Hope Valley Fishing Access

41° 30.721' N    71° 42.384' W   See this location in: Google Maps   Map Server   Acme Maps

This is a site for launching hand-carried boats such as canoes or kayaks.

Description & Overview:

This site, behind the Little League ballfields, provides access to the Wood River below Wyoming Dam. The natural, sandy stream bank provides a suitable location for launching hand-carried boats.

Most paddlers choose to avoid the 1 1/2 miles of river below here because there are two portages in rapid succession. However, if you do want to paddle this section of the river, heading downstream from here you, after a mile of slow, marshy river you will come to the dam at the old Hope Valley Mill. Take out on the right, cross the bridge and launch into the quickwater behind the old Hope Valley Mill. The next dam, a low dam at the gauging station, can be run at high water or portaged on the right. Once past the Route 95 overpass the river becomes more inviting again. Shortly below I-95 there is a put-in along Switch Road that is a good starting point for a paddle down the next section of the Wood River. This area is stocked with trout several times throughout the year. The Wood-Pawcatuck River Guide is highly recommended for paddling on the Wood-Pawcatuck river system.

This site provides access to the following water bodies in the Pawcatuck River watershed: Wood River.

Location:

Alternate Site Name: James E. Dow Memorial Field

Town: Hopkinton

Nearest Town Center: Wyoming, RI

Driving Landmarks: From Interstate 95 north or south take exit 3B for Route 138 west (Hope Valley/Wyoming). Half a mile on route 138 will bring you to the merge with Route 3. Merge onto Route 3 south and go 0.3 miles. Turn left at the sign for "James E. Dow Memorial Field" and "Hope Valley Fishing Access." The put-in is around behind the baseball diamonds.

Access & Waters:

Water 'Features' At Site: flatwater/slow moving river

Note: Because one boat launch can access, say, both a lake and a river or both the upstream and downstream portions of a river, not all paddling trips at a given site will necessarily encounter all of the features listed.

Type of Access: Boat launch for hand carried boats

ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no

Shoreline: low sandy bank

Float/Dock: no

Approximate Length of Carry between Car Access and Water: 30 feet

Parking:

Parking: yes

ADA Accessible Parking Spaces? yes

Sources for More Information:

Website: How to order the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association's River Guide

Website: USGS River Gauge on the Wood River below Hope Valley Dam

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