River Island Park - February 27, 2026

Through the snow drifts

It has been a tough couple of months for paddling. I've had a bad case of bursitis in my knee since December, and haven’t been able to kneel in my canoe. Add to that the brutal cold in January that iced up the rivers and cancelled our winter camping trip, and the 5' of snow in February that buried all the access points, and there hasn’t been much opportunity to paddle. Last month I got out on the Providence River in my sea kayak. Today, I ventured down to River Island Park with my canoe.

The river was at a low but fluid level – around 2’, which is probably around 500 cfs, but the gage was iced up. I dragged my boat through the snow drifts down to the boat ramp near the parking lot. I paddled upstream and played around in the current behind the bandstand. I could kneel for a while, but then my knee got too sore and I had to sit. I have an appointment for a cortisone shot - hopefully that will take care of my knee before the whitewater season starts. It was still nice to get out.

Finally back on the water

River Island Park – June 1, 2024

It’s been a while since I had my whitewater boat out, so I decided to do a park-and-play run at River Island Park. River was at the perfect level – 3-feet, 1,000 cfs – nice waves to surf everywhere. I was a little rusty, but it came back.

River Island Park 2024 from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

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River Island Park - August 26, 2023

RICKA's joint Flatwater/Sea Kayak trip that was scheduled for today got cancelled due to potential thunderstorms, so I decided to do an early morning run in my whitewater boat down at River Island Park. The river was at a nice level - 3', 1,000 cfs. No pictures, except this on the way back.

On the walk back to River Island Park

River Island Park - August 13, 2023

The sea kayak trip that I was going to do yesterday got cancelled due to potential wind and thunderstorms. Probably just as well - I was pretty tired anyway. Later in the afternoon, I decided to go down to River Island Park to practice back ferries and back sets in my Yellowstone Solo. Of course just as I put in, the skies opened up and we had about 10-minutes of torrential rail. As I pulled over to take shelter under a tree, I saw this poem painted on a rock.

Sitting on the river banks
To still my heart at ease
And rest with God in thanks
With every passing breeze.

So many thoughts in time
So many questions there
A moments peace of mind
To know that love is there.

A little ways downstream I saw another one in an isolated spot up off the river.

Precious be the heart
You are not alone
With all the love you’ve got
Let your light be shown.

For love is pure as fire
And the flame of love is free
A love so to desire
For all eternity.

The poems are nice with their references to peace and love. The reason they are there is less nice. With access to services nearby, this section of the river has become a magnet for homeless camps. Back in January, the city removed a bunch of camps just downstream from here. I didn’t go down that far, but if I had to guess, I’d bet that they are back. I’ll have to check out the lower section sometime. Probably some nice poems down there as well.

I did some back ferries using a back sweep and cross back stroke. Once you get the angle set is not too hard. I forgot about the reverse J-stroke so  didn't try it. Then I tried some back sets into an eddy. I was able to do it, but I still think that an eddy turn is easier and more reliable.

Eddy Turn and Back Ferry from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

River Island Park - January 16, 2023

Putting in at River Island Park

With the recent controversy about the city removing homeless camps along the Blackstone River, I decided to do a run at River Island Park. This would be my 40th trip here since I started keeping track in 2009, so I am pretty familiar with the area. The river was at a nice level - 3.6 feet, 1,300 cfs. There was a little snow on the ground when I put-in, and a few more flurries when I was out on the river. It was starting to feel like winter.

The Blackstone River has suffered many indignities over the years. It was dammed and used as a power source for industry in the nineteenth century, and it became a cesspool for the disposal of sewage and industrial waste in the twentieth century. With the establishment of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor in 1986 and the ongoing construction of Blackstone River Bikepath, much has been done in recent years to improve conditions on the river. 

Campsite along the river in
January 2022

Unfortunately, one section of the river that has not benefited from this progress is downstream of River Island Park. This isolated area, hidden from view behind retaining walls from Woonsocket’s industrial past and the flood control levee that protects the city from potential flood waters, has become something of a no-man’s land. 

I am one of the few people who regularly paddles this section of the river. I launch my canoe at River Island Park, paddle downstream to enjoy the rapids below the Bernon Street, Court Street and P&W Railroad bridges, then walk back to my car along the flood control levee and Main Street Bypass. Along the way I get a view that few others see, and it is not always pretty.

