Paddling Ontario has tailor-made activities for the adventurers who want to do it all. Packages like the Algonquin Adventure sampler allow families, like the one above, to canoe, kayak, hike and bike. -- Photo by James Smedley

Spring's melting snow means Ontario's rivers are running fast -- the perfect time for a paddling adventure. But the fair weather is also ideal for hiking, biking and fishing. Paddling Ontario, an alliance of paddle sport companies across the province, is promoting several new programs this season for multi-taskers -- folks who want to do it all in a single outdoor vacation.

Excursions combine canoeing or kayaking with hiking, fishing and mountain biking.

On tap are the Hike and Bike tours offered by Canadian Wilderness Trips. These three-day Hike, Canoe and Kayak packages include a day learning the basics of sea kayaking, another hiking through Algonquin Park, and yet another paddling the park's lakes surrounded by the same scenery that inspired Canadian artist Tom Thomson.

Also offered: The Algonquin Adventure Sampler by Voyageur Quest. Ideal for small groups or families, the sampler includes canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and mountain biking, plus accommodation in a solar-powered private cottage or chalet suite at the Algonquin Cottage Outpost.

Grand Experiences combine paddling the Grand River with cycling the Trans Canada Rail Trail in single-day trips one hour west of Toronto.

Their packages include a 1 1/2-hour cycle from Brant Park on the Rail Trail to the town of Paris for lunch, then a paddle back to the park in a canoe or kayak.

Grand Experiences Cayuga Extreme combines a 12-km mountain bike ride through the Carolinian Forest, followed by lunch in Paris and return paddle on the Grand River.

For adventurers with more time, Naturally Superior Adventures is organizing one-week tours to the headlands of Lake Superior, with sea kayaking along this very Great Lake, combined with a hike along the Dog River to visit the misty, 40-metres-tall Denison Falls.

And Killarney Mountain Lodge on Georgian Bay offers everything from sea kayaking to yacht cruising, using the resort as its base.

Scott Adams, project administrator for Paddling Ontario, says the alliance's website is the best place to find information on paddling packages.

"The website is our storefront," says Adams. "Everything is there, from northern extreme river runs for experienced kayakers, to trips for the brand new paddler."

Many packages listed on the Paddling Ontario website include return transportation from Toronto.

Prices range from $40 for half-day trips close to the city, to day and weekend trips farther afield from $100, to week-long adventures in Northern Ontario starting at $500. Trips runs from May to October.

For more information, visit paddlingontario.com or call 705-745-9343.