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Be sure to check the message board for a trip this weekend!
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Earth Day Clean up and Paddle Sunday April 28th

Rice City Pond, Uxbridge, MA

Meet at 9:30 am for a 10:00 am launch

Trip Coordinator:  Gary Powers garpow28@aol.com

A change of clothes in a drybag is required.

We will put in on river-right of Rice City Pond.  Boat put-in is behind the Medical Center, 281 Hartford Ave E, Uxbridge, MA 01569 (1/4 mile north of River Bend Farms, entrance on Oak St.).

Partnering with Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful, The Greenway Challenge, and The Great Global Cleanup, RICKA will provide some needed environmental stewardship of the Blackstone River.  Concentrating mainly on easily captured trash such as bottles, cans, and wrappers we will be part of a global program tracking collected debris for this Earth Day event.  This year’s Earth Day theme is “PLANET vs PLASTICS”.  Bags, gloves, and a limited number of reaching tools will be available however, please feel free to bring your own gloves/tools.

The full loop is 2-1/8 miles and after the cleanup & paddle we can go over to River Bend Farms for a lunch and museum tour.  RSVP is not required but welcomed.  Please check out the Flatwater Message Board for updates.

Photo by Erik Eckilson

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May 5th Wood River RT 165-  Meet at 10:00 for a 10:30 shuttle. Trip coordinator is shdrag1@gmail.com
401-225-3942

Bring a lunch. A change of clothes in a drybag is manditory for this early season trip.

The beginning of the river may be narrow, shallow and rocky but soon opens up. Trip is approximately 7 miles long.

Paddlers with kayaks 15 feet and under will have an easier time navigating the river. Bring a lunch.

41° 34.375' N         71° 43.259' W    See this location in: Google Maps


Paddling downstream from this site you are heading into the heart of the Arcadia Management Area on a river that is one of the natural treasures of Rhode Island as well as one of Rhode Island's finest trout streams. The river is narrow and winding and in low water can be a bit scratchy. There is a definite current. The shoreline of the river is wooded and houses and roads are nowhere to be seen. This description is adapted from the Wood-Pawcatuck River Guide

 
From 95 southbound take exit 5A (102 south). 1 mile to junction of route 3 south, bear right onto 3 south. 1 1/2 miles further to junction of 165 west.

Take a right on 165 (west) for about 4 miles (estimated) to state ramp on the left. 

From 95 northbound take exit 4 and take a right onto route 3 north at the end of the exit. Go approx 4 miles north on route 3 to junction of 165 west. Take a left  

(west) on 165 about 4 miles (estimated) to state ramp on the left.


Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
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May 11th to May 12th Camp & Paddle Big River.
Trip coordinators: Cindy Gianfransesco  and Chuck Horbert chorbert13@gmail.com 401-418- 2838

Cmping gear and food requirements will be shared with the participants when you rsvp.

We will put-in at Zacks Bridge and paddle upstream into the Big River Management Area for the night. RSVP required and trip is limited to 6 or 7 tents.

 Narrow and twisty river. Paddle upstream against the current and then return with the current to the put-in.

Zeke's Bridge state access. N41 39 906  -   W071 37 115

490 Harkney Hill Rd. Coventry  Google Maps

Narrow and twisty river. Paddle upstream against the current and then return with the current..  The river gets smaller and smaller winding through the woods over beaver dams.

Heading upstream from Route 3 you are heading into the heart of the 8600 acre Big River Management Area. Be prepared for lots of twisting and turning because the river follows a very meandering course. At times the main channel can be hard to follow because of the many dead end side channels that branch off.  These challenges, combined with the fact that you are paddling upstream and likely to encounter beaver dams, makes this an energetic paddle..

The reward is getting to explore a beautiful natural area. Much of the area is low and marshy but the river occasionally swings close to higher ground.  If the water level is good and the channel not too overwhelmed by vegetation you can go about 2 3/4 miles beyond Route 3 to where Nooseneck River comes in from the west. Shortly beyond here both Nooseneck River and Big River get too narrow to be paddleable.

Directions from 95 South.. Take exit 6 To Rt. 3 north ( DO NOT take exit 6-A which is Hopkins Hill Road) Take a right at the bottom of the exit and follow 3 North for about a mile and a half. Take a left onto Harkney Hill Road. Follow for a little over a mile and look for the access for Zekes Bridge.

Directions from 95 North, Take exit 6 to Rt. 3 north. ( DO NOT take exit 6-A which is Hopkins Hill Road) Take a left at the bottom of the exit and follow 3 North for about a mile and a half. Take a left onto Harkney Hill Road. Follow for a little over a mile and look for the access for Zekes Bridge.

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities
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May 18th Central Pond Meet at 10:00 for a 10:30 launch.
Ten Mile River and Central Pond trip coordinators: Danny O'Shea doshea5031@aol.com  401-527-3447 and Al Sampson wanderlust_bristol@yahoo.com 

This site gives you access to Central Pond. The shores are tree-lined, and you can paddle up the Ten Mile River to Slater Park in Pawtucket.

There will not be a lunch stop on this trip.

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
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May 19th Great Swamp Taylors Landing, Kingston, RI.   May 19th - meet at 9:30 for a 10:00 shuttle .  Trip Coordinators: Cindy Gianfransesco and Chuck Horbert chorbert13@gmail.com  401-418- 2838

This trip is limited to 10 boats, RSVP to Chuck please.

The Great Swamp provides perhaps the most intriguing paddling trip in the state. Trip is much easier for shorter boats

Please bring a change of clothes in a drybag and a lunch.

Bring a lunch

Directions to the put-in at Taylor's Landing:

From Rt. 1 South or North take Rt. 138 heading WEST. Follow this to the intersection with Rt. 110. Right after this intersection on your LEFT is the put in. Watch for the sign. This can also be reached from Rt. 95 North or South. Take the exit for Rt. 138 and follow it EAST.  

Put in:  N41 28 962   W071 33 082 or  3348 Kingstown Road, West Kingston, RI

 

We meet at the put-in. Take out at Biscuit City:  N 41° 27.060   W 071° 36.969 or 15 Biscuit City road, Richmond, RI

 Directions: From Rt. 95 North or South. Take the exit for Rt. 138 and follow it EAST. From the intersection of Routes 2 and 138, head south on Route 2 for approx 3+ miles.  Take a left on Biscuit City Road (off of Rt 2).  If you miss that left, take the next left on Kenyon School Road.  River access is a short way down road on left,  just before the Fenced off railroad tracks

Worden's Pond is one take out area.  Rt. 138 to Rt. 110 to Worden's Pond Rd., take right ½ mile on north side (S). Cement Slab ramp. more detail -Take out at Worden's Pond fishing access on Worden's Pond Road.   41.25.778  071.34.064  From Taylor's Landing. Drive down Ministerial RD (RT 110) to Tuckertown Four Corners. At the blinking light at intersection (Soccer Fields on far left).  Turn right on to Wordens Pond Rd. 

When you first see the pond, turn right into parking lot.  

