The river originates in Guilford and the flows through Durham, Middlefield, and Middletown before flowing into the Mattabessett River about a ½ mile before in flows into the Connecticut River.

From Myer Huber Pond to Meeting House Hill Road is very short.

From Meeting House Hill Road to Durham Road (Connecticut Route 157) the river is swampy and only runnable at high water and probably has lots of dead falls .

Durham Road is a good put in as well as Strickland Road bridge- about 1 mile further down the river. This river also has numerous portages.

Cautions:

Durham Road( Connecticut Route 157) – Connecticut Route 66

USGS Quadrangle: Durham and Middletown

Type of Water: Flatwater, Quickwater, Class I & II

Paddle Length: 5.75 miles

Portage:

Dam and Falls at Rockfall – 2.75 miles in – 135 yard

Dam at Rockfall – 2.75 miles in – 20 yard

Dam at Rockfall – 2.75 miles in – 10 yard

Rogers Pond Dam at Rogers Manufacturing Company – 3 miles in – 7 yard

Spring Street Dam – 4.25 miles in – 125 yards

Starr Mill Pond Dam – 4.75 miles in – 20 yards 

Put-In: Durham Road ( Route 157, Middlefield)

Google Map

Longitude: 72.712059 W Latitude: 41.513523 N

Or

Put-In: Strickland Road, Middlefield

Google Map

Longitude: 72.705202 W Latitude: 41.510711 N

Take Out: Washington Street ( Route 66 Middletown)

Google Map

Longitude: 72.668753 W Latitude: 41.556181 N

On The Water:

The first 1.5 miles of the river flows through swampland passing the Strickland Road Bridge at the 1 mile point. At 2.5 miles you will come up to a stone dam in front of a bridge.  Pull out on the left and scout across the road – which is in Wadsworth Falls State Park. Before the dam are the Wadsworth Falls – there is no good portage for the falls – so its best to carry over both the falls and dam.

Follow the stairs to the left of the falls – around the corner below the falls is a second dam with an easy portage using the right bank.

Under the railroad bridge and around the bend is a third dam which can be easily portaged on either side- the right side is the best to avoid private property.

A fourth dam at Rogers Manufacturing Company- not shown on the USGS map – is a short distance down and there is no good portage. At moderate water levels – stay to the left on the forebay and working your way down slowly. Scout out the location first on the left.

Below the dam – you enter the main portion of the state park ride the quickwater under the wooden bridge (Connecticut Route 157) and you’ll enter another millpond.

The portage is blocked by heavy growths on the left side – so keep to the right close to the spillway – to the street.

Turn left and put in upstream from the bridge in front of the factory.

After a ½ mile you will reach Starr Millpond and your 5^th and last dam.

Use the fishing trail on the right side to portage the dam to about 25 feet above the dam. The trail will lead you directly below the 13 foot dam – if there are blockages near the abandoned bridge – continue on down beyond it.

The next ½ mile to Washington Street is quickwater and standing waves through the last straightaway.

You will come up to a breached dam behind an apartment building – scout this out before paddling it.

Cautions:

Connecticut Route 66 – Connecticut River

USGS Quadrangle: Middletown

Type of Water: Quickwater, Mostly Tidal

Paddle Length: 5.75 miles

Portage:

Put-In: Washington Street ( Route 66 Middletown)

Google Map

Longitude: 72.668753 W Latitude: 41.556181 N

Take Out: Harbor Park, Middletown

Google Map

Longitude: 72°38'39.02"W Latitude: 41°33'34.07"N

On The Water:

The first .75 miles passes behind Palmer Field and then passes under an abandoned steel bridge, the Connecticut Route 72 bridge and the old stone Connecticut Route 72 bridge – one right after another.

During normal flows you’ll encounter head of tide under the last bridge.

When the river is runnable – the Connecticut River may back up into Palmer Field.

You will hit the Mattabessett River in the middle of a tidal marsh under a railroad bridge. Stay to the right working your way past the landfill and you have another .75 miles to the Connecticut River.

Take out at the dirt road between the last railroad bridge and Connecticut Route 9 bridge or you can take out at Harbor Park on the Connecticut River in Middletown.

Cautions:

The information here is based upon the best available information presently available.

If you find and error or have a written description of a water trail we have not included - please contact us

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