Grand River
Kayak spot · Canada
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
81Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 2 kn gusting 8, Air 11 °C
Tue 3 · 74 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0.4 mm
Wed 4 · 83 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0.1 mm
Thu 5 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 11kntoo gusty
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0.4 mm
Fri 6 · 87 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Sat 7 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 5.1 mm
Sun 8 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 2.1 mm
Mon 9 · 65 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 16kntoo gusty
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 292, good
- Tue 374, good
- Wed 483, good
- Thu 578, good
- Fri 687, good
- Sat 785, good
- Sun 875, good
- Mon 965, good
- Tue 1030, poor
- Wed 1155, fair
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- Best Jun–Sep7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 92, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 74, good | 8 kn | 17kn | 19°C | 0.4 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 83, good | 5 kn | 8kn | 20°C | 0.1 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 78, good | 3 kn | 11kntoo gusty | 15°C | 0.4 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 87, good | 2 kn | 8kn | 11°C | 0.9 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 85, good | 2 kn | 5kn | 11°C | 5.1 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 75, good | 3 kn | 7kn | 11°C | 2.1 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 65, good | 6 kn | 16kntoo gusty | 11°C | 0.9 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 30, poor | 7 kn | 15kntoo gusty | 9°C | 0.9 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 55, fair | 7 kn | 15kntoo gusty | 6°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. The river's level is under In the water. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jun–Sep
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
Grand River on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
3 places
- Kaufman's Flats 3.6 km away
- River Access 5.4 km away
- Grand River 6.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Grand River
A launch on the Grand River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. None within 10 km, the nearest 14 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Waterloo. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.
- River Grand River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 14 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,070–US$1,950 each
about US$1,070–US$1,950 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to YYZ, estimated from distance and season, 5 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$134–US$275 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$134–US$228 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$315–US$523 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$309–US$577 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$181–US$342 |
| Total | about US$1,070–US$1,950 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Waterloo
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 15 min by car · 23 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Waterloo its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$121 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 6h 35m
About 6h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → YYZ, direct, then 1h 35m by road
Flights ORD → YYZ on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Waterloo · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Waterloo · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at GRAND RIVER AT WEST MONTROSE, 9 km upstream: 3.26 m³/s, low for November (updated 3 h ago). Low.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River levels in Canada: Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada. Credits
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Canoeing the Grand 14 km
Speed River Paddling 20 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits