Elora

A Gorge-ous Day!

FLOATER’S BLOG: Grand River Float Date, September 6th, 2026

The Grand River is a 280 km long southward flowing waterway which empties into Lake Erie. About a 2-hour drive west from Toronto the river passes through the little tourist village of Elora.

Here the flow is channeled over a waterfall and through a gorge which hosts a series of small rapids which are plied by kayaks, canoes and a great many fun-loving citizens floating on inflatable tubes.

This section of the river is within the Elora Gorge Conservation Area park system and as such they control entry and access to the fast-moving water including creating a schedule of use which aligns with the warmest days of our Canadian summer season.

I had wanted to go tubing here for a while, so I asked a friend to join me and as it turned out for our schedules to mesh, we selected the very last day on the 2026 tubing calendar. Another friend was to join as our official photographer, but they bowed out late.

I had been here many years earlier prior to organised tubing operations, but back then we floated down with life jackets and old running shoes. I guess I didn’t go again because I started white water canoeing and kayaking. Also, in the area we visited a swimming hole, the Elora Quarry, for cliff jumping but it was so popular on weekends that we didn’t want to deal with the crowds. Luckily, a couple of years later we found a private quarry, but as part of a pact I can’t tell you where it is.

Like everything that used to be free there are now multiple fees for tubing this section of the Grand River. You can reduce your expenses by bringing your own float which is what I would do if I was living in the area and tubing regularly but as I only had vague memories of the rapids, I thought it prudent to use a rental device. As an avid floater I am very familiar with the adage, ‘Low water levels can be very deflating.’

Also, as someone who is trying to portray the whole story of all buoyant activities, I figured researching the local suppliers was sensible.

You can rent from both the park itself and another operator in town, Elora Rapids Inc. Both have the same prices, but the private operator listed the option of a tube with a backrest which is always my personal preference. Plus, it has a seat rather than a donut hole so if you do snag your butt on an underwater obstacle the raft gets scraped, not your bathing suit. Other equipment required to allow you access to the launch point is a tether attached to your floatation device which can be secured to your wrist, a life jacket and a helmet.

In addition, you must register on-line for your float date for which you will get a wrist band on launch day. Apart from the rental rate and tubing registration cost you must also pay an entry fee to the park. It seems a bit complicated but actually goes quite smoothly.

Running the approximately 3-kilometer river course takes under an hour but unless you are trying to squeeze in as many trips as you can into one day there are plenty of calm water areas for lazing in a gentler current which can extend a single ride to 90-minutes.

There is a bit of a walk to the launch site, but it is flat and easy with a good set of stairs down to water level so be sure your wet shoes are also reasonable for dry land.

Getting into the water for launching is easy with a large flat rock area parallel to the river. As I knew I was one of the more experienced white-water riders, I had no problem jumping into the top of this first rapid while newbies were loading in at the bottom of the froth where things were less turbulent. The only issue here is, this being a holiday long weekend and the last day of tubing for the season, there were many tubers so I had to time my launch so as not to bump into someone less experienced nervously getting in downstream who is unlikely to be weary of a tube coming from upstream.

This river will basically get you from top to bottom on its own but with any kind of waterbody that has a current, especially one you are not familiar with, it is best run with your feet facing downstream. You can make small course corrections with both hands acting as paddles and lateral foot motions.

With so many revellers on vinyl tubes even the wide-open flat water provided opportunities for a bit of bumper-boat action. However, this can be a nice way to meet new acquaintances.

In addition to us tube users there was a smattering of kayakers taking a trip down river and finding a few moments between tubes coming through the chutes to play in the rapids.

Apart from the good size rapid (Class II or III depending on water level) at the launch point there are six more rapids of which another two or three are sizeable. There are also many swifts with most of the faster water tending to be earlier in the voyage.

The second half has much more of a lazy float feel about it so shooting video while traversing the route is not a problem, except for the glare of the sun.

It sure would have been nice to be able to crack open a cold one in this area for a true beerfloat but this is a ‘dry’ park.

There are many other sections of the Grand River both up and downstream which are ideal for an all-lazy float. One is available through Elora Rapids Inc. with a shuttle service, but you can easily do it yourself too providing you can organise your transportation between launch and pull-out locations.

At the end of the tubing run there is a comfortable dismount onto a shallow rock shelf and then you have another easy walk back to either re-launch or to the parking area. Here, change rooms with showers are available so you can gussy yourself up for an Après Float experience.

On this trip I was experimenting with a new dry bag fanny pack from Mountain Equipment Co-op which I was hoping would be a suitable replacement for my recently retired bag which had lasted a good number of years. Unfortunately, this new product failed miserably. It will be fine for keeping things dry during a rainy hike or daily activity but does not do the job as a submersible containment unit. Oh well, more shopping required but no need to be concerned – I double-bagged everything I was carrying. This is why you test products before taking them on a wilderness white-water voyage.

What I should have done was pack two very cold brews in my bag, pre-mounted in beerfloat wraps which I could have pulled out to surprise my amigo after we finished our last rapid. Doh! (I deserve a thump on the head for that!)

(Re-enactment)

Not to worry, both of us were eager to get to a late lunch at the Elora Brewing Company.

In summation, tubing the Elora Gorge is not a beerfloat but it sure was fun. The canyon aspect brings an excellent dimension to any river experience and having great weather isn’t too shabby either. I would recommend doing it on a less busy day and perhaps arrive early so you can get in a couple of runs or do one rapid ride then move on down river for a lazy float with a frosty in hand.

Float on!

Corliss

beer float.calm = beerfloat.netnot beerfloat.com