Lock 12 — Lock 12 – Ranney Falls (Upper)

Lock 12 — Ranney Falls is the upper of two consecutive flight lock chambers at Kilometre 48 of the Trent-Severn Waterway. Vessels enter the flight at Lock 11 below, transit directly into Lock 12 without exiting, and emerge above into a 1.6 km1 mi canal reach that carries northbound traffic toward Campbellford. Traffic signal lights at each end of the flight control the entry and exit sequence. Exiting Lock 12 puts boaters at the south edge of Campbellford — the most complete service town between Trenton and Peterborough, and a natural rest day destination for crews making the run north. The Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge, accessible on foot from the lock grounds, crosses the gorge to Ferris Provincial Park and is one of the more photographed spots on the entire TSW.

Lock 12 was constructed under the same contract as Locks 08 through 11, completed as part of the Trenton–to–Rice Lake section of the waterway that opened in 1918. The total cost of this contract group was $1,262,733 per Parks Canada records. The adjacent Ranney Falls Generating Station, originally a private power plant built alongside the locks, is now operated by Ontario Power Generation. Recent upgrades have increased the efficiency with which water is passed through the spillways and generators, resulting in higher river velocities around the dam. Parks Canada and CHS both advise boaters to exercise additional caution in the navigation channel near the generating station, regardless of experience level.

The preferred overnight mooring at the Ranney Falls flight is above the lock beyond the painted blue line on the west wall — this position is closest to the washroom facilities. Gravel and concrete launching ramps are located on both shores of the canal reach immediately above Lock 12 (CHS §111). Campbellford, approximately 1.6 km1 mi north, has grocery, hospital, pharmacy, laundry, library WiFi, restaurants, and full marine services — the Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce is on the waterfront at (705) 653-1551. Overnight mooring is available for up to 5 nights per Parks Canada policy.

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📍 GPS: 44.2915204°N, 77.8155936°W · [VERIFY — Parks Canada], Trent Hills (Campbellford), Ontario, ON · Get Directions ↗ · Street View ↗

For navigation, use CHS Chart #2021 — this map is for reference only and should not be used for marine navigation.

Boater Orientation Notes:

• Locks 11—12 are at the south end of Campbellford — downtown core (Bridge St / Front St) is 1.5—2 km north.
• Walkable from the lock: Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge (200 m), Ferris Park trail access (300 m), Rotary Trail (100 m), RX Drug Mart (1 km), and Church-Key Brewing (1 km).
• Campbellford Town Dock at Old Mill Park (~2.5 km north, near Lock 13) offers better walking access to downtown — consider continuing north for full provisioning.
• Dooher’s Bakery is a must-visit — voted Canada’s Sweetest Bakery. Arrive early as they sell out.
• No marine chandlery in Campbellford — Home Hardware carries basic marine supplies. Nearest full marine supply is Peterborough or Trenton.

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Last Updated: March 18, 2026

Upper chamber of the Ranney Falls flight lock — paired with Lock 11. Two chambers back-to-back: elsewhere this would likely be called a single flight lock, but on the Trent-Severn it’s numbered as Lock 11 and Lock 12. The procedure: after ascending Lock 11, restart your motors when the upper gates open, move forward a few hundred yards into Lock 12, shut motors off again, grab the lines, and ascend a second time. Once you’re committed at the bottom of Lock 11 there’s no place to go — you’re going all the way through to the top of Lock 12. Standard flight lock operation; just be ready for two cycles and don’t let yourself get caught off-guard by needing to restart and reposition between chambers. See Lock 11 notes for the approach detail (turbulence sheltered by the starboard finger, favor the wall on the way in).

Weather data for navigation planning purposes only. Always check Environment and Climate Change Canada’s official marine forecast before making operational decisions. weather.gc.ca ↗