Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The Deerfield River


The Deerfield River runs for 73 miles from southern Vermont through northwestern Massachusetts to the Connecticut River. It contains some of the best whitewater paddling and rafting in southern New England. 

Every August, paddlers gather in the area around Deerfield Massachusetts for the Deerfield River Festival. The Festival provides opportunities for paddlers at all levels from rafters to hardcore play boaters.

The section of the river beginning at Monroe Bride, known as the "Dryway" contains the most challenging runs (class III and IV), including Dragon's Tooth, pictured above.The river generally starts out easy then gets progressively harder as one paddles downstream. The water in this three mile section of the Deerfield is usually bypassed by a diversion canal from Dam #5 all the way down to the reservoir behind Fife Brook dam (which is where the nickname "Dryway" comes from).


If you are up for the challenge the Dryway is a premier destination for most northeastern paddlers. 

If you are not up for class III and IV water we recommend that you try a raft trip from one of many outfitters in the area. 



Dragon's Tooth Poster


Local Paddling Resources
Crabapple Whitewater Tours
Moxie Outdoors
Zoar Outdoors Center



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