Twenty Mile Creek

Vitals

Locale: Lincoln, Ontario
What It's Like: Continuous whitewater, complete with a 30 foot and a 100 foot waterfall.
Class: III-V
Scouting/Portaging: Easy.
Level: 6.2 to 6.6 on this gauge.
Time: 1 to 4 hours, depending on scouting/safety and the wood situation.
When To Go: January through March after a thaw or any time after heavy rain.
Info From: December 2010.
Other Beta: None.
Map: Click here for a map of the shuttle.

Description

This page was last updated in December 2010 and it is not regularly maintained. Information may be inaccurate.

Contributed by Geoff Boyd.

In the heart of Niagara Wine Country, Twenty Mile Creek boasts one of the best sections of river I have paddled in Ontario (if not further). I can't believe it has been sitting right under our noses for so long. Logistically, you can't ask for anything easier. The put-in and take out parking are both 50 feet from the banks of the river, and the shuttle is 6 minutes between the two. The put-in is located on 7th Ave, just east of Victoria Ave, with ample parking on the side of the road. The take out is in a park just off King St by Butterball's Restaurant.

Putting on surrounded by farmers fields may have you wondering why you bothered suiting up, but after a couple hundred meters of easy moving water you come to the first major falls on this stretch, Upper Balls Falls. UBF is a very clean 30 ft falls with a deep pool at the bottom. Take out on the left. There are some great vantage points to scout out your line and set up the cameras. It is easy enough to scramble down to the bottom to set safety, or portage if you aren't feeling up to it. When you are ready, line it up and plug it good (as this author can attest, landing flat may be hazardous to your health).

Following UBF, you are treated to about a km of great class II-III fun. When you see bridges crossing the river, look to take out on the right. Walk through the park, across the road and hop the fence just to the right of the lookout for Balls Falls. Take a good look at this impressive 100 ft waterfall (which is both 100 ft wide, and 100 ft tall), vow one day, maybe, possibly, you might think about entertaining the thought of running it and hike down the path to the gorge below.

Once in the gorge the fun keeps rolling with some more class II-III continuous whitewater. Round a bend to the left, round a bend to the right, and look to eddy out on the right, as you are now at the steepest section of the run dubbed The Causeway. The Causeway has 6-7 small drops in quick succession, complete with a big tree trunk, some nice undercuts, a nasty looking sieve, and some sticky looking holes, all coming around a blind corner. There are multiple channels to choose on some of the drops, so pick your lines and keep your head up. Definitely a recommended spot to set safety.

Once you are through The Causeway, it is more classic falling-down-the-escarpment class III fun. Cross under the bridge and take out anywhere on the right. Get changed, high five your friends and go grab a bowl of soup at the restaurant to warm up. If time permits go do it again, or head off to some of the other great escarpment runs nearby.