"The Great Swamp, located in the southern part of Rhode Island, provides perhaps the most intriguing paddle trip in the state. The trip is an excursion into hidden jungle-like retreats that cannot be reached any other way. Here, you will float into a vast state-owned management are a on one river, paddle across a shallow but wide pond, and then finish your trip on another river that snakes its way through dense vine-draped vegetation. There will be no doubt in your mind why this area is called Great Swamp. "(excerpt from Gorp) 7.59 miles.

 It is not a beginner trip. There will be poison ivy, so long sleeves and gloves are advised. There are numerous blow-downs and beaver dams to be gone around over or under.   It is a gorgeous paddle, but a challenging paddle as well. 
Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
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May 25th Quinebaug River in Brooklyn CT- Meet at 9:00 for a 9:30 launch. Trip Coordinators: Skye Pechie scitamb.2@juno.com  and Steve Pechie Resq1192@gmail.com

An up and back trip of approximately 9- miles. Trip is suitable for everyone. No shuttle needed.

Bring a lunch.

This trip is suitable for everyone.

Quinebaug River in Brooklyn CT

18 Day Street, Brooklyn CT 06234

N41° 48.161'   W071° 53.775'

Driving Directions:

 From Route 6, turn north at the traffic signal onto Day Street. There is a Citgo gas station and convenience store at the intersection. Drive 300 feet, then turn right at the signs for “Quinebaug River Canoe Trail” and Riverbend Apartments. Drive down the hill approximately 400 feet and bear left at the apartments. Turn right at the bottom of the hill into the parking lot. Parking & Access to the River River access is at the end of the parking lot on the left.


Site Description The Town Of Brooklyn Riverside Park Canoe Launch is very user friendly. Both novice and experienced paddlers can enjoy several hours here. The site is easy to find, has good parking, and can be used almost all year. It is a good place for fishing and a picnic although there are no restroom facilities. Paddlers can travel three to four miles upstream and then return back downstream to the launch site.

The ramp is constructed of two-inch angular stone and is about 10 feet wide. At the bottom of the stone ramp there are several three by threefoot concrete slabs resting on the river bottom. Adjacent steeper slopes are cleared of underbrush and covered with wood chips to create river views.

This is intended to be a hand launch ramp; a locked cable prevents vehicular access. Nevertheless, be aware that small motorized boats do travel on this portion of the Quinebaug.
Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
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June 1st Assabet River  Acton to Concord  Trip Coordinator: Sharon Dragon shdrag1@gmail.com  401-225-3942

We will paddle down the Assabet River to its convergence with the Sudbury River to form the Concord River. This trip is mostly flatwater, with some quickwater.

Suitable for all boats and all levels of experience.
Bring a lunch.

Assabet River - Acton, MA to Concord, MA

We will put in at the Acton Canoe Launch and paddle down the Assabet River to its convergence with the Sudbury River to form the Concord River. This trip is mostly flatwater, with some quickwater. We will continue down the Concord River the Old North Bridge in the Minute Man National Historic Site.

Put-in - Acton Canoe Launch, 63 Powder Mill Road, Acton, MA

Directions to the Put in: from I495 north, take old exit 27 toward Stow. Turn left onto MA-117 east.  Continue 7 miles and take left on to Main St.  After 1 mile take a
right on the Waltham Street.  After 500 feet take a left onto Powder Mill Rd (MA-62 east).  Continue for 1.2 miles.  

The Acton Canoe Launch is on the right just before the bridge.  42°26'26.1"N 71°25'46.9"W

(Take out - Old Calf Pasture, 181 Lowell Road, Concord, MA )

 Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
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June 8th Seekonk River in Pawtucket
Trip Coordinators: Skye Pechie scitamb.2@juno.com  and Steve Pechie Resq1192@gmail.com

For the first half mile below this access site, the Seekonk River is relatively narrow, but it then opens up into a broad tidal estuary between East Providence and Providence.

Bring a lunch

Blackstone Park in Providence. 

Coordinates are N41 50.163 W71 22.769.

Address is 100 Gulf Ave. Providence using Google.

Depending on how you get there, either address or coords you will either take a left or go straight through the Do Not Enter Signs.  There is a sign that says only vehicles launching kayaks are allowed. Parking is on the right side. There are 5 lined spots, before the launch and unlimited street parking after the launch.

For the first half mile below this access site, the Seekonk River is relatively narrow, but it then opens up into a broad tidal estuary between East Providence and Providence that extends south for 3 miles to the narrows where the Seekonk flows into the Providence River at India Point. The convoluted shoreline of the estuary provides some good potential for exploration as long as you pay attention to the wind and tides.

The tide runs hard through the narrows at India Point, and it is a complex current that does not always flow in the direction you would expect given the state of the tide. However, there are 3 miles of river to explore between Pawtucket and the narrows so it is easy to stay clear of the narrows and still do quite a bit of paddling.

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
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June 9th Jay Cronan to Bradford. Pawcatuck River Trip. Meet at 10 for a 10:30 shuttle Coordinator: Sharon Dragon shdrag1@gmail.com  401-225-3942

We will put-in in at the Jay Cronan Access and paddle down to Bradford Landing. The river twists and turns, and you can run or portage the broken dam at Burdickville.

 Bring a lunch.

41° 26.707' N    71° 40.873' W
  
Street address:  591 Alton Carolina Rd Charlestown, RI 02813 
Jay Cronan access on the Upper Pawcatuck to the take out at Bradford. 

This is a good access point for paddling on the upper Pawcatuck River above the confluence with the Wood River.. 

An 8-mile trip. We will put in at the Jay Cronin Access in Richmond. For the first half of the trip, that river twists and turns though a pretty woodland, but we will need to maneuver over, under and around blwon-downed trees.

For the second half of the trip below its convergence with the Wood River in Alton, the river opens up. The broken dam at Burdickville can be run or portaged. From there, it is an easy paddle down to the Bradford Landing.  

Directions: - On Route 91 (Alton-Carolina Road) between Carolina and Wood River Junction, look for signs for this DEM fishing access site on the south side of the road, next to a bridge across the Wood River.
See this location in: Google Maps  


Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
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June 15th Snake River Taunton MA- Meet at 9:30 for a 10:00 launch. Trip  Coordinator is Gary Powers rickamembership@gmail.com   

The Snake meanders with countless hairpin turns through the vast Hockomock Swamp.

Suitable for boats 15-feet and under in length.
 lunch.

Lake Sabbatiia and the Snake River

41° 56.796' N    71° 6.848' W   

See this location in: Google Maps   

This is a site for launching boats from trailers. Boat ramps can normally be used to launch canoes and kayaks but please do your best to keep the boat ramp clear for boat trailers.

Lake Sabbatia is a 237 acre lake created by a dam at the south end, where the Mill River now begins. There is no viable portage around this dam but there's plenty of boating to be done on Lake Sabbatia. The shoreline is largely suburban so this is not a wilderness lake, but it's a relatively pretty lake. Powerboats, including jet skis, do use this lake, so don't expect peace and quiet here, especially on a fine summer weekend.

The Snake River flows into the lake about 400 yards east of the boat ramp and you can paddle some distance up the Snake, possibly as far as Winnecunnet Pond depending on conditions and your willingness to push through brushy areas. The first part of the Snake is really more of an arm of Lake Sabbatia but after you go under Scadding Street the river narrows down and winds through wetlands, passing under I-495.

