Merrimack River Kayak Trip - Dracut MA to Lawrence MA

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I was hoping to start this trip a little further upstream but I couldn't find any good put ins.  In addition there is a water treatment plant upstream in Lowell.  Having experienced the smell coming from the plant while driving in my car I have no desire to kayak through it.  I found a pretty good put in on route 110 in Dracut almost directly across from the entrance to Brox Industries.  It is a small pulloff with parking for a couple cars right on the banks of the Merrimack.

This trip starts in Dracut but after about a quarter mile you will be in Methuen.  For the first couple miles of this trip the banks of the river are completely undeveloped.  The river is fairly wide and deep so expect to see some power boat traffic.  I made this trip on a weekday afternoon and encountered at least 6 power boats.  As you get further downstream there are more residences along the left bank, many with docks, power boats and jet skis.  It was nice to see the Methuen Police boat docked as well.  I am sure they are kept busy with the powerboat traffic on the weekend

A couple miles in you will encounter an island on the left bank.  I opted to paddle the narrow channel inside the island.  All of the houses along the channel had docks with a couple boats docked on each one.  The channel does have a no wake zone sign posted so  it is a kayak safe area.

Another mile of paddling will take you around a bend to the right and under the route 93 overpass.  I have driven over that overpass thousands of times nice to finally paddle under it. 

There is very little development on the right bank of the river until you get to Lawrence.   Just before the end of this trip I noticed a marina on the right bank.  In doing some research for this blog post I learned that it is the Abe Bashara Boathouse which is part of Greater Lawrence Community Boating.  They appear to offer inexpensive sailing, rowing and paddling classes.  Interestingly I never knew this place existed until today.  Might be something to look into in the future.

Just a few hundred yards down from the boathouse is the boat launch at Lawrence Riverfront State park.  The park has a large ramp and a large parking lot that was pretty empty on the day of my paddle.  The neighborhood isn't the greatest though, I had my wife pick me up when I was done my paddle as I didn't want to leave my car in the parking lot.  Just downstream from the take out is the Great Stone Dam and powerplant. There are barrels strung across the river as well as signs warning you not to venture further downstream.  I do plan to make a trip upstream to the Great Stone Dam.  The dam itself is said to be a tourist destination and there are some pretty interesting mill old buildings in that stretch of river as well.

The total distance of this trip was about 5.5 miles and it took me about 2 hours to paddle.  It was a nice little afternoon trip,  Not sure I would attempt it on the weekend though as I assume the boat traffic gets pretty heavy.  

Merrimack River and Stony Brook Kayak Trip - North Chelmsford / Tyngsboro

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This past Saturday I met up with a group of kayakers from the Merrimack River Watershed Council for a nice quiet paddle on the Merrimack River.  The MRWC offers free weekly trips along the Merrimack watershed for paddlers of all abilities.  You can find a link to their upcoming trips here.

I met up with our trip leader for the day (Bill) and about a half dozen other paddlers at Southwell Field in North Chelmsford.  The put in allows power boats to launch but it wasn't too busy on Saturday morning.  Probably because there is another power boat launch across the river in Lowell.  The parking lot at Southwell Field is shared with some ball fields so parking  was a bit tight as there were quite a few games going on.  Nobody in our group seemed to have a problem finding a spot though.

Put in at Southwell Field

After some brief introductions and an overview of our trip we headed upstream toward Tyngsboro.  The river is pretty wide and deep in this section of the Merrimack so the current isn't really noticeable.  There are a few houses along the banks but nothing overly exciting to look at.  There was a bit more power boat traffic tn that part of the river but it was a good opportunity for me to experience some waves. Luckily they didn't pose much of an issue.

Heading upstream

Our trip took us to the northernmost point of Tyng Island (home of the Vesper Country Club).   From here we turned back downstream on the inside of the island.  The section of the river on the inside of the island is much more narrow and has a more intimate feel to it.  The wildlife in this section seemed to increase as well as we saw a couple Green Heron.  We continued downstream into the open section of the river and were surprised that this portion of the trip had only taken us an hour.  Along our trip back downstream we came upon the Chelmsford Police Boat who were looking for some jet skiers that were apparently tearing up and down the river.  We took our time paddling back to the put-in for a quick lunch before the second leg of our trip.

