Outdoor Activities
Volunteer Form can be found here
Please forward completed forms to admin@southriver.ca
OR
Drop off at the South River Municipal Office at 63 Marie Street, South River
Registration
Registration will open on Tuesday, May 29, 2025 and close Tuesday, June 5, 2025.
A registration night will be held on Thursday, May 29, 2025 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the South River Machar Arena. Participants can register at the South River Municipal Office Monday to Thursday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and Friday 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM. Registrations are accepted on a first come, first serve basis. Space is Limited. No late registrations will be accepted.
Game Dates
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Thursday, July 10, 2025
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Thursday, July 31, 2025
Thursday, August 7, 2025 (Emergency Challenge Match)
Division Information
- Junior: Ages 4 – 6
- Intermediate: Ages 7 -9
- Senior: Ages 10 – 12
South River Day Camp – 2026
The South River Day Camp offers an exciting and engaging summer experience for children who live locally or spend their summers in the area. Designed to provide a safe, active, and fun-filled environment, the program blends outdoor adventure, creativity, and skill development in a beautiful waterfront camp setting.
Who Should Join?
This program is ideal for children ages 5 to 13 who are looking for an active alternative to traditional daycare. Campers should enjoy being outdoors and be excited to participate in a wide range of water- and land-based activities in a supportive and supervised environment.
Program Overview
South River Day Camp is proudly operated by the Village of South River and hosted at the scenic Hockey Opportunity Camp (HOC).
The program runs Monday to Friday for 8 weeks (July–August 2026) and provides a structured, inclusive, and memorable summer experience for all participants.
2026 Schedule
Monday – Friday
8:45 AM – 3:45 PM
- Week 1: June 29 – July 3
- Week 2: July 6 – 10
- Week 3: July 13 – 17
- Week 4: July 20 – 24
- Week 5: July 27 – 31
- Week 6: August 3 – 7
- Week 7: August 10 – 14
- Week 8: August 17 – 21
Age Groups
- Junior Section: Ages 5 – 8
- Senior Section: Ages 9 – 13
Transportation
FREE transportation is available along designated routes in South River and Sundridge.
- Arrival at camp: 8:45 AM
- Departure from camp: 3:45 PM
- Campers must bring a packed lunch daily
Activities & Experiences
Our program offers a wide variety of structured, age-appropriate activities designed to build confidence, teamwork, creativity, and physical skills.
Water-Based Activities:
Swim Lessons (Swim for Life Program)
Campers participate in daily swimming lessons through the Lifesaving Society program, helping them develop water safety skills and progress through badge levels.
AquaGlide & Lily Pad
A large inflatable water obstacle course where campers test their balance, agility, and coordination while having fun on the water.
Kayaking & Paddleboarding
Campers explore the waterfront while improving balance, coordination, and confidence in a safe, supervised environment.
Tubing
An exciting and high-energy water activity where campers ride inflatable tubes pulled by a boat, full of fun, laughter, and splashes.
Water Volleyball
A fun group activity that promotes teamwork, quick reflexes, and friendly competition in the water.
Outdoor & Adventure Activities
Disc Golf
A 9-hole disc golf course set throughout the camp grounds where campers develop throwing accuracy and enjoy friendly competition.
Elements & Wall Climbing
Campers challenge themselves on a 40-foot climbing wall, building strength, confidence, and problem-solving skills.
Bouldering & Low Ropes Course
A lower-height climbing and balance course designed to develop agility, coordination, and teamwork in a safe environment.
Scavenger Hunt & Orienteering
Campers solve clues, navigate using maps or compasses, and explore camp while building decision-making and teamwork skills.
Forest Games
Outdoor games such as camouflage and tracking activities where campers learn to observe, hide, and move strategically in nature.
Outdoor Skills (Fire Building)
Campers learn essential outdoor skills such as safe fire building, teamwork, and responsibility through hands-on learning.
⚽ Sports & Field Activities
Field Games
Includes activities like kickball, capture the flag, and ultimate frisbee—great for teamwork, fitness, and energy release.
General Sports Activities
A variety of land-based sports such as volleyball, archery, and group games designed to keep campers active and engaged.
🎨 Creative Activities
Arts & Crafts
Campers explore their creativity through activities such as:
- Friendship bracelets
- Rock painting
- Dream catchers
- Various hands-on crafts
Sandcastle Building
A fun and creative group activity where campers design and build sand structures, encouraging teamwork and imagination.
