Since we live in Connecticut, we determined that the paddling story had to be epic. With this in mind, we opted for a multi-day adventure stretching the length of the Connecticut River from Enfield to Old Saybrook. That is over 60 miles in 4 days. The origin of the word, “Connecticut,” means, “long tidal river.” It’s an Algonquin term. Over a series of posts dedicated to our adventure through Connecticut, we will illustrate the beauty and importance of the river, while highlighting the endurance needed to complete such a rewarding feat.
This Dutch map of the Connecticut River from the 1600s details our four-day foray on the river.
Particular attention is needed for this trip to align travel with the tides while paying particular attention to food and ice maintenance. Anyone interested in learning more about tidal rivers, please check out, “Go With the Flow: Navigating a Tidal River.” Also, there is a recount of Tony’s first drift through the Connecticut River Valley, which was the prototype for this current trip. Our post, “The First Time I: Took a Multi-Day Paddle,” details the follies encountered when you are out there wrong. It also discusses the Enfield Falls, Windsor Locks Canal, and the Hartford Skyline.
The Connecticut River Tells a Story
Admittedly, the first day of the CT River paddle is the most familiar for us. We live just a few miles from a boat launch just north of Hartford and we will often access the river and its islands and sandbars, especially in July and August. This time, however, we put in at the Thompsonville Boat Launch just north of the Enfield Falls Dam. The Connecticut River Company constructed a canal to circumvent the falls back in the 1820s. In its day, the canal fed commerce on the river, connecting the entire watershed, from Connecticut to Maine, to Long Island Sound and beyond. Think of the river as a superhighway spreading ideas, innovations, and commerce. The canal is a relic of the past, a tribute to ingenuity and grit.
This is the south entrance to the Windsor Locks Canal. Notice how the locks are fully open here.
In terms of buildings and structures on the river, the first two days of the paddle to Hurd State Park seem sparsely populated. There are a few houses and plenty of boat launches, but only Windsor Locks, Hartford/East Hartford, and Middletown/Portland have built along the river. The last barges crept up the river’s channel at the close of the twentieth century. They dispensed fuel to large tanks in East Hartford, Middletown, and elsewhere. River communities are regaining access to the river’s banks. The lack of development is like a rural oasis, but you know that just on the other side of the tree line vehicles race along highways and suburban sprawl pushes development further onto what was once open space.
Notice the deciduous trees at this intersection of the Farmington River and Connecticut River.
Navigating the Falls
The first structure you see on the river is up by the boat launch in Enfield. It’s the remnants of an old bridge, the first to cross the river in Connecticut. The Thompsonville Boat Launch is an ideal starting location. There is a sandy beach that slowly descends to the river. It’s great for pulling up your vehicle, unloading, and pushing off. The water above the dam is placid but easier to navigate than the tidal waters extending from the mouth to the canal, some 55 miles.
Within the first half hour, you have to run the dam. First off, we have not found any paddling guides that recommend this course. Of course, Tony’s dad did not explain that when they did it back in the 80s. We stayed to the right, following the flow of the river past the giant metal canal locks and through the rapids. Just south of the dam the water is very shallow and has occasional rapids. Be sure to keep an eye out and keep your bow facing downstream. It is exhilarating, but we recommend starting at the King’s Island boat launch in Enfield if you are inexperienced or carrying four days worth of gear. If you tip here, your trip will most likely be ruined.
The water rushes against these gates and is diverted downstream.
Drifting to Hartford
Broadleaf trees line the river’s banks. This is a pretty nice drifting experience. The river can do most of the work. The first visible community is Windsor Locks. Just beyond a condemned tinsel factory and an operating paper mill is the town’s one-sided Main Street. Dexter Corporation, as the paper plant was once known, invented the technology to manufacture tea bags. The company has its roots back to Colonial Connecticut. Before it was bought by Ahlstrom’s in 2000, Dexter Corporation was the longest traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. The canal ends just south of the plant.
The abandoned J.R. Montgomery Tinsel Factory is slated to be remodeled as apartments.
After 13 or so miles of solitude, Hartford appears around the bend. The city has done a remarkable job reconnecting with the Connecticut River. Riverfront Recapture has integrated riverside parks with a walking trail that connects Hartford and East Hartford with the river and beyond. It was 6:30 PM on Friday before July 4 weekend and the city was busy. We paddled by people enjoying the river on shore. The water is noticeably deeper here and the tide was beginning to come in. With 5 miles to go, we put it in high gear as we passed the Goodwin College campus and Keeney Cove to Crow Point where we planned to set up camp.
Setting Camp in a Hurry
We pulled into the cove at Crow Point as it was beginning to get dark and storm clouds were rolling in. We scrambled to find a good spot to pitch our tent. The cove has steep banks. The state excavated land for fill to help build the Putnam Memorial Bridge spanning Wethersfield to Glastonbury. Poison ivy creeps its tentacles all over any flat ground and crawls up the banks like a fortress. After checking out the entire place we decided to set up camp at the mouth of the cove.
We pitched our tent prominently overlooking the Connecticut River at the mouth of Crowe Point.
We scrambled to pitch the tent. As soon as the rain fly was set, the sky opened up. Luckily, our tent’s vestibule kept our belongings dry. That night, we ate pasta salad and turned in early. There is something about sitting in a tent when it is raining. The lights illuminating the space and the continuous rapping of water. It helps me sleep, which is good because we have another 20 miles to go tomorrow. It’s going to be an early rise to match the tides.