Note that 10 of the parking spaces at the boat ramp are designated for vehicles with trailers only. The other 7 spaces are for "boating access only" so you should be OK if you're parking there to canoe or kayak.

This site provides access to the following water bodies in the Taunton River watershed: Lake Sabbatia.

Town: Taunton

Driving Landmarks: From I-495 take Exit 9 and head south on Bay Street towards Taunton. In about 1.2 miles look for the boat ramp on the left.

From downtown Taunton take Broadway (Route 138) north and then bear left onto Bay Street. The boat ramp is on the right about 2.8 miles from where Bay Street splits off from Broadway.
Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 

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June 17th Meeting on the Water Paddle P
 
Our first on-water meeting/paddle of the season is the signal that summer is here! For those new to the club, a group paddle or event replaces the more structured meetings of fall through spring, and takes place on the third Monday evening of the month. 
 
  Trip Coordinators are  Cindy Gianfransesco and Chuck Horbert chorbert13@gmail.com  401-418- 2838 

Upper Pawtuxet in Hope, RI.  Meet at 6:00 for a 6:30 launch

41° 43.867' N    71° 33.92' W    Google Maps

Round Trip with exploring the coves is approximately a 5 mile trip.

The first part of this paddle takes you through the winding marshy pond created by the Hope Dam.  When you get to the end, stay off the Scituate Reservoir dam (posted) amd paddle back to the put in. Very cold and clean water coming from the bottom of the Scituate Reservoir.

Driving Landmarks: From Route 116 north or south turn onto Hope Furnace Road at Rufinos Pizzeria in Hope. 200 feet down Hope Furnace Road look for a dirt drive leading to the access site.
Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the message board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 

 _________
June 21st Full Moon Paddle. Full Moon Paddle on Worden Pond - South Kingstown
Meet at 7:30 for an 8:00 pm launch.
Trip Coordinators: Jen Stanton bigredstantons@gmail.com Cindy Gianfransesco and Chuck Horbert chorbert13@gmail.com  401-418-2838

Worden Pond is the second-largest freshwater lake in RI.

 Bring a headlamp or waterproof light. 

Worden Pond in South Kingstown

Worden Pond is a large lake in South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island. It is the second-largest freshwater lake in the state of Rhode Island, behind Scituate Reservoir, and the largest natural freshwater lake in the state.

This access site on the south shore of Worden Pond has a small dock, a cement plank boat ramp, and a large gravel parking lot.


Town: South Kingstown

41° 25.776' N    71° 34.04' W   See this location in: Google Maps

Driving Landmarks: On Wordens Pond Road, 1/2 mile west of the junction with Route 110 (Ministerial Road)
Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 

 _________
June 22nd Pawcatuck River from Bradford to Potter Hill . Meet at 10:00 for a 10:30 launch. Trip Coordinator is Erik Eckilson 617-794- 0378 eckilson@cox.net 

Bring a lunch.

A 7.5-mile trip down the Pawcatuck River. We will put in at the Bradford Landing.

Just downstream of the put in are the fish weirs at the new Bradford Dam, which can be run or portaged. We will stop for lunch at the Polly Coon Footbridge. Bring a lunch. Bring a lunch.

Bradford to Potter Hill- Pawcatuck River Ashaway
Just downstream of the put in are the fish weirs at the new Bradford Dam, which can be run or portaged.

From Bradford to Route 3 the river twists and turns through the woodlands of the Grills Preserve. Below Route 3 the river meanders though open marshland to the Potter Hill Dam.

 41° 24.386' N    71° 44.882' W  Google Maps 

 Put-in: Bradford Boat Launch, Bradford, RI
 https://maps.app.goo.gl/k6i5zBVw3KwhzXqh9

Directions - 95, R.I. to Exit 1 onto Rt. 3 south for 1.8 miles. At Rt. 216 go left (onto 216). Follow 216. Put in will be on the left shortly after a
 right turn where 216 merges with Rt. 91 (same road, two route #'s).
Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 

 _________
June 30th Big River Coventry. Meet at 9:30 for a 10:00 launch. Trip coordiantors are Pat Lardner 401-524- 8057 pslardner@gmail.com, Deb Britt debritt.8595@gmail.com and Paula Kendall.

We will put in at Zeke's Bridge, paddle upstream against the current, and then return with the current to the put-in. River is narrow with lots of twist and turns - not suitable for kayaks over 15 feet.

Bring a lunch.

This trip requires a RSVP to Pat pslardner@gmail.com and is limited to 12 cars, due to limited parking.


This is a narrow, twisty river in places and shorter boats will have an easier time.

Erik's video on the Big River

 Trip is not suitable for kayaks over 15 feet.

 Narrow and twisty river. Paddle upstream against the current and then return with the current to the put-in.

Zeke's Bridge state access. N41 39 906  -   W071 37 115

490 Harkney Hill Rd. Coventry  Google Maps

Narrow and twisty river. Paddle upstream against the current and then return with the current to the put-in.  The river gets smaller and smaller winding through the woods over beaver dams.

Heading upstream from Route 3 you are heading into the heart of the 8600 acre Big River Management Area. Be prepared for lots of twisting and turning because the river follows a very meandering course. At times the main channel can be hard to follow because of the many dead end side channels that branch off.  These challenges, combined with the fact that you are paddling upstream and likely to encounter beaver dams, makes this an energetic paddle..

The reward is getting to explore a beautiful natural area. Much of the area is low and marshy but the river occasionally swings close to higher ground.  If the water level is good and the channel not too overwhelmed by vegetation you can go about 2 3/4 miles beyond Route 3 to where Nooseneck River comes in from the west. Shortly beyond here both Nooseneck River and Big River get too narrow to be paddleable.

Directions from 95 South.. Take exit 6 To Rt. 3 north ( DO NOT take exit 6-A which is Hopkins Hill Road) Take a right at the bottom of the exit and

follow 3 North for about a mile and a half. Take a left onto Harkney Hill Road. Follow for a little over a mile and look for the access for Zekes Bridge.

Directions from 95 North, Take exit 6 to Rt. 3 north. ( DO NOT take exit 6-A which is Hopkins Hill Road) Take a left at the bottom of the exit and follow 3 North for about a mile and a half. Take a left onto Harkney Hill Road. Follow for a little over a mile and look for the access for Zekes Bridge.
Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 

 _________
  
July 4th The Providence River at Bold Point in East Providence. Trip coordinator is Erik Eckilson eckilson@cox.net 617-794-0378
Meet at 9:00 for a 9:30 launch.

We will put in at Bold Point in East Providence, paddle across Providence Harbor, through the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier, and up the Providence and Woonasquatucket Rivers to the Providence Place Mall.

If you would rather not cross the Washington Bridge, you can launch at South Water Street in Providence (parking is limited) and meet us as we paddle by.

Put-in: Bold Point Park, East Providence

https://maps.app.goo.gl/gvmeRhvP1roqG6SY7

Waterplace Park, an urban park is the centerpiece of the redevelopment project that transformed Providence’s downtown into a trendy European-style tourist destination.  The park, sitting on both banks of the Woonasquatucket River in downtown Providence, connect to cobblestone-paved pedestrian walkways along the waterfront known as the Riverwalk.   Most of the Riverwalk is below street level and is closed to automobile traffic.  Waterplace Park and the Riverwalk are also known for Providence's famous Waterfire festivals.

