CROOKED SLIDE PARK

Crooked Slide Park, located 3 km from Combermere on Old Barry’s Bay Road, is irresistible to photographers, both amateur and professional. Its uniqueness is attributed to the reconstruction of an original log chute on Byers Creek which was used by loggers in the early 1900s to float logs from the Hopefield, Brudenell, Rockingham, Wilno and Barry’s Bay areas down to the Madawaska River.

There are three or four bends in Byers Creek at the mouth of the log chute and when the logs were going through these narrow bends, they would jam up. In order to prevent this, the chute was built and water was diverted through the chute by closing a control dam. The logs would float approximately 220 feet in the chute and then fall 10 feet, back into the creek. From there it was clear floating to Combermere where they emptied into the Madawaska River. Murray Bros. Lumber Company of Barry’s Bay generously donated the six-and-a-half acres of land that were used to build the chute and park area. The chute was first reconstructed in 1973, and then again in 1994 after it had deteriorated.

Location: 343 Old Barrys Bay Rd, Barry’s Bay, ON K0J 1B0

Planning Your Visit

If you’re planning a stop at Crooked Slide Park, BushLife has a helpful companion guide with additional photos, trip context, and visitor notes. You can read their feature here: Crooked Slide Park: A Log Chute, a Waterfall, and Zero Waterslides.

Based on BushLife’s visit, this is an easy place to pause for a picnic, stretch your legs, and explore the scenic grounds around the chute. Their guide highlights short walking paths, views from the bridge crossing, and several angles where you can take in the water, rocks, and historic wooden flume.

Their coverage also notes practical visitor details such as a parking area, picnic tables, and an outhouse at the entrance, making Crooked Slide Park a simple and worthwhile side trip for families, photographers, and road-trippers moving through the Barry’s Bay and Combermere area.

Thank you to BushLife for sharing their coverage !

Photo courtesy BushLife

Photo courtesy BushLife

Photo courtesy BushLife

See More of the Park

BushLife also captured a video of Crooked Slide Park that gives a good sense of the setting and the movement of the water through the chute.