River Bend Farm – March 19, 2023

At the put-in on the Blackstone River

We had a family party on Saturday, and I needed to help at the Saint Joseph’s Day Mass on Sunday, so I had to stay close to home this weekend. I did want to test out my new drysuit, so I ended up running the canal/river loop at River Bend Farm.

River Bend Farm is part of the Blackstone River Canal and Heritage Park – a 1,000-acre state park in Uxbridge, MA with hiking trails, paddling on the Blackstone River and Canal and historical sites like the Blackstone Canal’s Goat Hill Lock, King Philip’s Lookout and the Stanley Woolen Mill.

Water flowing over the spillway dam

I parked at the Tri-River Medical Center and carried my boat over to the put-in on the Blackstone River below the spillway dam. The day was sunny with a little wind and temps in the mid-40's. The river was high - 4.5-feet, 1,000 cfs on the Northbridge gage. Water was flowing over the spillway dam, which you don't see very often.

At this level the river moves fast, and the trick is to stay in the current on the seam between the fast moving water on the outside of the turn that is often filled with strainers, and the huge eddies on the inside of the turn that will quickly spin you around. The river section went quick and I was soon at the take-out for the portage over to the Blackstone Canal.

Blackstone Arch

The Blackstone Canal opened in 1828 and utilized a series of 49 locks to move the barges up and down the 450-foot difference in elevation from Providence to Worcester. The canal operated until 1847 when it was replaced by the Providence & Worcester Railroad. Following the demise of the Blackstone Canal, the section through what is now River Bend Farm was purchased by the Taft family who converted it to a mill race for their Central Woolen Mill. Later known Stanley Woolen Mill, it would become one of the most successful woolen manufacturers in the country.

I was paddling against a slight downstream current as I headed back up the canal. There were a couple of strainers across the canal, but I was able to get around or over them without portaging. After snapping a few pictures of the River Bend Farm Visitor Center, I was soon back at my car for the trip home.  My new drysuit worked great - a little baggy, but very comfortable.  

River Bend Farm Visitor Center from the Blackstone Canal

Links:

My Pictures
BRNHC Paddle Guide
Northbridge Gage