The same site after the clean-up in
January 2023

With its location near Woonsocket’s downtown, this isolated section of the river has become a magnet for homeless camps. Before the recent clean-up, trash from these camps littered the banks. While paddling here I have had some interesting interactions with local residents - 'nuf said on that. The number of people I see hanging out in the area has definitely increased in recent years - maybe because a local social service agency encourages camping by giving out tents and sleeping bags. 

Of course, I realize that there is a serious problem with homelessness in the city. The fact that we have people living along the river in tents in the dead of winter is an indication of just how serious the problem is. I'm not sure what the answer is, but giving people the means to live “out of sight and out of mind” in decrepit camps along the river doesn't seem like the solution. 

On the bikepath heading back
to River Island Park

The city's recent clean-up included 13 workers who spent an entire day removing eight dump trucks loads of debris from the area. As I paddled down the river on this trip I was amazed at how much better the area looked after the clean-up. And of course, all that trash won't end up in the river next time that it floods. 

With plans to extend the bikepath into Market Square and build a greenway along the Main Street Bypass, this area has the potential to be transformed from a no-man's land into an attractive recreational space - further linking the river to the city's historic downtown. I would love to see that happen. We'll see. Already, a couple of new tents have appeared along the river. Definitely a cold, snowy day to be living outside along the river. 

New tent along the river - January 2023

River Island Park - January 15, 2022

Bernon Mills

I’ve been hiking more than paddling lately, so I wanted to get my canoe out for at least a short trip. At 15-degrees I knew that any flatwater would be frozen solid, so it was back to River Island Park. I was nice and warm with two layers of insulation under my drysuit and my neoprene helmet liner, but a thin layer of ice froze inside the boat making it real heavy to carry back up the flood control levy to the cart. It's just under a mile back to the car, and the wind was brutal in a couple of spots. Other than that it was fine. No wind on the river and at 2.3', 588 cfs, the river was at a nice, easy level.

Court Street Bridge

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River Island Park - December 5, 2021

Take-out below the power lines

It has been a while since I’ve had my whitewater boat out, so I took it out yesterday down at River Island Park. This has been my go-to park-and-play spot for as long as I have been paddling. The river was at an easy level – 2 feet, 600 cfs on the Woonsocket gage.

I put in behind the Bandstand at River Island Park and warmed up with some ferries in the quickwater before checking out the pour-over on the other side of the island. Underneath the Bernon Street Bridge are the remnants of the old Bernon Dam. There were some nice easy waves, so I surfed for a while. The section just below Bernon Street was boney, so I skipped it and paddled past the Bernon Mills to the Court Street Bridge.

Portage back to the car

I skipped the small waves directly above the Court Street Bridge and eddied out from the right behind the big rock in the center of the river. From there it is easy to move out on to the surf wave below the bridge. Downstream from the Court Street Bridge but before the Providence & Worcester Railroad Bridge is big ledge in the middle of the river. At most water levels, it just creates a big eddy that I usually catch from the right. I also caught some of the easy surf waves on the left.

Below the railroad bridge it is mostly quickwater with a couple surf spots. The best is created by a pipe running across the river. I eddied out behind the rocks and spent a little time shedding back and forth across the wave at the pipe. I paddled backwards down the boney rapid below the powerlines before lugging my boat up the flood control levee for portage back to my car.

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River Island Park - May 9, 2021

Michelle went to church. I went to river church. I did a quick run at River Island Park. Medium level – 2.7 feet, 850 cfs; all the scenery you’d expect, but no pictures.

River Island Park - March 7, 2021

It has been a year since the COVID lock-down started. The first trip I did after the stay-at-home order was issued was a solo run at River Island Park. It seems appropriate that I should be back there a year later for another run - especially after I got my mother her second COVID shot at Gillette Stadium yesterday. Nice level - 2.75 feet, 800 cfs. The hydro plant was shut down, so there was lots of water was flowing over the dam.

 

River Island Park from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

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River Island Park - February 7, 2021

Yesterday would have been a great day to paddle, but I had to take my mother to Gillette Stadium to get her first dose of COVID vaccine – one down, one to go.  

I got out early this morning for a quick run down at River Island Park.  With the snow already on the ground, I wasn’t sure I would be able to cart the boat back upstream, so I decided to paddle the quickwater right around the park. The river was a a nice level - 650 cfs, 2.4 feet. The flurries started just as I drove back in the driveway.

