Quaboag Pond / Quaboag River Kayak – 6.5 Miles

Headed out early with my brother Cory and his buddy Dave in hopes to beat the rain.  This summer in New England has

Hut and Herrin

proven to be a challenge, it seems to be raining almost every day.  We put in at the boat ramp off Quaboag St. in Brookfield, MA.  This paved parking lot has plenty of parking and a concrete boat ramp for launching. The lake was

Quaboag River

calm but the wind was picking up and Quaboag Pond gets choppy when the wind is blowing, so we headed for the river. The mouth of the Quaboag River is on the west side of the lake or head to the rear, right corner of the lake as you leave the ramp. Read more »

Oxbow and Arcadia / Mill River Kayak – 4.8 Miles

Sunday Morning a couple friends and I headed out for a early morning kayak trip.  This was my first trip out on the kayak for the season, my kayak has been in storage and I figured it was about time that I go pick it up…

We met at the Oxbow boat launch for 7:30AM I was surprised to see how busy it was.  The launch has 2 parking spots for cars with roof top boats only but they seem to fill up fast, one was open when we got there.  The concrete launch is nice but you have to move quick and get out in the water because it is almost certain that a boat on a trailer is waiting for you.  The water in the Oxbow is murky brown and there is no current to speak of.  I figured we would run into more power boats but only a few on the way back.

Mill River Kayak

The real adventure starts when you pass under the low clearance bridge and into the Mill River.  The river is narrow and shallow in some parts and passes through the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, be on the lookout for submerged logs just under the surface.  There are a few downed trees you have to make your way around and under before you reach one that requires you to port over, this is where we turned around…  There is a medium current in the river and you really notice it when you start to head back. We saw a couple blue herrings on the trip back, but I am sure there is much more wildlife to be seen here. It was nice to be back on the water…

Most of the kayaking I have done was in Central Mass so I can’t wait to explore more waters in Western Mass…