 This paddle will start in East Providence in Bold Point Park which has ample parking space for boaters.  From the Bold Point put-in, kayaks travel through the Green Jacket Shoal at the northern end of Narragansett Bay.


Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 

 _________
 
July 6th Flatwater Training on Stump Pond in Smithfield at 1:00.  Registration is required.

In this 3-hour class, paddlers will learn the basic strokes and maneuvers to control their boats on flatwater. We will also cover basic rescue techniques.

The class will take place at Stump Pond. Bill Luther and Erik Eckilson will be instructing.

If you need additional information or to register, please contact Erik Eckilson at eckilson@cox.net 
617-794- 0378 or  Cheryl Thompson  at stonefoxfarm@juno.com
401-497-5887

Stump Pond in Smithfield

41° 54.044' N    71° 32.776' W   

See this location in: Google Maps   

(Parking across from 64 Log Road, Smithfield, RI) 

The 300-acre reservoir commonly known as Stump Pond is also known as the Stillwater Reservoir and the Woonasquatucket Reservoir.  The Stump Pond name comes from the time dead tree trunks stood in the water after the land was flooded to create the reservoir.  The put-in parking lot is used by many fishermen and can be crowded at times.  There is a concrete ramp for boat trailers and grassy space on either side for launching kayaks if the ramp is being used to launch larger boats. 

From Route I-295 northbound or southbound, take Exit 8B for Route 7 north.  Travel about 0.4 mile on Route 7 north to the next traffic light. At the light, turn left onto Route 116 South. Go one mile on Route 116 South to the T intersection traffic signal and turn left. 

Immediately, turn right at the next light to continue on Route 116/Route 5.  Pass the Smithfield Police Department station on the left and cross over the bridge.  Where Route 116/5 curves sharply to the left, take the first right for Log Road.  Shortly after, bear right at the fork to remain on Log Road.  Go one quarter mile more and turn right into the Stump Pond Fishing Area parking lot. (The entrance is across the street from 64 Log Road, Smithfield.)   


Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 
_________

July 6th Charles River in Waltham. Meet at 9:30 for a 10:00 launch. Trip coordinators are Skye and Steve Pechie.

Bring a lunch
.   

N 42° 21.756 W 071° 14.696 
Launch at 47 Wored Avene Waltham MA
.
 Google



We will paddle up River and pass through ponds by camps and homes to Norumbega Pond pass under  ramps and bridges for the Mass Pike and continue up River towards Wellesley and Newton Lower Falls. 

You may encounter some of nature's usual and unusual sights including Alligator, Bison and Elk.  Pass by the site where the tractor trailer full of Mail drove over the guard rail and fell down Into  the river. 

On the return, you can paddle down to the Moody St Dam. 

Bring a lunch, there are good spots to stop along the way.

 

 

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

 Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 
_________


July 7th Switch Road Trip coordinators are Cindy Gianfransesco and Chuck Horbert chorbert13@gmail.com  401-418- 2838.



Bring a lunch. Bring wheels if you have them

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

 Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 
_________

July 15th Meeting on the water. TBD

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

 Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 
_________
July 20th Full Moon  on Worden Pond - South Kingstown
Meet at 7:15 for a 7:45 pm launch.
Trip Coordinators: Jen Stanton bigredstantons@gmail.com Cindy Gianfransesco and Chuck Horbert chorbert13@gmail.com  401-418-2838

Worden Pond is the second-largest freshwater lake in RI.

 Bring a headlamp or waterproof light. 

Worden Pond in South Kingstown

Worden Pond is a large lake in South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island. It is the second-largest freshwater lake in the state of Rhode Island, behind Scituate Reservoir, and the largest natural freshwater lake in the state.

This access site on the south shore of Worden Pond has a small dock, a cement plank boat ramp, and a large gravel parking lot.


Town: South Kingstown

41° 25.776' N    71° 34.04' W   See this location in: Google Maps

Driving Landmarks: On Wordens Pond Road, 1/2 mile west of the junction with Route 110 (Ministerial Road)

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

 Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 
_________
July 20th  Pt Judith Pond South Kingstown. Meet at 10:00 for a 10:30 launch. Trip coordinator: Erik Eckilson 617-794-0378 eckilson@cox.net

Bring a lunch.

We will put in at the public boat launch at Marina Park.
 Suitable for boats 14-feet or longer.

Trip will be 8-miles if we paddle all the way down to Galilee.  

You must be a strong paddler as we often have very windy conditions to deal with along with currents and boat traffic.

Put-in: 214 Salt Pond Rd, South Kingstown, RI 02879

https://maps.app.goo.gl/3egLywpMCFy7adni7


Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.



 Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 
_________

July 21st  Ninigret in Charlestown. Meet at 10:00 for a 10:30 launch. Trip coordinator is shdrag1@gmail.com
401-225-3942.

Suitable only for boats 12 feet or longer.
.
Bring a lunch

Ninigret Pond is Rhode Island's largest coastal salt pond. The area features stunning landscapes and abundant coves for paddle craft to explore. It is also a great place to view wildlife.

The area near the Charlestown Breachway (the outlet to the ocean) is dangerous for paddle craft and should be avoided because of both strong currents and heavy boat traffic. Otherwise, the pond is usually a calm and easy place to paddle. On most days the southwest wind fills in across this area in the morning and blows throughout the afternoon.

Google Maps

GPS coordinates to parking lot:

N 41 21.900  
W 071 39.400

Directions:  
Take Route 1 south to Charlestown, going 2.3 miles past the junction of Route 1 and Route 2.  After going past Prosser Trail (Windswept Inn on corner), make a U-turn onto Route 1 north, then bear right onto Route 1A (at the Tourist Information sign)  follow the Ninigret Park (a town park) sign on Route 1A for 0.5 mile and then turn right into the main entrance to the park (across from Charlestown Police station). 

The launch site is at the very end of the main access road (about 1 mile down Park Lane). Follow the road (Park Lane) left at the tennis courts, past the Frosty Drew observatory, and then straight to the terminus of the road at the Grassy Point parking area in the US Fish and Wildlife Refuge.   

There is a gravel road at the end of the parking area to drive down to the Kayak Launch to unload your boats.  Once unloaded, drive cars back to parking area.  There is also a rest room located at the parking area. Parking available for 25 to 30 cars.

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

 Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 
_________
July 27th  Green Hill Pond- 
Meet at 9:30 for a 10:00 launch. 
Coordinators: Pat Lardner 401-524-8057
pslardner@gmail.com  and Jen Stanton bigredstantons@gmail.com and Deb Britt


Bring a lunch.

Suitable for boats 12 feet or longer only.


Green Hill Pond is a 439 acre enclosed lagoon in South Kingstown, although access is in Charlestown. It connects with Ninigret Pond to the west through a narrow channel. It is quite shallow with small islands, rock outcroppings and interesting creeks, and has a combination of wooded areas and summer colonies along the shore. Bordered by a barrier beach along the south with vast areas of salt marsh, Green Hill Pond provides a great spot for birding.

