Wilderness Tripping
Since 2001
Millhaven Creek
Millhaven Creek flows from Sydenham Lake to Lake Ontario. Many cross it at Murvale at highway 38 but everyone crosses it on the 401 at Odessa, but few paddle it. The creek calls!
Millhaven Creek is a fun spring run from Odessa to Millhaven in high water. At 6cms, the current never stops! There is a park in Odessa on the north side of Main St. to put in. Parking in Millhaven can be a trick. 2019 we parked in the waiting area at the ferry.
In high water this is a ~12km float through trip, but with sweepers, shallows and some other human obstacles along the way, some decent paddling skills are required. Don't be intimadated, just take your time and scout.
There were a number of historic old sites along the run, but many have been scanvanged over time. Creation is growning as human artifacts disappear. But there are some new architechiture projects that have re-perposed old foundations.
12km of untravelled river creates many opportunities to see wildlife. We saw beaver, muskrat, and lots of birds! Keep your camera handy!
Paddler Facts
River Rating: Beginner + (there are some dangers at the end)
Rapid Rating: Beginner but some intermediate technical skills required to identify risks.
Paddling timelines:
A to B - 1.5 hrs
B to C - 1.5 hrs
Shuttle times -15 minutes (A to C)
Points of Interest
This is a day commitment. There are some fun spots, but it is a creek flowing over limestone.... not a lot of places to play.
There are a number of relics of past mills that are exclusive to paddlers or local kids exploring. Many of these relics are disappearing. Some relics have disappeared, and new constructions installed in the last 10 years.
The last drops on the river are interesting. There is a house on at the last waterfall and you have to portage through the owners deck. This not been an issue, but will continue to be an unknown.
Water Levels
Links for water gauges can be as fluid as the river. One can play with the timeframes on the links below. Sydenham is dam controlled, but CtyRd4 is free river.
Environment Canada Millhaven Gauge @ Cty Rd4 (02HM006) -
Environment Canada Sydenham Gauge @ Sydenham (02HM011)