Back downstream inside Tyng Island

The second leg of our trip took us just a bit downstream to the mouth of Stony Brook.   I couldn't find a lot of information on the web related to Stony Brook but from what I can tell its source is Forge Pond in Westford, MA.  At the mouth of Stony Brook there is a cool little rail bridge that a couple guys were fishing from as we passed under.  At this time of the year the brook is pretty shallow so we couldn't head too far upstream but the section we explored was by far the most interesting part of the trip.  The section winds through a series of tunnels and archways beneath some old mill buildings.  Our trip leader suggested bringing headlamps but my lamp proved to be too weak to see anything in the last tunnel section.  I borrowed another headlamp from a fellow kayaker and found this last tunnel to lead to nowhere (well, a brick wall). It was actually pretty creepy traveling down this tunnel.  The tunnel itself was only a couple hundred feet long but it was so dark that you couldn't see more than a couple feet in front of you.  As I was paddling through the tunnel I could hear the voices of my fellow kayakers who were waiting at the tunnel entrance echoing as if they were right next to me.  There was also some water dripping on me as I paddled through the tunnel which brought the creep factor up a notch.    The tunnel ended with an old rusted pole, a wall and unfortunately a bit of trash piled up at the end of the tunnel.   As I tried to turn around and head out I learned that the tunnel was less than 10 feet wide, so I would not be turning around in my 11 foot kayak.  I had to paddle backwards in the dark using the walls of the tunnel to guide me back out.

Mouth of Stony Brook

Mortarless Archway

Tunnel under a mill

Creepy Tunnel to nowhere

The brook got more shallow upstream so was about as far as we could go so we headed back to the put in to finish a nice little trip.  Total distance of this trip was just under 5 miles and it took us about 3 hours including a stop for lunch. 

Concord River Kayak Trip - Lowell to North Billerica

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The Concord River is 15 mile long river starting in Concord MA and emptying into the Merrimack River in Lowell MA.  The river was the subject of the 1849 book "A week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers" by Henry David Thoreau.

My Kayaking trip along the Concord River was approximately 7 miles round trip and took me about 2-1/2 hours.  I basically paddled between the dam in Lowell and the dam in North Billerica and back.  I put-in at the only official boat launch on the Concord River.  The launch is in Lowell at the intersection of Lawrence and Billerica Streets.  The launch is part of a small park, there is plenty of parking and a short crushed stone path to the cement dock/ramp.

I knew from google maps that there was a dam a bit downstream so I would not get very far but there is an old abandoned rail trestle running through the side of the river that I wanted to get a look at.  Not sure why it wasn't built on dry land but probably has something to do with the cemetery on the other side.  So I headed downstream under two bridges and got about as close as I dared to the falls at the dam.  I have read that in the spring there are whitewater rafting trips offered on the section downstream of the dam.  Some of the rapids being class IV, I don't think I will be kayaking downstream anytime soon.

A quick turnaround and I headed upstream.  I am used to paddling upstream in the Merrimack River which varies from difficult to impossible so I was quite surprised to as noticed not much of a current at all in the Concord.   There are some residences along the banks of the river but very few docks.  I expected to see a bit of boat traffic but I had the river all to myself except for a few people fishing from the banks.     

For the most part the banks of the river are lined with grasses and flowering plans which provide a nice refuge for wildlife.  I saw a Great Blue Heron, Red Tailed Hawks and turtles sunning themselves on rocks as I paddled by.  A mile into my paddle I was confronted with the a floating sign warning me of the construction ahead on the 495 overpass.    The rest of the trip into North Billerica is dotted with houses but still a pretty quiet trip.

The last section of this trip took a hard left and led me up to an industrial building sitting what seemed like in the middle of the river.  There is a narrow section along the left of the building allowing you to paddle fairly close to the falls.  I does get a bit shallow though so you can't get too close.  This was the end of the line so I rested for a few minutes and let the stronger current from the falls push me back downstream a bit before I started my paddle back to Lowell.

Overall I really enjoyed this section of the Concord River, it is fairly local and provides a nice diversion from my regular trips along the Merrimack.  I believe there is a fairly popular kayaking put-in in Concord MA that I would like to investigate at some point in the future.

Spicket River Kayak Trip- Methuen MA to Salem NH

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The Spicket River is a tributary of the Merrimack River that, according to Wikipedia, starts at Island Pond in Derry NH and empties into the Merrimack River in Lawrence MA.  I tried to use google maps to follow the river to its source but I seem to lose it somewhere around the Rockingham Mall in Salem.