Directions

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

 Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities
_________
July 28th Sutton-MA  Blackstone River
Frank Cortesa and Gary Powers

Tri-Centennial Park

This trip is for paddlers experienced in moving water with good boat control.

Travel into Sutton by following 122A and making a left onto Blackstone Street which is  a left just before the Railroad Bridge.   Tri-centennial Park is on the left. .

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

 Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 
_________
August 3rd West River extended trip
Frank Cortesa

Details to come
Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

 Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 
_________

August 4th Sudbury River

Meet at 10:00 for a 10:30 shuttle  Trip coordinator: Erik Eckilson 617-794-0378 eckilson@cox.net

Sudbury River – Wayland to Concord

We will put-in at Sherman’s Bridge Road in Wayland and paddled down to Lowell Road in Concord  - about 8 miles.

 For much of the trip, the Sudbury meanders through marshland of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. We swill stop for lunch at Brooke Island at Fairhaven Bay.

Those who are interested can continue a short distance past the take out to visit the Old North Bridge in the Minuteman National Historic Park.

Put-in: 72 Sherman's Bridge Rd, Wayland, MA 01778

https://maps.app.goo.gl/McRcBeWF1PsrsUY19
Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities. 
_________

August 10th Whitehall Reservoir  Hopkington MA
Meet at 10:00 for a 10:30 launch. Trip coordinators are Steve and Joanna Norris sirron30@gmail.come

Bring a lunch.

Whitehall State Park

 Whitehall Reservoir at one time served as a water supply for areas west of Boston, but with Quabbin Reservoir’s creation in 1939, drinking water from Whitehall was no longer needed, and the area eventually was turned into a state park. Its years of restricted access mean great boating today.

The park encompasses the reservoir’s entire shoreline but allows homeowners to erect small docks. From the water, the reservoir feels undeveloped and wild. The highly varied shoreline includes numerous deep coves and dozens of wonderful islands to explore. A few marshy areas occur along the mainly heavily wooded shoreline. The open and inviting woods invite picnicking. Mixed deciduous trees and conifers, typical of southern Massachusetts, along with mountain laurel and highbush blueberry, grow along the shore.


Locals help research team revive loon population in Lake Whitehall in Hopkinton

 Expect to see: mixed deciduous-conifer shorelines; some islands with Atlantic white cedar, spruce, tamarack.

Rte. 135, Hopkinton- Directions:.....495 N exit 21 to Hopkington. 1.0 miles to light take a left onto Rt. 135 or Wood St. 2.6 miles  to Whitehall State Park on left.
GPS coordinates: N42 14.458'   W071 34.392'


This park consists almost entirely of water: the 592 acre Whitehall Reservoir was once used as a source of drinking water. The area offers boating, fishing, a public boat ramp, and hiking trails. Recreational Opportunities
Boating (all types), Boat Ramp, Canoeing, Fishing, Walking Trails.
Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
_________
August 11th Carr Pond North Kingstown- Chuck Horbert chorbert13@gmail.com  401-418- 2838 
and Cindy Gianfransesco
Meet at 10:30 in the parking area.

Portage wheels or a cart are required.

Bring a lunch.

After we unload and put boats on the carts, it is a 0.3 mile walk down to the launch beach. Once we get there, we will have lunch and a break before we launch. After a tour of the pond and parts of the Mattatuxet River, we will return to the beach and walk back to our cars. Perhaps after a beach cocktail, depending on the bug situation.
Directions: The Access road is a dirt road between 975 and 1007 Gilbert Stuart Road in North Kingstown. It may not be marked. Rough lat-long coordinates in decimal format is 41.517158, -71.449330.
 It is a long drive into the gravel parking area (about a quarter mile)

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________

August 17th Full Moon Paddle South Kingstown
Meet at  6:45 for a 7:15 launch at Worden pond launch. Trip coordinators are Jen Stanton and Cindy Gianfransesco and chorbert13@gmail.com  401-418- 2838 


Worden Pond is the second-largest freshwater lake in RI.

 Bring a headlamp or waterproof light. 

Worden Pond in South Kingstown

Worden Pond is a large lake in South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island. It is the second-largest freshwater lake in the state of Rhode Island, behind Scituate Reservoir, and the largest natural freshwater lake in the state.

This access site on the south shore of Worden Pond has a small dock, a cement plank boat ramp, and a large gravel parking lot.


Town: South Kingstown

41° 25.776' N    71° 34.04' W   See this location in: Google Maps

Driving Landmarks: On Wordens Pond Road, 1/2 mile west of the junction with Route 110 (Ministerial Road)


Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________

August 18th Slocum River in Dartmouth MA Meet at 9:30 for a 10:00 launch. Trip coordinators are  JeanMarie Josephson 401-245-5523 kayakjmj@yahoo.com, Skye anbd Steve Pechie tmbgambassador@gmail.com 

This is a joint paddle with the sea kayakers.


 Bring a lunch. Boats 14 feet and longer required for this trip.

Slocum River 

Slocum River a tidal river that leads to the ocean. This is a great paddle. You can find wide open expanses and great salt marshes

 Directions from Providence on Rt 195, exit at Faunce Corner. Go right at end of ramp onto Faunce Corner Rd. At Route 6 go straight across onto Old Westport Rd. At the fork, bear left  onto Chase Road and continue to end (about 3.5 mi.) At the end (Russells Mills Rd) take a right, go about 1 mile.

Watch for Davoll's Store on left. Continue straight after the store onto Horseneck Rd. About 1/4 mi. down you will see the Town Landing Launch on left near tennis courts and a dirt parking area. Site has a restroom and running water in Season.

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________

August 19th Meeting on the Water at Lincoln Woods
 Lincoln, RI  Meet at 5:30 for a 6:00  launch. Trip coordinator: Al Sampson  wanderlust_bristol@yahoo.com 


Trip is suitable for all.

A pleasant paddle around Olney Pond in the Lincoln Woods State Park.

Starting at the park’s Boat Ramp, a typical paddle skirts the perimeter of Olney Pond to view the glacial erratic boulders and wildlife in the coves and along the shoreline.  

From Rhode Island Route 146 southbound from Woonsocket and Massachusetts: Going south on Route 146, take Exit 4 and turn right onto Twin River Road east. 

 From Rhode Island Route 146 northbound from Providence:  Going north on Route 146, take Exit 4 and turn left onto Twin River Road east. 

 Go down the hill to the end of Twin River Road.  At the park entrance, turn right onto the Les Pawson Loop.  Pass two parking lots and the public beach on the left.  Be aware of speed bumps and pedestrians using the left side of the one-way road.  Go a total of 1.4 miles.  You will see a large Lincoln Woods Boat Ramp sign on the left and a small sign on the right.  Turn left onto the unpaved access road to enter the boat launch area.

 The boat ramp has ample room for parking.  There are also two ramps designed for transferring to a kayak from a wheelchair.  When leaving the boat launch area, turn left onto the one way Les Pawson Loop to reach the Twin River Road and the Manchester Print Works Road exits.



Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________

August 24th Quonnie Pond in Charlestown
 Pat Lardner, Deb Britt and Paula Kendall

41° 20.219' N    
71° 43.346' W   
See this location in: Google Maps

Boats 13 feet and longer are required.

Bring a lunch

The boat ramp at the inner end of the Quonochontaug Breachway provides access to  Quonochontaug Pond. The pond is a large salt pond with many coves and channels to explore in a kayak or other small boat. This boat launch is the only good access to this salt pond and sees heavy use from fishermen, boaters and day-trippers.

Once beyond the launch area and on the salt pond it can be a blissful to paddle the salt pond with its expansive untouched barrier beach, classic Victorian summer cottages, extensive salt marshes and bird sanctuary.

The tide runs very hard through the breachway so caution is advised in and near the breachway, including crossing the inner end of the breachway.  Use the nearby sandy area to launch hand-carried boats to avoid the current in the breachway channel (and leave the ramp clear for trailered boats.)

On most summer days the southwest wind fills in across this area in the morning and blows throughout the afternoon, so be prepared for this.

Driving Landmarks: From Route 1 south turn left onto West Beach Road, which is after East Beach Road. From Route 1 north turn right onto West Beach Road. Follow West Beach Road to the end of the road, bearing right at 1.4 miles and again half a mile later. This second right will put you on West End Road. The boat ramp is a half a mile ahead at the end of this road, the last part of which is a dirt road.

From the RI Blueways

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________
August 31st Swallow Murmuration Paddle on the CT River- Cheryl Thompson stonefoxfarm@juno.com  401-497-5887 and Skye and Steve Pechie scitamb.2@juno.com
Meet at 5:15 for a 5:45pm launch. Sunset will be at 7:23.

Bring your dinner if you wish to eat while waiting in your boat for the display to begin.

Minimum boat lenght requirement is 14 feet and longer

A note from Rich Coupland who organized this event last year for us:
 
"Every year, September through early October, the swallows congregate on the lower Connecticut River. Perhaps half a million birds gather in the reeds of a small island each evening before sunset, then lift into the sky and swoop back and forth in large, a coordinated display known as a murmuration. To sit in a small boat and look up at this display is a very special experience.

The gathering is usually at the north end of Goose Island, on the east side of the Connecticut River, a mere two miles north of I95. It has been ongoing for many years. There are often private power boats and kayaks there in the evening, and there has been a commercial dinner cruise that visited the site. The Associated Press did a story on this in 2014: https://www.thestar.com/life/travel/torn...4.amp.html.

On September 5th 2023 I joined a Tuesday Night Paddle group in Connecticut for their annual Swallows Paddle. Here is a summary of that trip.

The preferred location is just south of I95, on the east side of the Connecticut River at Ferry Landing State Park, 398 Ferry Rd, Old Lyme, CT 06371. Drive down to the water, and the put-in is a small sandy area with a couple of picnic tables, before the first parking area. There isn’t much traffic on this dead-end road, so most people stopped to offload their boats, then found parking.
 
The Paddle is about 2.3 miles north to the viewing area at the north end of Goose Island. Paddle to the right of Calf Island and Goose Island, then around to the north point of Goose Island. Watch for other boat traffic.
 
We left the put-in at about 5:40 and had plenty of time to get to the viewing area. The action started after 6:30, and ended about 7:30. We had perfect weather (hot, clear, and calm) and saw a spectacular show.  
Some thoughts:
 
We were comfortable in lightweight paddle clothing but, in general, plan for cooler evenings.
 
The Coast Guard requires Kayaks to display a single white light that is visible from all angles. Most boats had deck mounted lights. Headlamps are essential at the take-out as it is not lit, though some parking spots are floodlit.
  
Over-all, this was a great way to spend a late-summer evening!" Rich


Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________
September 7th to September 14th Adiondack Trip Chuck Horbert chorbert13@gmail.com  401-418- 2838 and Cindy Gianfransesco.

Contact Chuck for more information

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________
September 28th Nashua River- Meet at 10:00 for a 10:30 launch  Trip coordinators are Frank Cortesa  frankcortesa@charter.net  508-369-8205 and Louise Price weezrad@yahoo.com.
 
 Suitable for all. Bring a lunch.
The Nashua river has been referred to as one of the prettiest places to paddle in eastern Mass. 
Twists and turns among the many islands coupled with many side channels turns this inundated marshland into a giant 5 mile long maze. Round trip will make this an approx. 10 mile paddle.
 

Directions:  Rt. 495 N.  Exit 31 ramp right for Rt. 119 toward Acton/Groton.  Turn right onto Rt. 119W / Great Rd.   Follow 119 for about 8.4 miles (the road forks twice, be  sure to follow Rt 119 West).   

At about 8.3 miles you will pass the Nashua River Resource Center (on the right). About 50 yards after the NRRC, take the right fork onto Nod Rd.  

 About 75 yds after  the fork, Nod Rd makes a hard right, the Petapawag Canoe Launch will be on your left as Nod Rd turns right.  

 If  you cross a bridge on 119 and enter Pepperell, you will have  just missed Nod Rd.  

 
GPS: N42.37.693
 W071.35.590


Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________

September 29th Annual Picnic and paddle.
 RICKA's Annual Picnic- Flatwater Trip Coordinators: Cheryl Thompson stonefoxfarm@juno.com or 401-497-5887 and Sharon Dragon shdrag1@gmail.com 401-225-3942.

The Flatwater paddle will be at Wilson Park. Meet at 9:30 and we will be launching promptly at 10:00.

Details on the picnic to come.  Picnic organizer is Jen Stanton bigredstantons@gmail.com 

Wilson Park boat ramp.

Paddle in the calm, wind-protected waters among the islands and marshes.

A great opportunity to see osprey, great blue heron, green heron, great egrets, cormorants, bufflehead ducks, and maybe a deer or two.

Google Maps 

Turn onto Intrepid St. from RT 1 (it's just North of the junction of RT 1 & 1A, near the fire & Police stations). Continue to the launch and the parking lot at the very end. NOTE: You can also get to the launch by going through the main entrance for Wilson Park from RT 1A, just South of the RT 1 & RT 1A junction, but it might be easier going the other way.

GPS N41 34.638  W071 27.187 Boat ramp


Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________

October 5th Farmington River Meet at 11:00 for an 11:30 launch. Trip coordinator is Sharon Dragon shdrag1@gmail.com 401-225-3942

Bring a lunch. Trip is suitable for all.

A flatwater paddle on the Farmington River, upstream to the Route 187 bridge in East Granby CT and back downriver. It is a total of 7.73 miles up and back,  More info about the Farmington River is at http://frwa.org/

Put-In: From Route I-84 take exit 39 (Not exit 39A)and head west on Route 4 for about 2 miles.

Put-in is on the left just after crossing the river. The road down to the parking area is hard to spot and looks like just a missing piece of guard rail until you are right across from it.

Put-in: GPS coordinates: 41º 43’ 41.0” N by - 72º 49’ 46.0" W

AutoNav GPS Address is 880 Farmington Ave, Farmington CT 

The Farmington is a very pretty leisurely wide low current river that meanders through the countryside with overhanging trees. 