🚴 Specialty Activities (Senior Camp Only)
Mountain Biking (Week 1)
Campers ride scenic trails while learning bike handling, trail safety, climbing, and descending techniques. Suitable for all skill levels.
Outdoor Survival (Weeks 2, 4 & 6)
A hands-on experience where campers learn:
- Shelter building
- Fire making
- Orienteering
- Canoeing & fishing
- Nature identification
Includes an overnight camping experience with meals provided.
Water Ski Week (Week 8)
Campers receive daily instruction from certified instructors and can try:
- Water skiing
- Wakeboarding
- Kneeboarding
- Slalom skiing
- Tubing (Fridays)
📝 Registration – 2026
Residents of South River
Register online through here
Non-Residents
📞 Contact the Village Office for registration details:
705-386-2573
📌 Important Information
- Limited spots available – early registration is recommended
- Registration is managed by the Village of South River (not HOC)
- Campers must bring a packed lunch daily
- FREE transportation available
For more details visit https://www.learnhockey.com/site/south-river-machar-day-camp
For further questions about this program and registration please contact the Village at 705-386-2573 or email info@southriver.ca
Pickle Ball is located on the Tennis Courts at the South River Machar Community Centre & Arena (1A Lincoln Ave, South River). The Courts are open to freeplay, however if you wish to book the courts or create a Pickle Ball League please contact the municipal office or email info@southriver.ca for more details.
if you are new to Pickle Ball please review the information below:
General Information
- A fun sport that combines many elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong.
- Played both indoors or outdoors on a badminton-sized court and a slightly modified tennis net.
- Played with a paddle and a plastic ball with holes.
- Played as doubles or singles.
- Can be enjoyed by all ages and skill level
Court Layout
A pickleball court is the same size as a doubles badminton court and measures 20×44 feet. In pickleball, the same court is used for both singles and doubles play. The net height is 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches in the middle. The court is striped similar to a tennis court with right and left service courts and a 7-foot non-volley zone in front of the net (referred to as the “kitchen”). Courts can be constructed specifically for pickleball or they can be converted using existing tennis or badminton courts.
For more information on Pickle Ball, necessary equipment, rules and regulations please visit the USA Pickle Ball Website.
The Village of South River Skate Park open to all ages.
Located on Dufferin Street beside the community gardens.
The Village of South River has extensive sidewalks throughout. Many have been updated to current accessible standards. At the east end of the sidewalk network on Ottawa Ave a new 600 metre accessible trail is available to finish the journey to Tom Thomson Park. The Trail has the following characteristics; it is compacted gravel with an Accessible Trail Length of 0.61km, the Running Slope maximum is 1.36% and average is 0.82%, the Cross Slope is maximum 2% and average 2%, and the Trail Width is a minimum 1.5 metres and average is 3.0 metres.
Take a stroll through the groomed trail at Tom Thomson Park and take in the Beautiful Water front of the South River. If you are looking for a higher intensity hike visit our Forgotten Trails that will take you through the natural four-seasoned back country trails that offer some of the most scenic and historical hiking in the area!
Using the walking trail signs around the community as a reference, residents and visitors can get in some daily exercise. Visit this link for an 8 WEEK WALKING PROGRAMME to help with your fitness goals.
For more information about the Forgotten Trails and various trail systems throughout the Almaguin Highlands, visit the Discovery Routes website or Explore South River.
Enjoy some of the Forgotten Trails, Tom Thomson Park and easy routes around town on your bike or local backroads for an enjoyable ride.
Cycling Routes in our area, click on the links for map details and more information:
1) Around Eagle Lake Loop - The Around Eagle Lake Route is part of the Discovery Routes system and offers a 38.59 km ride; paved with one unpaved section. With many hardwood trees, this route provides the perfect backdrop of fall colours in September and early October.
2) Lake Bernard Cycle - The Sundridge Lions Park, located at the bottom of Paget St is the perfect spot to take off for a challenging trek around Lake Bernard. It is a 23.53km hilly route around Lake Bernard-the same route as used for the triathlon. You will find this route to be a combination of paved and gravel road. It is passable on road bike – better suited for a gravel or mountain bike.
3) Old Nipissing Ghost Trail - The Old Nipissing Road is a ghost town trail that was once home to many settlements of hopeful pioneers but is now guarded by their abandoned log cabins and weathered barns. There are no facilities between Magnetawan and Commanda and trail conditions vary with some sections wide and well-kept; and others little more than two ruts plunging into dark woods, much as the pioneers might have experienced it. A series of historic markers are located along the route.
Find more cycling routes and maps on the Discovery Routes Website