The Assabet River Pocket Guide A Recreation Guide to the Assabet River OAR

The Assabet River “A more lovely stream than this,” Nathaniel Hawthorne said of the Assabet River, “has never flowed on earth, except to lave the interior regions of a poet’s imagination.” Much of the river is still beauti- ful today, with surprisingly remote and unspoiled sections. In 1999, four miles of the Assabet were designated under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers program. The Assabet River begins in Westborough, flowing north for 31 miles through Northborough, Marlborough, Berlin, Hudson, Stow, Maynard, and Acton until it joins the Sudbury River in the town of Concord to form the Concord River. The river is home to abundant wildlife, including great blue herons, river otters, osprey, and painted turtles. Despite an abundance of dams, dif- Helpful Resources ficult passage in the upper reaches, and even a bit of seasonal whitewater, the Books: Assabet offers some easy and interest- The Concord, Sudbury, and Assabet Rivers: ing paddles for the beginning canoeist A guide to canoeing, wildlife and history. or kayaker. We especially recommend By Ron McAdow. Bliss Publishing Company, the three trips highlighted in purple on the map. Marlborough, MA. 1997. Available through OAR. River Safety Websites: Although the majority of the Assabet OAR: www.assabetriver.org River flows gently, please be aware that Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge: dams, high water (and low bridges), assabetriver.fws.gov downed trees, and seasonal rapids can Assabet River Rail Trail: www.arrtinc.org pose serious hazards to boaters. Please Mass Audubon: www.massaudubon.org be careful and wear a life jacket. You SVT: www.sudburyvalleytrustees.org can check with OAR if unsure of the conditions. Wild & Scenic River Stewardship Council: OAR www.sudbury-assabet-concord.org The Organization for the Assabet River (OAR) was established to preserve and enhance the river, its tributar- ies, and watershed. A membership organization with a small staff and an active board, OAR was founded in 1986 in response to citizen con- cerns about odors and pollution in the Assabet. The Assabet is much improved since OAR’s founding days, but has some distance to go before the river is truly “fishable and swimmable.” The Assabet River suffers from nutrient pollution, creating exces- sive plant growth in the summer. Through our water quality and flow monitoring, advocacy, annual river cleanups and other programs, OAR has accomplished a great deal with limited resources. OAR needs your support to continue protecting this wonderful river and its watershed. To find out more, please visit our website at www.assabetriver.org. Organization for the Assabet River OAR Damonmill Square, Concord, MA 01742 (978) 369-3956.

Ot is S y Westborough Pkw tree r ve e al v h V t i it R Sm Fisher Street et ab s s A

Mi ll Roa Assabet Reservoir d The Assabet Reservoir in Westborough. Headwaters Conservation Area See the other se Street side for the d Nour Ol complete river.

OAR thanks our project partners and sponsors: Sponsors: Intel Massachusetts, Inc. Crossroads Community Foundation Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Riverways Program, DFG Partners: Town of Westborough, Town of Northborough, City of Marlborough, Town of Hudson, Sudbury Valley Trustees Our second edition made possible by a grant from Intel Massachusetts, Inc. Bolton The Assabet River Rail Trail in Acton- Acton ! Maynard-Stow is currently in design Kelly’s Legend South Bolton phase. Visit www.arrtinc.org for the East canoe launch marked trails rail trails dam river milage rapids Corner Acton Berlin Hudson Rd latest information The Assabet River Pocket Guide Elizabeth Brook South School Street primary road major road state route highway town center protected open land Stow Acton Scale Miles OAR  0 1 2 3 4 Wheeler Rd Brookside Ave A Recreation Guide to the Assabet River Elm Street  

Lower Village High St Cox St West   Old Stow Rd  Gates Pond Concord East Berlin 13.4 Bradley Ln Barretts Mill Rd  Summer Street Warner’s Pond d Maynard Independence Hudson R 15.7 Zina Rd Parker St 17.6 Stow Town d Lawsbrook Rd n  North

12.3 o

 23.1 Rd Lowell

High St

South St Gleasondale Forest P

River Rd Parker St

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Dam i mmer Hill Rd Concord St Adams St

h Su OAR Headquarters

Park St t S W t R i ! RAPIDS Damon Mill Dam

n e v e Ben Smith Commonwealth Ave South Berlin Hudson b Cox St o r (breached) ! RAPIDS 28.6 t a Forest RAvea Dam Florida St i Mill St High School g s l 18.7 Minute Man Wood s T Glendale St River Rd n r  Walnut St i A a i l Main St National Historical Park Park h A Winter St ! South Bridge

s s s Pine St St Pine r

a a b RAPIDS Powder  Baker Ave Boathouse i v e e t T r a i l R Bridge Rd Brigham St W R i v e r R a i l Mill Dam (rentals)* 31.9 Old North C o n c o r d Broad St Icehouse Landing Harrington Ave Bridge Waltham St Main St Lake  Sudbury Road The Manse

Chapin Rd Egg Rock Donald J. Lynch Blvd. Boon Assabet River Cottage St

Lowell Road Solomon Pond Rd

28.0 O l

Barton Rd d

Landing

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S National o

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Colburn St W to d

Northborough a ing  8.1 sh t Chapin St o Robin Hill Road Hunter Av  r Wildlife Refuge N

Old Marlboro Rd e

Ft Meadow Reservoir Williams Rd i t Solomon n v

S i e   Powder Mill Rd Main St

Pond n

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Edmund Hill A

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Woods C Concord o

r  Boundary St B Lexington Rd

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Millham Reservoir e Concord Center Cambridge Tpk

Rice Ave b

Old Pickard Rd r Rice Ave Hudson St  d u

6.1 S Sudbury Rd Allen St Marlborough Northborough  Dakin Rd Aqueduct Sudbury *this launch is for boat rentals only Recommended river Paddle 1: Robin Hill Road, Marlborough to Hudson Center. This lovely five Paddle 2: Gleasondale, Stow to Ice House Landing, Maynard (Ben Smith Dam). Paddle 3: Damonmill to Lowell Road, Concord. A four mile trip down the trips for canoe or kayak: mile paddle takes you through narrow, leafy sections, out into open meadows, and A scenic and serene five-mile paddle featuring broad, open vistas and abundant wildlife. federally-designated Wild and Scenic section of the Assabet; leafy canopies overhead (river outlined in purple on map) back though the forest before arriving in downtown Hudson. lend this stretch an intimate charm. CAUTION: The stretch from Damonmill to Pine Street can be hazardous and contains downed trees; put in at Pine Street if unsure of conditions.