Planning for Upper Connecticut River Camping

After a fun paddle last fall on the Connecticut River from Bloomfield, VT (North Stratford, NH) to Lunenburg, VT(South Lancaster, NH), Bill and I have been thinking about going back to do the upper section this spring. I have been looking at the maps, and it doesn’t look like that there is much in the way of camping above Lake Francis. Between Lake Francis and Canaan there is a class III/IV rapid above the Covered Bridge in Pittsburg, so it looks like the best place to put-in is the Canaan Dam. We would need flow of 500 cfs, on the North Stratford Gage. 

Put-in - Canaan Access – mile 373 (Located just below the Canaan to West Stewartstown Bridge. Park in the field downstream of the access, on land recently conserved by the Vermont River Conservancy.)

Waypoint - Lemingyon - Colebrook Bridge – mile 363 (A foot bridge and small set of stairs leads to a sandy area on the New Hampshire side of river.)

First Night - Holbrook Point Campsite (VT) – mile 361 (Holbrook Point is a beautiful campsite with room for 3 tents situated under a canopy of silver maples on the edge of a floodplain forest. It is situated at a bend in the river, about 1.3 miles south of the Colebrook Bridge.)

Back-up Campsite - Columbia Campsite (NH) – mile 359 (Quiet campsite on edge of field upstream of the Columbia Covered Bridge.)

Waypoint - Columbia Covered Bridge – mile 359

Lyman Falls Rapid (Class II/III) – mile 351 (At high water, a large hydraulic forms behind the concrete dam remnants. Approach this section from river left, where a safe passage can usually be found. Otherwise, line your boat past the dam remains by landing on the island just upstream of the breached dam, on river left.)

Second Night - Lyman Falls State Park (VT) – mile 351 (Several campsites below breached dam - river and foot access only.

Back-up Campsite - Lyman Falls (NH) – mile 351 (A campsite has been developed for paddlers' on an island immediately across the river from Lyman Falls State Park and just upstream of the breached dam at Lyman Falls.)

Take-out Day 3 - Debanville Landing – mile 348 (Unimproved path at the mouth of the Nulhegan River. Park by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail kiosk on the other side of Rt. 102.)

Third Night – Maine Central Railroad Trestle Campsite (VT) – mile 341 (Beautiful campsite maintained by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. The site is immediately downstream of granite railroad trestle, on the Vermont side.)

Take-out Day 4 - Maidstone Bridge – mile 336 (Cartop access on New Hampshire side, down river of bridge.)

Fourth Night - Scott C. Devlin Memorial Campsite (VT) – mile 324 (Situated in a shady stand of pines about two miles below the confluence of the Upper Ammonusooc, after the river makes a tight 180 degree turn near 102.)

Take out Day 5 - Guildhall/Wyoming Dam – Mile 323 (A take out is located immediately upstream on the Vermont side. A portage trail takes paddlers up to Rt. 105.)

As a side trip, I wouldn’t mind putting in at the Pittsburg Covered Bridge (mile 382) and paddling down to the Canaan Dam (mile 374). This is just downstream of the class III/IV ledges above the covered bridge, but does include the Beecher Falls Rapid (class II, mile 375). Beecher Falls can be portaged at Beecher Falls Landing behind the closed Candlestick Restaurant, immediately downstream of the Rt. 3 bridge on the VT side. Might be nice to paddle one of the lakes as well. 

Bill looked at his AMC guide, which is probably 50 years old, for dams below Guildhall. There are 13 active dams, some of which may have been taken out or breached since then:

Gillman Dam - 23 miles

Moore Dam - 12 miles below

Comerford Dam - 7 miles below

McIndoe Falls Dam - 7 miles below

Ryegate Paper Dam - 4 miles below

Wilder Dam - 37 miles

Hartland Rapids

Bellows Falls Dam - 20 miles

Vernon Falls Dam - 15 miles. 

Most of the dams are from 10' to 150' high and are used for storage. The longest portage route is 1 mile at the longest and average 1/2 mile. So we have some things to consider about another trip. 
We'll see.

Links:
Pittsburg Gage
North Stratford Gage

Connecticut River Paddlers Trail