Points of interest include the wonderful Flower Bridge where we will have our lunch before returning to the take out downstream.. At the take out there are two very large sycamore trees in this small park. The plaque by one of the trees gives a little history of the park.



Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________

October 6th 100 Acre Pond-

100 Acre Pond West Kingston RI. Meet at 10:00 for a 10:30 launch. Trip coordinators are Chuck Horbert  chorbert13@gmail.com 401-418- 2838 and Cindy Gianfranceso.

RSVP is required for this trip. There will be a maximum number of boats allowed.

Bring a lunch

We will paddle upstream on the Chipuxet River through Thirty Acre Pond and up to Hundred Acre Pond, and then return to Taylor Landing.

The river is narrow and meandering, with at least one beaver dam to climb over and one potentially shallow spots to wade up, so expect wet feet. As with most sections of the Chipuxet poison ivy is a hazard. There are a couple low-clearance bridges to get under. This is a short but interesting 4-mile paddle that can be extended by also going downstream from Taylor Landing a short distance.

Directions to the put-in at Taylor's Landing: 

Put in:  N41 28 962   W071 33 082 or  3348 Kingstown Road, West Kingston, RI

 From Rt. 1 South or North take Rt. 138 heading WEST. Follow this to the intersection with Rt. 110. Right after this

intersection on your LEFT is the put in. Watch for the sign. This can also be reached from Rt. 95 North or South. Take the exit for

 Rt. 138 and follow it EAST.  
Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________
October 13th Blackstone Gorge Foliage Paddle   Meet at 9:30 for a 10:00 launch. Trip coordinator is rickamembership@gmail.com.

Trip is suitable for all, Bring a lunch.

Blackstone Gorge in Blackstone MA  Suitable for all levels of experience.

The Blackstone Gorge : GPS Coordinates: N42 00.923     W071 33.165

66 County Street, Blackstone MA

See this location in: Google Maps

From the North (Massachusetts, Worcester Area)  Go to Route 146 South. In Rhode Island, take Exit 14 for Forestdale/North Smithfield. Turn left off the exit ramp and cross over the highway bridge. Go straight through the traffic light for Great Road, Route 146A south. Follow Great Road, Route 146A straight to the next traffic light.  Turn left onto St. Paul Street. Follow St. Paul Street to the traffic light at the end.  Turn left onto Route 122 north, Main Street, Blackstone Mass. Follow Rt. 122 north for about 1 mile. A sign will direct you to turn left onto County Street towards the Blackstone Gorge.  The gorge is at the end of County Street with parking on the left.

From the South (Rhode Island and the Providence Area)Go to Route 146 North. While still in Rhode Island, take Exit 14 for Forestdale/North Smithfield.    Turn right at the end of the exit ramp.   Take an immediate right at the traffic light onto Route 146A South, Great Road. Follow Great Road straight to the next traffic light.   Turn left onto St. Paul Street. Follow St. Paul Street to the traffic light at the end.  Turn left onto Route 122, Main Street North in Blackstone Mass.   Follow Rt. 122 North for about 1 mile.  A sign will direct you to turn left onto County Street towards the Blackstone Gorge.      The gorge is at the end of County Street with parking on the left. 
Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________
October 18th Full Moon Paddle South Kingstown on Worden Pond Meet at 5:00 for a 5:30 launch. Trip Coordinators: Jen Stanton bigredstantons@gmail.com Cindy Gianfransesco and Chuck Horbert chorbert13@gmail.com  401-418-2838

Worden Pond is the second-largest freshwater lake in RI.

 Bring a headlamp or waterproof light. 

 Worden Pond in South Kingstown

Worden Pond is a large lake in South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island. It is the second-largest freshwater lake in the state of Rhode Island, behind Scituate Reservoir, and the largest natural freshwater lake in the state.

This access site on the south shore of Worden Pond has a small dock, a cement plank boat ramp, and a large gravel parking lot.


Town: South Kingstown

41° 25.776' N    71° 34.04' W   See this location in: Google Maps

Driving Landmarks: On Wordens Pond Road, 1/2 mile west of the junction with Route 110 (Ministerial Road)
Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________

November 9th Turkey Paddle at Wallum Lake. Meet at 1:30 for a 2:00 launch. Coordinators are Cheryl Thompson stonefoxfarm@juno.com 401-497-5887 and Sharon Dragon  shdrag1@gmail.com    401-225-3942.

A lovely fall paddle with dinner at a nearby restaurant. Restaurant is Bistro Eight Ates 172 Gore Rd, Webster, MA 01570. . You are welcome to come to the paddle only or the restaurant only.if you can not make both the dinner and paddle.
RSVP by October 31st if you intend to have lunch with us, dinner is about 4:00 pm..

 You will not be charged for parking at Wallum Lake.

No RSVP needed for the paddle, just for the reservation at the restaurant.
 

At this time of year a change of clothes in a waterproof bag is required. A wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.


Google Maps  

Douglas State Park, Douglas, MA. Wallum Lake is located on the border of RI and Ma., has  crystal clear water, and an easy paddle. 

 Directions: 146 north  exit for Rt 16 to Douglas/Uxbridge
Follow Rt 16 W thru the town of Douglas. You will
come to  an intersection for Rt 16 & 96. GO STRAIGHT. (You will see a sign for Douglas  State Park/Wallum Lake) This is S. Main St. Follow until you see a sign for  Douglas State Park, take this left. Just down the road take a right  at park entrance. Follow road bearing left down the hill to the put-in.
 
 Also: Rt 395 exit 2 for town of Webster. Follow Rt 16 east until
 you see a  sign on the right for Douglas State Park or Cedar St. Follow Cedar  St to the  end. Go straight across at sign for Douglas State Park. Just down  the road  take a right at park entrance. Follow road bearing left down the  hill  to put-in.



Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________

December 7th Santa Paddle
Trip organizer: Pat Lardner pslardner@gmail.com    401-524-8057 Meet at 11:30 AM  to decorate your Canoe/Kayaks.

 RSVP to Pat Lardner at pslardner@gmail.com so she can have Elf hats for everyone attending.


Wickford Festival of Lights  

Once again we will be escorting Santa down Wickford Harbor as he arrives by boat at the the town dock. 

Paddlers should plan to deck their boats with holiday decorations and bring their holiday cheer!

We will meet at the same location as last year,
 170 Main Street, Wickford, RI. Parking lot is located to the right of Gardners Wharf Seafood. 




Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________


Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________


Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________


Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________



Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
________

 

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Ninigret
 Meet at 10:00 for a 10:30 launch. Trip Coordinators Cheryl Thompson stonefoxfarm@juno.com 401-497-5887 and Tom Farley

Suitable for boats 14 feet and longer.

Bring a lunch.

Ninigret Pond, Charlestown RI

Ninigret Pond is Rhode Island's largest coastal salt pond. The area features stunning landscapes and abundant coves for paddle craft to explore. It is also a great place to view wildlife. The area near the Charlestown Breachway (the outlet to the ocean) is dangerous for paddle craft and should be avoided because of both strong currents and heavy boat traffic. Otherwise, the pond is usually a calm and easy place to paddle. On most days the southwest wind fills in across this area in the morning and blows throughout the afternoon. 

