Stewart McLeod Park
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Quick Facts
| Features | river, wetlands |
| Access | boat launch |
| Route Difficulty | easy |
| Water Body Type | pond, river |
| Current Type | minimal |
| Route Type | linear |
| Route Distance | 6 km return |
| Portage Distance | none |
| Estimated Time | 2 hours return |
| Elevation Change | none |
| Scenery Rating | beautiful |
| Cell Reception | low |
| Fees | none |
Description
Note: Weather conditions can drastically vary the speed and difficulty of your trip. Please plan accordingly.
We checked out the kayak rentals before we put our boats in the water. A great option if you are passing through and don't have your boats, or if you wanted to try out kayaking. We launched as a couple were coming back from their paddle. We turned left to see how far we could make it up Hutchinson's Brook. The cove was quite wide for the first kilometre. We could see large beaver huts along the edge and found weird jelly balls floating just below the surface. I thought at first that they were some type of frog eggs. When I researched it at home I found out that they were Bryozoans (see video). A colony of tiny animals that filter their food from the water.
We passed by a few small islands. The cove narrowed in and the pickerel weed began to crowd the channel. The now narrow stream channel meandered through the pickerel weed but also flowed over into small ponds. We entered one of the ponds and came face to face with a small buck that was standing on the shore. After a short but exciting staring contest he bounded off into the woods. We continued through the pond.
We came to the back of the pond and had two options. We could go back the way we came and access the stream channel or we could try to get through the grassy berm that separated the stream channel from the pond. I found a narrow ditch that cut through the berm and was just big enough to fit through. The problem was that is was overhung with grass. I entered the ditch and a sunfish leaped out of the water and landed in the mud next to the boat. Probably not used to seeing humans this deep in the grass. It flopped a few times and on its third flop slipped back in the water.
I pulled myself through the ditch by pulling on the grass. After some manoeuvring I finally emerged from the grass on the other side. I was covered in cobwebs and bugs. Now it was Vicki's turn. She almost got stuck in the middle and was not appreciating being inside the grass with all the leftover bugs. She emerged as I was promising her we would find another way back.
Turning left would have taken us further up the stream but it was getting pretty narrow. We decided to turn right and start making our way back. We meandered through the stream channel, expecting around each turn to be blocked by a beaver dam. We came across the start of a beaver dam but we were able to get through it. We also passed by wider openings that provided a much better way to access the surrounding ponds if we came to a dead end.
We emerged from the stream channel and decided to stay to the left to check out the other side of the cove. Vicki paddled ahead as I floated under an eagle in a white pine tree. We continued back to the boat launch and still had some time left so we decided to check out the culverts that go under the causeway. They had a mild current that pulled us through into a pond next to Salmon River. It looked like a narrow channel went around the pond to the right and accessed the river. If so, we could loop around the pond, paddle a short section of the river and return the the culverts.
We made it about two thirds of the way through the channel when it disappeared into the trees. I guess we wouldn't be making the loop. We returned to the culverts and paddled against the current to get back through to Hutchinson's Brook. It wasn't difficult and was good exercise.
We packed up the boats and agreed that it was a great place to paddle. There was so much wildlife in such a small area. As we drove home, we started to plan our next visit. We agreed that next time we would explore more on the river side.
Map
Directions
From the Route 10 bridge in Chipman, turn left onto Main Street. Drive for 2.3 kilometres and you will cross a small causeway. Just past the causeway turn right in the short road to the boat launch. There is also a road on the right that accesses a boat launch on the river.
Gallery
Other Routes nearby
Route Last Paddled: July 19, 2025.
Page Last Updated: February 15, 2026.