’re going at a moderate pace but with it being so close to shore, feel free to take your time and enjoy the scenery and serenity of being on the water.
The lighthouse itself is well maintained that had cormorants on the top of it. 

Though its official name is Lighthouse Shoal Lighthouse, the light tower is locally known as simply Rosseau Lighthouse. It was built in 1890 on top of a dangerous rock shoal that ships navigating to and from the town of Rosseau had to avoid. The small tower is too small to house anyone so the keeper resided on land and rowed out to the lighthouse daily to tend to it. The lighthouse was treated to a $25,000 restoration in 2013 and today it remains in excellent condition.

Once back on land, we did the short drive to the Rosseau General Store for some mighty fine Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream as a well-earned reward for our adventure. 

Afterward, we drove 90 minutes north to North Bay to spend the night and departed early the next morning for our next adventure to the Southeast Bay Lighthouse on Lake Nipissing.

We parked at Centennial Park in Callander, which has ample parking and you can launch from the boat ramp (we did) or via pier.
The passage was challenging compared to the aforementioned route due to some light waves and we’d strongly suggest you’re at least an intermediate kayaker before embarking on this.
It’s 5.15 km if you go straight across but if you want some shelter, hug the shoreline, which lifts your travels to 6.4 km one way. 

We shifted between medium and slow speeds across the water as there was no rush, and it took us about 90 minutes to get there with the winds against us.
Always, always, always be safe on the water and have a personal flotation device, whistle, tow rope and bilge pump with you. Go at the speed that your comfortable with and kayak with someone who’s at least the same skill level as you.

We had lunch on an unnamed island, which is now unofficially called “Jayton Island” admired our surroundings, used the washroom facilities, and then paddled for a few minutes toward Southeast Bay Lighthouse.
Lake Nipissing was once a hub of logging activity and several lighthouses were built to guide the logging steamers around the lake. Today this one, Southeast Bay Lighthouse, is the last one surviving on the lake. The 6.4m tower is still an active aid to navigation and helps guide boats through the narrow channel into Callander Bay. 

Our voyage back to land was a touch over an hour with the wind behind us as we moved at a solid pace and once docked, it was an easy 30 second walk to the car to safely and securely mount our kayaks to the roof.
In the GTA, there are numerous places to kayak that aren’t hundreds of kilometres away but if you’re looking to explore and experience more of Ontario’s northern region, these two lighthouse excursions are an excellent way to do that.