Features
About this place
The Bird River Canyon Rapid is one of the closer expert rapids to Winnipeg. Changing through the seasons with different water flow levels, the rapid stays at a Class IV-Class IV+ (or IVt if you use technical in your classification system) Perfect for kayakers with River Runners or Creek boats who want a close accessible rapid that will present a good challenge.
The Bird River flows west from Bird Lake into Lac de Bonnet and then towards Lake Winnipeg. A short day paddle for confident kayakers, this river has a lot of flow through tight technical CII-IVt sets. The canyon is the highlight of the river with the river narrowing down to about 7ft wide and steep rock walls on either side. The rock on river right makes a great viewing spot to watch people go and shoot the rapid, with a nice eddy around the corner for an exit to hike back up for another run. At least 1 throw bag is highly recommended as this is not the kind of rapid you want to swim, especially in fall times when the water levels drop and rocks/dangerous features become more pronounced.
Take the Provincial Road North until a right turn onto a gravel road. On this road you will see a tight quad path into the forest, hike this path for just over 1km and you're there!