Discover more about this picturesque kayaking spot on a slow moving creek that feeds into Martindale Pond in Saint Catharines, Ontario.

Our Recommended Trip

Put In / Take Out: ​ We launched on Henley Island near the rowing club.  There were two large parking lots - the one further in is closer to the dock and launch area.  The address for the launch is Henley Island Dr, St. Catharines, ON L2N 4P5

The image below shows the portion of Martindale Pond that we focused on during our paddle.  We launched at the Public Launch and then headed into Barnesdale Marsh and up through Richardson Creek, passing under a pedestrian bridge along the Green Ribbon Trail.

The public launch at Martindale Pond has a wooden dock as well as a gravel ramp.

Trip Length:  4.6 km, 1-2 hours.  You can easily extend this trip by venturing into the other areas of Martindale Pond, but we only paddled the creek and it was a really nice, gentle paddle with lots to explore.

Cost:  There were no admission or launch fees.

Degree of Difficulty:  This portion of Martindale Pond is a gentle beginner-friendly paddle.  However, we have been warned about some of the more challenging/difficult/dangerous areas of Martindale Pond (see Kayak Ontario post on this location) - specifically, don't cross under the QEW bridge.  When we set out, we had actually intended to kayak Martindale Pond, and didn't really know much about the creek.  But we set out in the first direction, ended up in this beautiful little water lily paradise, and spent a couple hours here.  It was hot and muggy, and when we were done the creek, we just decided to call it a day.  We'll have to go back to explore more of Martindale Pond another day! ​

Our group paddles through the channel lined with cattails

​Gear Recommendations

Life jackets and all Transport Canada required safety gear are always a must.  Sunscreen and sun hats are definitely recommended when you're on the water.
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Barnesdale Marsh

While Martindale Pond is a popular kayaking spot, few people have heard of of Richardson Creek, a tributary of Twelve Mile Creek, and the Barnesdale Marsh, a provincially significant wetland area within Martindale Pond that serves as a spawning habitat for numerous species of fish (northern pike, yellow perch, sunfish, largemouth bass), and a home for birds (including the American bittern), mink, muskrat, and painted turtles.  ​

We saw lots and lots of painted turtles sunning on logs along the creek, including these ones in the main Barnesdale Marsh.

​We saw lots of painted turtles sunning on logs, both in the marsh and further up the creek.  We also saw a couple of cormorants, a family of mute swans, a couple of great blue herons, and a green heron hidden in the shade of the overhanging trees in the marsh.

Water lilies for days! The entire creek was lined with loads of lilies, but most sections had clear passages to paddle through.

We pulled across a couple of fallen logs laying in the creek, but eventually came to several fallen logs that completely blocked further passage.  There were stretches of the creek covered completely with waterlilies, but most of the creek had open passages lined on either side with tall cattails and rushes.  A few beautiful properties with towering weeping willow trees and small boat launches backed onto Richardson Creek.
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Approaching the pedestrian bridge at Old Martindale Road, which is now part of the Green Ribbon Trail.

We stopped and pulled up for lunch at the pedestrian bridge just past the Martindale Road bridge.  The pedestrian bridge was erected to connect the two sides of the Old Martindale Road, and this road has been converted to a short walking path known as the Green Ribbon Trail.  There are lots of park benches along this beautiful tree-lined trail where you can sit and look out over the marsh.  While we had lunch, a couple of brave male cardinals kept dropping onto nearby branches to chirp at us!
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Coming back under the pedestrian bridge. The marsh is surrounded by large trees and lush greenery.

​St. Catharines Rowing Club

When we visited Martindale Pond in July 2021, there weren't any St. Catharines Rowing Club events going on.  We have, however, been warned that the pond can be quite busy with rowers practicing, and that you won't want to plan a recreational paddle if there is a Regatta going on, so you should check their schedule for events and take care when launching and paddling to stay clear of their boats.
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Additional Reading

History of Martindale Road and the somber history behind its renaming as the Green Ribbon Trail

Outfitter Options

No rentals are available at this location.