Taylor's Landing

41° 28.953' N    71° 33.073' 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:

Taylor's Landing is the standard access point for paddling down the Chipuxet River to Worden Pond. The river is very slow moving all the way to Worden Pond so it is quite possible to paddle downstream and then turn around and paddle back upstream to the put-in. The river at the landing looks too small to hold a canoe, but after a bend or two it opens up just a bit. None-the-less, in some areas, especially just below the landing, it is narrow enough that kayakers may have a hard time finding clear space for their paddle. Canoeists do a little better since the paddle can more easily be kept right close in beside the boat. Even so, in the summer when the vegetation is at it's densest, it may be hard to get through at all, especially in a kayak. You should also expect to encounter various beaver dams on the river, which will require you to get out and lift your boat over the dam, so sturdy footwear that can get wet is advisable. As of the spring of 2015 there were four beaver dams between the landing and Worden Pond. Three-quarters of a mile or so below the landing the river slowly opens up a little and starts winding through a more open wetland, with red maples and white pines set well back from the river. Dry ground to land on is very hard to find in this section. It's about 3-1/2 miles from the landing to Worden Pond.

Be careful when you reach Worden Pond. It is broad and shallow and it does not take a lot of wind to kick up a good chop. If the weather is not good, stick to the east shore (where there are many cottages) and follow it to the landing on the south shore, due south of where you came into Worden Pond. In good weather, if you want to continue down the Pawcatuck River, head for Stony Point, which is the headland to your right when you enter the pond. There are good spots to stop for lunch on the east side of this point. Once around Stony Point head across the mouth of the large cove beyond Stony Point to the next point and follow the south shore of this point to the Pawcatuck River. It can be difficult to spot.

Entering the Pawcatuck takes you into a beautiful hardwood swamp, which the river winds through for 4-1/4 miles before joining the Usquepaug a little above Biscuit City Landing. In the summer months, be prepared for a fair amount of poison ivy along this section of the Pawcatuck River. The poison ivy is less of an issue in the spring and the fall. You will also encounter downed trees across the river. Many will have a gap cut in them wide enough to let a canoe or kayak squeeze through. However there may be some recent blowdowns that require you to get out of your boat and lift it over or carry it around the tree. As of early summer of 2020 there were reportedly quite a few trees down across the river, making passage through this area quite difficult.

The Wood-Pawcatuck River Guide is highly recommended for paddling on the Wood-Pawcatuck river system, which includes the Chipuxet River.

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

Location:

Town: South Kingstown

Driving Landmarks: Taylor's Landing is on Route 138, 1.4 miles west of the main entrance to URI and 1.4 miles east of the junction with Route 2.

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: Gently sloping sand and gravel

Float/Dock: no

Approximate Length of Carry between Car Access and Water: 10 feet

Hours of Operation: Closed from 1/2 hr. after sunset to 5 am, except for fishing and boating

Parking:

Parking: yes: 10 spaces

ADA Accessible Parking Spaces? no

Nearby Amenities:

Public Restrooms: No

Sources for More Information:

AMC Quiet Water Canoe Guide: 2nd Edition, page 196

Other Guidebooks: Paddle 25 in "Paddling Connecticut and Rhode Island"

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

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