Cold Spring Park - July 17, 2025

Boat launch at Cold Spring Park

It has been a long time since I paddled this section of the Blackstone. The last time I did this trip was January 2020, and that trip included some canoe sledding. Before that was a BVPC trip in August 2012, and a video in August 2011. I don’t know if I would have gone otherwise, but Paul’s text with an offer to paddle tandem got me out.

To be honest, this section of the river had became less and less attractive over the years. There was a large homeless camp and lots of trash at the put in, the water quality wasn’t that good, and the scenery was nothing to write home about. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at the improvement on this trip.

Heading upstream

The Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone was leading this paddle for the "I 💜 Woonsocket" group that is connected to the Economic Development Division of the City of Woonsocket. They provided rental boats and asked RICKA to provide a few leaders to "shepherd" the group.

We put in at the Cold Spring Park boat launch and paddled up to the St. Paul Street Bridge. This section of the river runs along the newest section of the Blackstone River Bikeway at the RI/MA border. After that we paddled down to the Woonsocket Falls Dam and back. Trip was about 3.5 miles, and we ended right at sunset.

Sunset at the end of the trip

Links:

My Pictures

Cold Spring Park - RI Blueways

Cold Spring Park - January 19, 2020

Upstream of the Woonsocket Falls Dam

We woke to 4-5 inches of nice light powder. It would have been a nice day for a hike with Papa Joe and the crew, but I had shoveling to do, so that was out. Instead, I went for a quick trip down at Cold Spring Park. The trip itself was uneventful. I paddled down to the Woonsocket Falls Dam and back. With the wind, I wasn’t motivated to paddle up to Blackstone. Instead, I dragged my boat over to the sledding hill to join the kids for a couple of runs. Unfortunately, a 30-pound kid on a sledding disc goes a lot faster that a 200-pound guy in a 14-foot canoe.  I did pack the snow down, though, so the kids went even faster when I was done.

On the sledding hill

Links:

My Pictures

Cold Spring Park – August 21, 2012

I was the leader for the last Blackstone Valley Paddle Club trip of the summer at Cold Spring Park in Woonsocket. The scenery isn’t the best, but the sunset more than made up for it. Summer is coming to an end, but fall paddling is even better.

Sunset over Cold Spring Park

Links:

My Pictures

Cold Spring Park - August 7, 2011

I was out this morning in the poring rain paddling the section of the Blackstsone River from Cold Spring Park the the Woonsocket Falls Dam.  Not a particularly scenic section of the river, but there is a lot of history.

Cold Spring Park - August 3rd

We had another nice group last night for the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club trip at Cold Spring Park – probably 50 boats including leaders. I keep thinking that the water in the Blackstone can’t get any lower, and it does.

Links:
My Pictures
Cold Spring Park from Woonsocket.org