Lock 13 — Lock 13 – Campbellford

Lock 13 Campbellford sits on the northwest side of the Trent River near KM 52Mile 32.5, roughly 1.6 km1 mile north of downtown Campbellford in the Municipality of Trent Hills. It is the first lock above the Ranney Falls flight (Locks 11/12) and the gateway to the most service-rich stop between Trenton and Peterborough. The lock occupies a 0.6 km0.4 mile artificial canal cut on the west side of the river. Boaters are asked to lock through on the west (port) side at this location per Parks Canada guidance. Above the lock the river cuts directly through the centre of Campbellford, putting the town waterfront, Old Mill Park, and a full range of provisioning within easy walking distance.

Construction of Lock 13 was marked by spirited civic negotiations as Campbellford’s leaders debated with the federal government over the design of the lock, dam, and concrete retaining walls, while rival power companies lobbied for water rights at the dam sites. Once resolved, the Seymour Power Company began generating electricity from the Trent River for the community. The lock was built during the broader 1910–1918 Trenton-section construction campaign. Approaching from downstream, boaters should note the Campbellford road bridge approximately 500 m0.3 mile south of the lock canal with a fixed vertical clearance of only 6.7 m22 ft (CHS §115) — a critical air-draft restriction. An overhead power cable with clearance of just 8.2 m27 ft crosses the river 197 m0.1 mile downstream of that bridge (CHS §116). A submerged pipeline crosses 212 m0.1 mile upstream of the bridge (CHS §117), and a submerged power cable crosses 650 m0.4 mile upstream (CHS §118).

Campbellford is widely regarded as one of the most complete provisioning stops on the entire Trent-Severn Waterway. The town offers a hospital, full-service grocery stores, pharmacy, coin laundry, a library with free WiFi, restaurants, marine facilities, and the Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce office directly on the waterfront. The municipal dock at Old Mill Park on the west shore south of the road bridge provides depths of 2.7–3.4 m9–11 ft with power, water, picnic area, and washrooms (CHS §120). At the lockstation itself, overnight mooring is permitted for up to five nights with potable water and washrooms available, though there is no shore power at the lock. The view from the top of Lock 13 offers one of the better town panoramas on the lower waterway. Above Campbellford the next four locks (14 through 17) come in quick succession over roughly 8 km5 miles, climbing a total of 37.8 m124 ft through to Healey Falls — a concentrated morning of locking that rewards an overnight stay in town.

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📍 GPS: 44.3196533°N, 77.7886936°W · 6199 County Road 50, Seymour Twp., Ontario, Trent Hills, 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:

• Lock 13 is ~1.5 km north of downtown Campbellford — most services within a 15—20 min walk along County Rd 50 or the river path.
• Sharpe’s Food Market is the top provisioning stop — independent grocer with on-site butcher, bakery, deli, and delivery available.
• Old Mill Park Town Dock (~1.5 km south) has 30/50-amp power, showers, WiFi, and free Wednesday evening concerts in summer.
• LCBO is closed Thursdays — plan provisioning accordingly.
• No marine chandlery in town — Canadian Tire marine section (2.8 km, taxi recommended) is the closest for basic boating supplies.

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Last Updated: March 18, 2026

Generally an easy approach. You can sometimes get a little current coming up to the lock, but nothing dramatic. HEADS UP: they want you on the port side at Campbellford. Not sure why, but I’ve always been directed to the port wall here, and the cruising guides flag the same thing. Be ready for it — if you’ve been running fenders to starboard through the previous locks, you’ll need to switch fenders and lines over to port before you make your approach. Easy to forget if you’re on autopilot from the earlier chambers. Other than the port-side tie-up, not much going on here. It’s a bit flatter terrain around Campbellford so you can pick up a little wind action, but nothing to really worry about. Straightforward lock once you’ve got your gear on the right side.

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 ↗