Flatwater Paddling
There are many serene rivers and lakes to paddle in Northern New England. These are some of the closest to Dartmouth, and the most reliable with respect to water levels. Some larger lakes experience significant motorized traffic in the summer, but quiet takes over in the spring and fall. On the bigger bodies of water, expect wind and waves and make sure you are prepared for these conditions.
Smaller Lakes and Ponds
- Grafton Pond (Grafton, New Hampshire)
- Crystal Lake (Enfield Center, New Hampshire)
- George Pond (Enfield Center, New Hampshire)
- Eastman Pond (North Grantham, New Hampshire)
- Post Pond (Lyme, New Hampshire)
- Reservoir Pond (Dorchester, New Hampshire)
- Cummins Pond (Dorchester, New Hampshire)
- Goose Pond (Canaan, New Hampshire)
- Canaan Street Lake (Canaan, New Hampshire)
- Upper Baker Pond (Gilmans Corner, New Hampshire)
- Lower Baker Pond (Gilmans Corner, New Hampshire)
- Lake Armington (Warren, New Hampshire)
- Lake Tarleton (Warren, New Hampshire)
- Woodward Reservoir (West Bridgewater, Vermont)
- Dewey’s Pond (Quechee, Vermont)
- Lake Fairlee (Post Mills, Vermont)
- Silver Lake (Barnard, Vermont)
- Lake Morey (Fairlee, Vermont)
Longer Trips
- Connecticut River (51 miles from East Rygate to Hanover, New Hampshire) navigable spring to fall, no portages, primitive campsites available, some class 1 near the put-in
- Connecticut River (32 miles from Bellows Falls to Vernon, New Hampshire) navigable spring to fall, no portages, primitive campsites available
- Lower Saco River (20+ miles from Fryeburg to East Brownfield, Maine) navigable spring to fall, one portage, camping on sand bars, boat rentals through Saco Bound, crowded in summer
- Lake Champlain (100+ miles from Whitehall, New York to Canada) navigable spring to fall, exposed to gusty weather, motorized traffic, many camping and rental options
- Lake George (30+ miles from Lake George to Ticonderoga, New York) navigable spring to fall, motorized traffic, reserve camping on islands, north end of the lake is less crowded
- Otter Creek (35 miles from Proctor to Middlebury, Vermont) navigable spring to fall, no portages, rentals available near put in, take out well above Middlebury Falls