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River Island Park - April 25, 2020

At the take-out

This is getting depressing. We are coming up to the end of April, and the whitewater season is going to be a bust. It has been a wet spring, and every time it rains I think about the rivers coming up. Oh well...

I got out yesterday for a run down at River Island Park. The temp was almost 70 (wetsuit weather) and the river was at a nice level - 3.75 feet, 1,450 cfs.  A lot of the smaller features were washed out, but the wave under the Court Street Bridge was perfect.

Wave under the Court Street Bridge

River Island Park – March 21, 2020

I got out for a quick run this morning at River Island Park - paddle a mile down, walk a mile back. I only saw one other person - the homeless guy who lives behind the library - and social distance was maintained at all times. Level was around 3 feet, 950 cfs. I finally got to check out my new 56” paddle – I liked it.

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River Island Park - February 1, 2020

I have to read at 10:30 Mass on Sunday, and the only trip on Saturday was a late afternoon run at Tville, so I ended up at River Island Park for a quick run with my whitewater boat. The river was at a nice level - 2.75', 800 cfs. At this level the surf spots aren't too big, but aren't washed out either. I brought my cameras with the intention a taking some video, but I didn't bother. This is the only picture I took - the new stairs at the  put-in.

River Island Park - December 27, 2019

Globe Bridge - 7X Zoom

Stayed local today for my last paddle of 2019, and got to try out the new paddle and camera that I got for Christmas. River Island Park was up (3', 950 cfs), so that is where I went. The paddle is fine - same paddle that I always get - 58" Werner Bandit. The camera is great - Olympus Tough TG-6. I also got a telephoto lens that increases the zoom to 7X. I was afraid the the pictures with the telephoto lens would be blurry, but they don't seem to be, and the lens clicks on and off easy. I think I'm going to like this.

At the take-out

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River Island Park Again - November 18, 2019

It was another busy weekend, so I took another trip down to River Island Park. It was 28° when I put the boat in the water at around 9:30, and 34° by the time I got back to the car at around 11:30. The river was 2', 500 cfs – low up at the dam, but OK at the usual surf spots.  


River Island Park from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

River Island Park - November 3, 2019

Bernon Street Bridge

It was another busy weekend - raked leaves, cleaned out the flower beds, put up the Christmas lights, went to church, cooked a big beef stew, and got my whitewater boat out for a short run at River Island Park. There are a couple of easy park-and-play waves in the first half-mile, and then I lug my boat up the flood control levee and cart it back to my car. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they have completed the section of the Blackstone River Bikeway along the Main Street Bypass – it was always a pain getting through there. I had two wheels on it – just not the type that they were thinking. River was 2.5', 650 cfs - a nice level.

Shuttle on the new bikpath along the Main Street By-pass

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River Island Park - October 26, 2019

I needed to stay local today, so I did the run from River Island Park to Manville with Mike D., Bill M. and Gary P.  River was 2.5', 650 cfs - a nice level.

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River Island Park - December 29, 2018

I stayed local yesterday and spent a couple of hours down at River Island Park – about a half-mile of quickwater with a couple of easy surf waves.  Usually the best surf spots are below the Bernan and Court Street Bridges, but yesterday those were washed out and the best surfing was directly below the Woonsocket Falls at the Globe Bridge. Level was 3.5 feet, 1,700 cfs. I paddled down and carted my boat back.  Not a bad way to spend the morning.

River Island Park from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Blackstone - River Island Park to Albion - February 17, 2018

Tandem paddling with Bill

I stayed close to home today and paddled with Bill and Earl on the Blackstone from River Island Park to Albion - about 6 miles. The river was at a nice level – 3.5 feet, 1300 cfs.  Bill didn’t wear a wetsuit or drysuit, so I didn’t either, which limited the surfing and other playing around.  With two dams to portage, we were glad we brought the portage cart.

Portaging the Albion Dam

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River Island Park - March 5, 2017

Only the die-hard paddlers were out this weekend, and most of them were on bigger river than I wanted to run, so I took my boat down to River Island Park. Level was 2.5 feet, 500 cfs, which is actually not bad. I walked up to the dam to get some pictures, and then played in whatever features I could find. 


River Island Park from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

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