Google Maps

GPS coordinates to parking lot:

N 41 21.900  
W 071 39.400

Directions:  
Take Route 1 south to Charlestown, going 2.3 miles past the junction of Route 1 and Route 2.  After going past Prosser Trail (Windswept Inn on corner), make a U-turn onto Route 1 north, then bear right onto Route 1A (at the Tourist Information sign)  follow the Ninigret Park (a town park) sign on Route 1A for 0.5 mile and then turn right into the main entrance to the park (across from Charlestown Police station). 

The launch site is at the very end of the main access road (about 1 mile down Park Lane). Follow the road (Park Lane) left at the tennis courts, past the Frosty Drew observatory, and then straight to the terminus of the road at the Grassy Point parking area in the US Fish and Wildlife Refuge.   

There is a gravel road at the end of the parking area to drive down to the Kayak Launch to unload your boats.  Once unloaded, drive cars back to parking area.  There is also a rest room located at the parking area. Parking available for 25 to 30 cars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

fwform

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. Please check the board before leaving for any trip. 

Our leaders provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Note: Please inspect your boat and gear for any invasive Aquatic plants. If you have been on the water in the past 5 days, please clean and dry your equipment. Also, check, clean, drain and dry after.

The people who coordinate RICKA trips are responsible for setting a meeting time and how to get to the put-in and take-out. The trip coordinators are unpaid volunteers who are not  professionals.  They are not and cannot be responsible for determining the adequacy of your skill level, your personal safety, well-being, or happiness. Tri

Trip coordinators:


.......
At this time of year, wetsuits or drysuits are REQUIRED. You will not be allowed to paddle with the group if you do not comply. If you are weating a wetsuit, please bring a change of clothes.

 10.6.8 All other users of State Management areas and designated undeveloped State Parks are required to wear two hundred (200) square inches of solid daylight fluorescent orange from the third Saturday in April to the last day in May,
 annually. 
In leui of a meeting in the summer month,s we offer an event that is suitable for everyone.  We have a permit for sites 45 and 46 if you want to get there early to paddle (the permit is in Cheryl Thompson's name if you are asked)


Our first on-water meeting/paddle of the season is the signal that summer is here! For those new to the club, a group paddle or event replaces the more structured meetings of fall through spring, and takes place on the third Monday evening of the month.   

Meeting on the water is a group paddle or event that replaces the more structured meetings of fall through spring,
 J

______

 

Paddle with Santa in Wickford- Trip organizer: Pat Lardner pslardner@gmail.com 401-524-8057


Meet at 11:30 AM  to decorate your Canoe/Kayak.

 RSVP to Pat Lardner at pslardner@gmail.com so she can have Elf hats for everyone attending.

Wetsuit or Drysuit mandatory

Wickford Festival of Lights  

Once again we will be escorting Santa down Wickford Harbor as he arrives by boat at the the town dock. 

Paddlers should plan to deck their boats with holiday decorations and bring their holiday cheer!

We will meet at the same location as last year,
 170 Main Street, Wickford, RI. Parking lot is located to the right of Gardners Wharf Seafood. 




Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our leaders provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location. 
..............................................

 AIS found in this body of water

This trip requires a car shuttle so please have a mask available in the event the leader and/or drivers require one.
 This trip requires a car shuttle so please have a mask available in the event the leader and/or drivers require one.
Turkey Paddle












Bookmark 1

Suitable for all boat sizes approximately a 7+ mile paddle. 

The Pachaug Pond Boat Launch

Address: 945 Voluntown Road Griswold CT

Access to Pachaug Pond is provided through a state owned boat launch located adjacent to the dam.  The boat launch can be reached by taking Interstate 395, Exit 22 onto Route 138 east.   Proceed east on Route 138 for approximately 2.5  miles to launch area. 

 The Pachaug Boat Ramp- The ramp is of concrete planks with an asphalt approach.  There are parking and fishing facilities for the handicapped adjacent to the boat launch. Parking Area -The parking area adjacent to the boat launch can accommodate approximately 40 vehicles. Chemical toilets are available on a seasonal basis.
Note: Please inspect your boat and gear for any invasive Aquatic plants. If you have been on the water in the past 5 days, please clean and dry your equipment. Also, check, clean, drain and dry after.

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.

...............


____


 
 A 7.5-mile trip on a pretty section of the Pawcatuck. We will put in at Bradford Landing and take out at Post Office Landing at Potter Hill. You can run or portage the fish weirs at the old Bradford Dam. The river twists and turns through the woodlands of the Grills Preserve owned by the Westerly Land Trust and Hopkinton Land Trust. We will stop for lunch (and a swim) at the beach off Narragansett Way.

41° 24.386' N    71° 44.882' W  Google Maps 

 0.4 mile south of where Route 91 and Route 216 merge in the village of Bradford, look for a sign for "Bradford Landing" on the east side of the road, across from Bradford Dyeing Association.

Note: Please inspect your boat and gear for any invasive Aquatic plants. If you have been on the water in the past 5 days, please clean and dry your equipment. Also, check, clean, drain and dry after.

Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.
Bookmark2

 Meeting on the water is a group paddle or event that replaces the more structured meetings of fall through spring, more structured meetings of fall through spring,
........ ....................














................



This trip has been canceled for today due to weather.




This is a memorial paddle in honor of Donna Abjornson. Donna was a RICKA member, an avid paddler and a wonderful person. She passed away in March 2023, she will be missed. All paddlers with boats 14 feet and longer are welcome.

Bring a lunch

Ninigret Pond is Rhode Island's largest coastal salt pond. The area features stunning landscapes and abundant coves for paddle craft to explore. It is also a great place to view wildlife. The area near the Charlestown Breachway (the outlet to the ocean) is dangerous for paddle craft and should be avoided because of both strong currents and heavy boat traffic. Otherwise, the pond is usually a calm and easy place to paddle. On most days the southwest wind fills in across this area in the morning and blows throughout the afternoon.

Google Maps

GPS coordinates to parking lot:

N 41 21.900  
W 071 39.400

Directions:  
Take Route 1 south to Charlestown, going 2.3 miles past the junction of Route 1 and Route 2.  After going past Prosser Trail (Windswept Inn on corner), make a U-turn onto Route 1 north, then bear right onto Route 1A (at the Tourist Information sign)  follow the Ninigret Park (a town park) sign on Route 1A for 0.5 mile and then turn right into the main entrance to the park (across from Charlestown Police station). 

The launch site is at the very end of the main access road (about 1 mile down Park Lane). Follow the road (Park Lane) left at the tennis courts, past the Frosty Drew observatory, and then straight to the terminus of the road at the Grassy Point parking area in the US Fish and Wildlife Refuge.   

There is a gravel road at the end of the parking area to drive down to the Kayak Launch to unload your boats.  Once unloaded, drive cars back to parking area.  There is also a rest room located at the parking area. Parking available for 25 to 30 cars.


Changes and cancellations to trips will be posted on the flatwater message board. 

Please check the board before leaving for any trip.  Our coordinators provide directions as a courtesy to paddlers however, you are responsible to refer to a map and familiarize yourself with the trip location.

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk  of serious injury or death. The Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association, although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in club activities.