Lock 06 Frankford carries a designation that matters to every northbound Great Looper: it is the first lockstation on the entire Trent-Severn to offer shore power. After five locks without electricity, this is the place to top up batteries, run the air conditioning, and recharge everything on board before the more remote stretches ahead. The village of Frankford is a five-minute walk across the road bridge — grocery, pharmacy, laundry, and several restaurants make this a genuine resupply stop that many Loopers build into their TSW plan. For Great Loop voyage planning on the Canadian section and to connect with other crews transiting the TSW, AGLCA is an active resource with trip reports from Loopers who have completed the run.
Lock 06 Frankford sits at Kilometre 11.7 on the Trent-Severn Waterway, positioned between Lock 05 Trent and Lock 07 Glen Ross along a canalised section of the Trent River. The lock stands near the southern end of a narrow bypass channel that runs approximately 2.7 km1.7 mi northward, skirting the shoals and rapids of the natural river. Frankford holds a notable distinction among TSW lockstations: it is the first lock on the system to offer shore power to visiting boaters, making it a popular overnight destination for crews heading northbound from Trenton.
The Trenton-to-Rice Lake section of the waterway, including Lock 06, was part of the final construction push that opened the link to Trenton in 1918, completing a continuous navigation route two years before the full system opened in 1920. Construction at this site required extensive dredging and recontouring of the canal embankments to create the bypass channel around the rapids. Residences were built for lock staff who lived permanently on-site, operating the lock around the clock during the navigation season. The village of Frankford itself dates to 1797 and was officially named in 1837, though the specific construction contractor for Lock 06 has not been confirmed in available records.
Arriving boaters will find well-maintained grounds with mooring walls on both the east and west sides of the lock. The favoured overnight spot is above the lock, where there is room for approximately eight 40-foot boats total. Shore power pedestals provide 30-amp service on both sides of the upper approach, with four pedestals on each wall offering two receptacles each. The adjacent Frankford Tourist Park adds campground facilities, a children’s playground, and a small beach, and boaters can arrange shower access through the locktender. The centre of Frankford village is roughly a five-minute walk across the road bridge, offering grocery, pharmacy, bank, laundry, library with free WiFi, and several restaurants.
| Official Name | Lock 06 — Frankford Parks Canada |
| Lock Number | 06 |
| GPS Coordinates | 44°11’51.92”N, 77°35’28.44”W 44.1978, −77.5912 Parks Canada |
| Street Address | 207 Riverside Pkwy, Frankford, Ontario Parks Canada |
| KM Marker | 11.7 km7.3 miles from Veterans Skyway Bridge TSW DB |
| Region | Lower Trent (Quinte West) |
| Water Body | Trent River (canalised bypass channel) |
| CHS Nautical Chart | #2021 (Trenton to Healey Falls) CHS CEN309 |
| Nearest Municipality | Frankford (Quinte West), Ontario |
| Historic Construction | c. 1910–1918 — contractor unconfirmed Parks Canada |
| Lock Phone | (613) 398-6495 Parks Canada |
| trentsevern@pc.gc.ca |
| Parameter | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Lock Number | 06 | |
| Average Lift | 5.49 m | 18 ft |
| Chamber Length | 46.9 m | 154 ft |
| Chamber Width | 9.7 m | 32 ft |
| Maximum Draft System-wide | 1.8 m | 6 ft |
| Gate Type | Standard mitre | |
| VHF Channel | Channel None | |
| Operating Season Parks Canada | Mid-May to mid-October | |
| Max Mooring Period Parks Canada | 5 nights | |
| Permit Required | Yes — 1‑888‑773‑8888 or parks.canada.ca | |
| Electricity | ✔ Available | |
| Potable Water | ✔ Available | |
| Pump-Out | ✗ Not Available | |
| Operator | Parks Canada — Environment and Climate Change Canada | |
| Lock Phone Parks Canada | (613) 398-6495 | |
📍 GPS: 44.1978221°N, 77.5935244°W · 207 Riverside Pkwy, Frankford, Ontario, Quinte West (Frankford), 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.
