Leaf-peeping at the the Blackstone Gorge - October 16, 2016

Putting in at the Bike Path

I would have liked to do Bill’s trip at the Neponset River but I didn’t have time, so I decided to do some leaf-peeping at the Blackstone Gorge. 

I put in under the Bridge (or maybe Canal) Street Bridge and paddled up to the Gorge.  By spring, the parking lot for the new section of the bike path should be open making access to this section of the river a lot easier.  It will still involve climbing down a steep bank, but at least there will be a place to park.

Blackstone Gorge

I paddled upstream past the Lonsdale Powerhouse and Mill.  The river is shallow here (7’ on the Route 122 gage), but I was able to paddle up without getting out of the boat.  I paddled past the convergence of the Branch River, which is a nice side trip, but it was a little too shallow today. 

I paddled up into the Gorge to get some pictures of the lower drop.  This is a view that most people never see since the trail along the river is up on the cliffs and the rapids are obscured by trees.  I hiked up the North Smithfield side of the river to get some pictures of the Rolling Dam.

Rolling Dam

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Route 122 Gage