As part of its unique makeup, Brant County, Brantford and Six Nations have a variety of outdoor locales, experiences, and businesses supporting or hosting outdoor events and activities. See below for a local gift guide for the outdoor fan on your list and explore the activities, products, services, and experiences they can enjoy throughout the coming year!
Specialized Guided Trips & Tours They’ll Love!
Moonwater Creative is the visionary behind scheduled paddle events on the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. Guided sunrise and sunset trips, special paint & paddle experiences, Women on the Water group paddles, as well as full moon and new moon riverside meditations and paddles are just some of their unique experiences. All safety and paddling equipment is provided with each booking. Visit their Facebook page or Instagram profile for contact information and more details regarding upcoming 2025 paddle season events!
Grand Experiences is an established outdoor adventure company located in Paris, specializing in guided and self-guided hikes, biking and paddles on and around the Grand River. With a variety of vessels and programs available, individuals or groups can kayak, canoe, experience a white water rafting adventure, or paddle in groups in voyageur canoes! They also offer bike and inner tube rentals to explore on your own, and hiking or paddling trips with optional add-ons to enrich the experience such as local restaurants, breweries, accommodations and more! To plan a local tour or purchase an experience in advance, visit the Grand Experiences web link here.
The Perfect Gear to Support Their Interests
A great way to immerse yourself in a paddling experience on the Grand River is with a handcrafted, wooden paddle from Spirit Tree Paddle Company in Paris. Kayak, canoe, and SUP paddles are among the many custom products they offer. Not only that, but paddlers are also welcomed to experience the joy and pride of crafting their own paddle for the many river or lake experiences in their future! It’s a gift of not only something they can use, but also time spent together with friends or family, or even by themselves if they wish, in the Spirit Tree workshop! For more information and to book a purchase or paddle-making experience, visit their website here.
Heron Head Bikes is located in the heart of the Holmedale neighbourhood in Brantford, selling everything from new and used, to vintage and specialized bikes. They also have helmets, safety lighting, clothing, and gear, and all the parts and accessories every bicycle enthusiast on your list could ever want or dream of! In addition to bike sales and service, they host special events such as Light the Night Glow Rides, a weekly Brantford neighbourhood ride, bicycle maintenance workshops, and bike rentals for self-guided tours. With E-bikes, fat bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes, ANY bikes you can think of, there’s no way you can miss with the sales and services offered at Heron Head! Visit their site link here for more details on products and services to wrap up your gift-giving with a big red bow.
Authentic Local Experiences
With experience packages, outdoor adventures, and guided tours to suit every skill and interest level, Six Nations Tourism is a destination in and of itself. Situated at the Chiefswood National Historic Site and Chiefswood Park in the Six Nations community, visitors and guests are treated to guided tours and experiences ranging from a Day of Play featuring archery, paddling, and traditional games, to outdoor adventure on the nature trail, in the park, or in a mixture of specially curated activities. Together with their local operators and partners they can provide an authentic experience unlike any other! To pre-plan and book a guided tour package or outdoor adventure, contact Six Nations Tourism via email at the link provided here.
If spectator sports are more in line with what the outdoor enthusiast on your gift giving list prefers, look no further than Ohsweken Speedway! Located in the village of Ohsweken in the Six Nations community, this 3/4-mile dirt track sets the scene for weekly Friday Night Excitement with racing programs including mini stocks, thunder stocks, crate and 360 sprints. Special events include Thunder On The Grand, the Northern Thunder Stock Nationals, the Northern Crate and Sprint Nationals, and in 2025 the return of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Cars! Tickets go on sale for this long-awaited event on December 2nd – just in time for Christmas! For more information, news, events, and upcoming ticket sales, visit the Ohsweken Speedway site link available here.
Amazing Accommodations
The luxury log cabins and glamping huts at Chiefswood Park are surrounded by beautiful natural spaces and are close to amenities that get you into the great outdoors within minutes! Located on the banks of the Grand River in the Six Nations community, the park provides guests with access to the river via kayak, canoe and SUP rentals, a paddlers dock, as well as a separate boat launch. In addition, outdoor activities and tour packages can easily be coordinated in advance through Six Nations Tourism, which is located adjacent to the property and within walking distance of your stay. Likewise, a curated nature trail is located across the road from the park, and access to trail systems and tour operators in Brantford as well as Paris are easily within a 25-minute drive. For more information, booking, or for gift certificates for a stay, visit the Chiefswood Park main page at the link available here.
Just inside the Norfolk County line at 301 Jenkins Rd. is Wilewood – a regenerative family farm surrounded by beautiful Carolinian forest and marshland, offering glamping stays, tiny home bookings, and amazing bikepacking sites which are immediately adjacent to the Trans Canada Trail. Wilewood is known for hosting uniquely curated outdoor and adventure-based events and their onsite creative work studios also provide opportunities for authentic experiences in a distinctive and memorable setting. They’re listed on the Cannonball 300 Bikepacking Route and they’re within short biking distance of local breweries and eateries in both Brant and Norfolk Counties. Site bookings can currently be made by contacting them directly via their social media link available here.
Six Nations, Brantford and Brant County have so many great places to explore, be outdoors, and do all the things that keep us active all year long. Giving the gift of time, an experience, a local stay, or products & services that support the outdoor fan on your list lets them know you care about their passions and pursuits. Not only that, but you’re supporting and shopping local, giving from the heart, and that always feels good!
Happy holidays everyone!!
Uncommonly Grand 