5 Star Reviews on Google
Years in the park
30+
200+
The whole park.
Just your people.
Custom backcountry canoe journeys designed entirely around your group. Your dates, your route, your pace. No strangers, no compromise. We build the trip around what you're actually there for.
Custom trip outline to you within 48 hours
★★★★★ on Trip Advisor · 60+ trips guided
"No cell phone. Just nature and amazing people connecting. It was a truly eye-opening experience." — Dominik M.
Every Detail Built Around Your Group.
Why Go Private
Private trips – for when you know exactly who you want in the canoe next to you.
We work around your schedule. School holidays, long weekends, specific anniversaries — we build the trip around your calendar, not ours.
Your Dates
CK designs a route matched to your group's experience level, goals, and what you want to feel by the end. Not a template — a plan built from scratch.
Route Designed For You
No strangers joining your trip. The campfires, the conversations, the vulnerable moments — all yours. Private means private.
Your Group Only
Celebrating something? Rebuilding something? Proving something? Tell us what you're there for and the entire trip is designed around that intention.
Shaped Around Your Goal
Dietary restrictions, preferences, and the occasional celebratory meal built in from day one. Better backcountry food than most restaurants.
Custom Meal Plans
Before, during, after. Questions in the weeks leading up, changes on the fly, debrief when you're home. We're not a booking platform. We're your guides.
You have CK’s number
★ 5.0
200+ Google reviews
100%
recommend on Facebook
2018
founded · still family-run
3-14+
day trips available
15+
max group size guided
Private trips are perfect when the group matters as much as the trip.
Find your trip
Anniversary, proposal, or just the two of you and a backcountry lake at sunrise. Some of our favourite trips we've ever run have been for two people who just needed to get away.
Couples
Routes built around your youngest paddler. Ages 6+. WFR-certified guides. Child-sized PFDs. Parents consistently tell us this was the trip their kids talked about for years.
Families
Off-grid leadership retreats for teams up to 12. What happens on a 4-day portage trip changes how teams operate for months after. More effective than any workshop we've seen.
Corporate teams
Bachelor trips. Milestone birthdays. Reunions for people who haven't been in the same place in years. A trip that gives you stories for the next decade.
Friend groups
What private guests say
★★★★★
“Don’t let fear be the thing that holds you back. I came away from this trip realizing I needed to shift my “mama bear” instinct - from expecting the worst to embracing life fully and getting out there with my boys.”
– Daisy M.
Private Family Trip 2022-2025
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"We reveled in the tranquility of our surroundings, feeling disconnected from the world yet more connected to ourselves. The absence of city noise and light pollution allowed for the most restful sleep we'd experienced in ages."
Tracy Lau, Couples Trip 2024
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"I came out of the bush with a new outlook on life and clear mind and vision. The bonds I've formed are stronger than anything I've ever known. CK and the folks at Driftwood have a special gift."
Chris Eaton, Men’s Trip 2023-2025
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"Watching our children embrace Mother Nature with feelings of safeness and curiosity was a joy to watch, as they took part in paddling, building a fire and taking leaps of faith jumping into the crisp clean lake."
Harman K, Family Trip 2022
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“Definitely give this place a try because their staff is incredibly caring and talented! I will never forget my trip there and I hope there will be more to come! Thank you so much Driftwood Paddle!”
Isaac Ortiz, School Trip 2021
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"The entire experience was heightened with the delicious food, beautiful nature, and grounding yoga and breathwork sessions."
Emily Mercy, Corporate Retreat 2024
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"CK is an amazing person and his guidance was invaluable. The trip was profound! Offering a rare chance to disconnect from the modern world."
Allan Blackett, Men’s Trip 2023
From conversation to custom trip in 3 steps.
How it works
01
Exploration call
30 minutes with our adventure specialists. Trip hopes and dreams, group dynamic, timing, and what you want to gain. No commitment.
02
We design a customized trip for your group based on what you shared. Route, menu, pace, difficulty — all tailored. Time to turn dreams into reality.
Custom planning
03
Arrive at Base Camp on Kawawaymog Lake. Greeted by your guide, share a meal, backcountry briefing. Then — time to hit the water.
Arrive & rediscover
Common questions
Everything you want to know before booking.
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None at all. Most of our guests have never sat in a canoe before their first Driftwood trip. Your guide provides all instruction on day one — forward stroke, turning, reading water, setting up camp. You'll be comfortable and capable within a few hours. No experience necessary for any of our trips.
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Everything except your personal clothing and toiletries. We provide canoes, paddles, and life jackets; tents, tarps, sleeping pads, and sleeping bags; all meals with a menu tailored to your dietary needs, a water purifying system, and all cooking equipment. Safety gear includes an emergency communication device, compass, and a fully stocked first aid kit. All guides are WFR certified and National Lifeguards. We'll email you a packing list after booking.
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Our Base Camp is located on Kawawaymog Lake at Access Point #1, in the North-West corner of Algonquin Park, Ontario. Trips depart and return here. It's approximately 3.5 hours north of Toronto.
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Start with a free exploration call — 15 minutes with our adventure specialists. We'll cover trip hopes, group dynamic, timing, and answer every question. A 30% non-refundable deposit then secures your dates, with the balance due 90 days before departure.
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Yes — our private family trips are specifically designed around your youngest paddler. Routes, distances, and difficulty are all tailored to your family's ages and abilities. Kids as young as one are welcome. Every guide is a certified National Lifeguard and Wilderness First Responder. Safety is our top priority.
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Algonquin Park is one of the best places in Ontario to spot moose, beaver, loon, osprey, deer, and occasionally black bear from a safe distance on the water. Sunrise paddles are especially good for moose sightings — we build these into many of our trips.
Book a call
Tell us about your group.
We'll take it from there.
15 minutes. You'll walk away with a clear sense of what your trip could look like — and a custom outline in your inbox within 48 hours. No commitment.
No commitment. Just a conversation.