I have tried twice to paddle upstream in the Merrimack River from Methuen to the mouth of the Spicket River but have yet to make it.  My first attempt was one of my first paddling trips and I simply tired out before I got there.  My second attempt I made it a little further but this time was turned away by wind from incoming thunderstorms.  I realize that even if I do make it to the mouth of the Spicket I may not get very far as there are a series of dams upstream that severely restrict the flow of the river and require portaging.  But I will take another shot at it soon.

 In the meantime I have been asking around about putting in upstream of the dams in hopes of exploring the area.  I got in touch with Joyce Godsey, President of the Methuen Rail Trail Alliance who offered to take me on a tour of the area.  I had the pleasure of getting out in the water with Joyce a couple weeks ago for an early morning tour.  Joyce and her group are doing a great job of cleaning up the area and attracting some interest.  Unfortunately I did not bring my camera for the tour so I headed out this weekend in the late afternoon and the wildlife was still very active.

Put in on Pine St

Old Rail Trestle

We put in behind an industrial building at the end of Pine Street in Methuen.  The launch site is a little rocky but fine for a kayaker or a canoe.  The paddle was upstream but there was no current to speak of on the Spicket so it was a very easy paddle.  From the put in heed upstream to the left and you will pass under a low rail bridge, it is a little tight but you can pass through on the left or right side.  The initial part of this trip requires navigating some very sharp turns along a fairly narrow portion of the river.  This area is also the beginning on the Nevins Bird Sanctuary.  You will see various species of birds in this area along with beavers and other small rodents.  After paddling for about a half mile you will pass under Route 213 twice and the river will curve to the left and then straighten out.  At the beginning of this straightaway if you look to the right there is a heron rookery where you will see at least a half-dozen nesting herons.

First Heron Sighting

Heron Rookery

What is he doing here?

This unnaturally straight part of the river runs alongside route 93 for a few miles which is a harsh reminder that you are not too far from civilization.  I believe the straightness of this part of the river is due to a retrenching when route 93 was built.  Kind of sad actually.  At the beginning of the straight portion there is a sandbar on the right hand side so you will need to stay to the left.  We followed this straight section for about a mile into Salem NH where we came upon a large tree across the river that would have required portaging.  At this point is was getting pretty warm out so we turned around and headed back.  On my second trip out I investigated the tree blocking the river a little closer.  I actually think if I had tried hard enough I could have gotten by without portaging, but there was a pretty large debris field behind the tree with some fairly stagnant smelly water that scared me off.  The total length of this trip was 4 miles round trip.  There is a little pollution in the river that left a ring of muck around the waterline of my kayak and required some scrubbing with soap and water.  But I am told that the river is slowly getting cleaner with wildlife returning in the last couple decades so it can't be too bad.  Hopefully with a little more interest cleanup will continue and the Spicket River will be discovered be more paddlers.

Straight Portion of the River

End of the Line

This is not the most challenging kayak trip i have taken, the highlight of this trip is really the wildlife.  It is not often that you can sneak up on a Great Blue Heron fishing for lunch.  A large portion of the river is pretty well shaded so you won't be sitting directly in the sun for most of the trip, which is nice.  If you want to spend a couple hours relaxing in the water checking out the wildlife this is a trip for you.

Merrimack River Kayak Trip - Schruender Park Methuen MA to Riverside Park Haverhill MA

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Schruender Park in Methuen is a great starting point for my kayak trips as it is just a couple blocks from my house .  I simply strap my kayak onto my kayak cart and it is a couple minute walk down the street to put in.  The park itself isn't currently very well maintained but there is a project in the works to convert it to a "Healing Garden".  As it is now there is a section with a large open space and some benches, the rest is wooded with a series of trails.  The put in is just off Riverview Boulevard, if you enter the trail at the sign in the pic below it is just a short walk to the river.  The trail to the river is a bit steep in one section but shouldn't be a problem if you can handle your kayak.  The only parking at the Schruender Park is on street.  There are usually a couple cars parked on the weekends, mostly people fishing.