☎ ABC Taxi Quinte West — (613) 392-3525 — 24/7 live dispatch, serves Frankford explicitly. Meter rate within Quinte West; flat rate for out-of-town (Belleville ~$25—$30, paid upfront). Cash, debit, credit, e-transfer accepted. Courier and shuttle services also available. No Uber/Lyft confirmed in Frankford. 🔗
Boater Orientation Notes:
- Lock 6 has 30-amp shore power and showers — one of only 4 TSW locks with shore power, making it a logical first overnight from Trenton.
- Downtown Frankford is fully walkable from the lock — most services within 500—800 m.
- Old Bank Café (1 Mill St) is the top boater pick — riverside patio, European pastries, great coffee. Closed Mon—Tue.
- Rose Home Hardware (7 N Trent St) offers propane fill — one of few propane sources on the lower TSW.
- No marine chandlery confirmed in Frankford — nearest marine supply is Trenton or Belleville (~15 km south).
🛒 Grocery
| Name | Directions | Phone | Rating | Distance | Access |
| Foodland Frankford 🔗 | Let’s Go! | (613) 398-7879 | ⭐ 4.1 | 600 m | Walkable |
| LCBO Frankford 🔗 | Let’s Go! | (613) 398-6160 | ⭐ N/A | 750 m | Walkable |
🍴 Restaurants
| Name | Directions | Phone | Rating | Distance | Access |
| Old Bank Café 🔗 | Let’s Go! | (613) 398-9052 | ⭐ 4.9 | 500 m | Walkable |
| Riverside Restaurant 🔗 | Let’s Go! | (613) 398-8818 | ⭐ 4.5 | 800 m | Walkable |
| The 3 Jacks Steak Restaurant 🔗 | Let’s Go! | (613) 743-5690 | ⭐ 4.2 | 550 m | Walkable |
🏛 Local Interests
| Name | Directions | Phone | Rating | Distance | Access |
| Bata Island Trail | Let’s Go! | N/A | ⭐ N/A | 1.5 km | Walkable |
| Frankford Tourist Park | Let’s Go! | (613) 392-2841 | ⭐ N/A | 150 m | Walkable |
| Lower Trent Trail | Let’s Go! | N/A | ⭐ N/A | 200 m | Walkable |
| Bleasdell Boulder Conservation Area | Let’s Go! | (613) 394-4829 | ⭐ 4.8 | 6 km | Short Drive |
| Quinte Botanical Gardens | Let’s Go! | (613) 398-0402 | ⭐ 4.5 | 5 km | Short Drive |
🔧 Support & Services
| Name | Directions | Phone | Rating | Distance | Access |
| Frankford Laundromat & Variety | Let’s Go! | (613) 398-6424 | ⭐ N/A | 600 m | Walkable |
| Madill’s Pharmacy (IDA) | Let’s Go! | (613) 398-6261 | ⭐ N/A | 500 m | Walkable |
| Rose Home Hardware 🔗 | Let’s Go! | (613) 398-6618 | ⭐ 4.8 | 550 m | Walkable |
Last Updated: March 18, 2026
Pretty drama-free lock. By the time you’re at Frankford, you should be just about ready to separate from the group you started with at Lock 01 — that matters for the next few days of your trip. Frankford has good shoreside access. Both a grocery store and a liquor store are within walkable distance, and there are restaurants in town, all within roughly 500 to 800 metres of the lock. It’s considered a good night-one stop. If you’ve made it to Frankford on your first day, you’ve done well. If you got past it, you’ve done better than average. Enjoy it — hopefully you’ve had a great first day on the Trent.
Shoal locations, rock hazards, and current data for Lock 06 – Frankford are being compiled from CHS CEN309 and current Notices to Mariners. Check notmar.gc.ca for active advisories. CHS
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 ↗
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