Sign at Trail ro put-in

Trail to the river

I make this trip as a one way, down stream paddle so even though the trip is over 9 miles it only takes about 3 hours to complete.  There is also plenty of wildlife in this section of the river, I have seen heron, beaver and other rodents.  I have been told that bald eagles can be seen in the area but I haven't seen one yet.  The river is fairly wide and deep at the put in and stays that way for a couple miles.  The first time I made this trip in June I noticed a section of the river that got really shallow for a couple hundred feet. It was so shallow that I found myself bouncing my paddle off the bottom.  I paddled this section again in July when the river was a little lower and I ran aground and had to get out and drag my kayak behind me for a couple hundred yards in ankle deep water.  Kind of an odd feeling  given that I was in the middle of the Merrimack River.  I think this section is just a sand bar and I probably could have paddled around it had I been closer to shore, something to investigate for my next trip I guess.

The river does get much deeper after this short shallow section and after a couple more miles you will come upon the first route 495 overpass.  After the overpass there is an island on the right side of the river.  I have always stayed left of the island as I think it is a bit shallow in the right side. 

After the island the river gets a little more shallow and much more narrow as it curves around in almost a U turn.  There are couple sections of quick water with some rocks that will need to be navigated around.  This caught me a bit by surprise on my first trip through this section but I have since come to enjoy the adrenaline rush paddling trough this section.  My last trip through one of the quick water sections (when the water level was lower) I hit a submerged rock pretty hard.  Luckily I was able to bounce off and my kayak and I made it through unscathed.  Guess I need to learn to read the river better.

After a couple more sections of quick water you will pass under route 495 again and will need to navigate one more quick water section before the water gets flat.  In most of these quick water sections I tend to stay to the right as the rocks are more closely spaced on the left side of the river.  After a few more miles of paddling the river gets wider again as you enter downtown Haverhill.  Upon entering this section you will pass under a couple bridges one of them being the bridge for the Boston commuter rail.  Passing through downtown Haverhill is fairly interesting as this section has a long cement wall along the left bank with some interesting mill buildings to look at in the area. 

As you paddle through the downtown area you will pass under the South Main Street bridge which has some interesting little architectural towers on it.  The river gets a little wider again in this section and here you may start to see a bit more power boat traffic.  I have not seen any power boat traffic prior to this section most likely due to how shallow the river is.  Continuing on you will come upon a marina that juts quite a ways into the river.  At this point I usually make my way to the left side of the river as there are channel markers for the power boats in the middle of the river.  Since the river is so wide in this section there is not much current to push you along as the prior sections so you need to work a little harder here.  I have also heard that the river down stream from Haverhill is the start of the tidal influence so I guess that can work with or against you.

Just a couple more miles of paddling and there is an island along the right bank that is about a mile long.  I have always wanted to paddle around the island but haven't gotten the chance to yet.  Directly across the river from where the island ends is my usual take-out at Haverhill Stadium / Riverside Park.  You will need to keep your eyes open though as the stairs to the launch are set back a bit and are easy to miss.  The park is usually pretty busy with joggers and dog walkers but there is plenty of parking.  Although you will need to climb a flight of stairs with your kayak to getto the parking lot which isn't always easy after a couple hours of paddling.  Not helping matters is the erosion under the stairs making the first step up about three feet. There is a railing though so it is not too bad, I have never has a problen climbing up by  myself

This is a paddling trip that I really enjoy, there is an abundance of wildlife and a variety of conditions on the water that keep things interesting.  Prior to the Haverhill section the left bank in Methuen and right bank in North Andover are really undeveloped so you really feel you are getting away from civilizaton a bit.  Hoping to make this trip at least a couple more times this year. 

Merrimack River - Upstream to the mouth of the Spicket River

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My first kayak trip was only mildly successful.  My start point was Schruedner Park in Methuen.  Ultimately I was attempting to get to the mouth of the Spicket River which is just over a mile and a half upstream.  Upstream is where the problem lies.  Even though the Merrimack is considered a slow moving river, paddling against the current is a lot of work.  I think after a few more months of paddling I may build up my stamina enough to make the trip, but for now it will have to wait.  I did make it a mile and a half upstream which took me about an hour.  Paddling an hour downstream I can travel about 4 miles.

The trip wasn't a total waste.  I learned that nice easy paddle strokes are more efficient than aggressive ones.  I also got a good feel for my kayak.  Since this was my first time on the water I didn't want to venture too far.  Of course the wildlife along the river is always a treat, loon, heron and hawks along this short stretch.  Overall it was an enjoyable two hours on the river