| Home Back Issues Events Calendar Message Boards Current Advertisers Advertise Subscribe Distributors Free Issue About Us Contact Us |
Kayaking & Canoeing
Boquet River
A Secluded Paddle from Willsboro
to a Lake Champlain Sandbar
by Jack Downs
Popular with birders, suitable for families, the Boquet River from Willsboro to Lake Champlain is a rare combination of quiet, isolation and adventure.
The Boquet starts as a ledge-banked rocky river before transforming into a shallow sandy-bottomed paddle and then to a gorgeous sandbar delta. This short stretch of river offers wilderness, wildlife and a sense of exploration, which is surprising for its ease and length.
First, a word of caution about rivers in general and the Boquet in particular: Avoid river paddles after heavy rains or during spring runoff. This placid stretch of the Boquet can become dangerous during heavy flow. In fact, because the Boquet drains a vast area and begins far into the high peaks its flow may be more weather dependant than other rivers in the Champlain Valley.
 |
Trip Stats
Rating: Easy to moderate |
Begin this paddle at a public, but unmarked small-boat launch just a short distance from the bustle of Willsboro’s small downtown. The steep gravel launch is a bit narrow and clumsy, so be careful. From here, let the gentle current take you to the southeast. Eroded gray stone ledges bank the heavily forested shores.
This gentle current is the swiftest you will encounter on this trip. You’ll need to paddle to make any but the slowest headway. And it doesn’t take much of a south breeze to counteract the current.
The river makes a moderately sharp bend to the east, and back to the south, establishing the southeast direction it will keep most of the way to the lake. Within the first half-mile the rocky ledge and rock-strewn bottom give way to grassy banks and sand bottom, quite shallow in some places.
At 0.7 miles, you will reach a small island. Stay to the south (right) side of the island. The opposite shore is choked with snags. This little island might be a fun explore for kids.
For the next mile the river is quite shallow. During a dry summer or fall there may be places where a heavily laden canoe or kayak runs aground, making it necessary to get out and haul. But the bottom here is good sand, making the footing firm.
This is a good stretch to practice reading the water. Watch for sandbars, stay to the outside of bends in the river, avoid the center of the wider stretches and guess where the deepest channel will be. Throughout the downstream trip you’ll notice that the north bank (left) is posted. However, the south bank is not posted. There are plenty of places to stop, pull out and stretch your legs. However, with the water so low, you may simply stop midstream and step out into the water.
At about 1.3 miles the river narrows slightly and changes character, the shore, now heavily forested with hardwoods, squeezing in from the south. The water deepens slightly and stays deeper through to the lake.
Here, the river’s history begins to make more sense. Through the early 1700s, heavy commercial traffic plied these waters. Farms, mines and industry in Willsboro and the surrounding countryside used the Boquet River to move products to Lake Champlain and, then on heavier craft, to cities along the lake, Montreal and New York City. Heavy barges carried loads from the mouth to just upstream from our boat launch.
Sadly, generations of heavy use, industry and erosion left the river shallow, silted and less and less valuable for navigation. In the early 1800s attempts were made to reopen the river, but nothing succeeded for long. Eventually, railroads and highways made commercial river travel obsolete.
Approaching the lake at 1.5 miles into the trip, the horizon begins to open. The riverbanks turn to sandy delta at about 1.75 miles, with Vermont’s Green Mountains, and the great lopsided profile of Mount Mansfield, visible in the distance on a clear day.
The mouth of the river is flanked by two large, hook-shaped sandbars. The bar on the south shore (right approaching from upstream) is especially large and intricately curved, nearly cutting off a small, sheltered lagoon from the lake. Wind and waves allowing, paddle through the mouth, turning to the south and beaching on the lakeside of this hooked sandbar arm 2 miles into the trip.
Roaming these bars you’ll find plenty to explore. Shore birds congregate here, sometimes in vast numbers. The bar is filled with animal tracks. Hawks float above on the lake winds. Herons wade in the marshy shallows. Or maybe you just want to relax on the red-brown sand, having a snack and watching the waves out on the unprotected lake. Willsboro Point is visible to the northwest, the Four Brothers islands directly north and the Vermont shoreline away to the east.
Beginning the upstream paddle, you may notice the slightest tug of a current. If you are lucky enough to have a bit of a southeast wind blowing from the lake, the current will be more than neutralized. Again, after the first 0.75 mile, as the river shallows, practice reading the water to avoid being caught in the shallows.
Perhaps paddling slower, without the urgency of reaching the mouth and the anticipation of the sandbar, this is a good time to do some nature watching. On a sunny afternoon, the bleached logs that extend into the lake here may be lined with turtles. At first, they are hard to see, but as you pass you’ll hear the characteristic “plop” as the wary beasts drop surprisingly fast into the water. Also watch for signs of beaver, active along the shoreline, and for deer peering out from the forest.
Just as you approach the last, sharper river bends before the boat launch, the banks and river bottom becoming rocky, the wooded shores now turning to cedar and pine, the current will become more noticeable. And the stiffest current will be within sight of the launch, only a hundred yards from the trip’s end. Unless you’ve made the mistake of taking this trip after a heavy rain or during spring runoff, this current will still be quite manageable.
Return to the launch and finish the trip at 4 miles.
Side Paddles/Variations
• If you are still up for a bit of paddling after returning to the launch, continue upstream. The river is navigable for about 0.3 miles further. Here, you may pull out and explore the ledges and rapids on foot.
• A number of paddles are possible from the mouth. The true tip of Willsboro Point is about 7 miles north. Whallon Bay and Split Rock Point are about the same distance to the south. Although these destinations may be a bit too far for a casual afternoon’s paddle, there are plenty of rocky bays and ledges to explore along the way.
• For the ambitious paddler, an open lake crossing to the protected Meach Cove boat launch in Vermont is about 4 miles.
Driving Directions
From Exit 33 on the Adirondack Northway (Interstate 87) follow the signs to Willsboro, taking NY Route 22. You’ll stay on this road for about 8 miles. Route 22 takes a turn and sharp downhill to cross the Boquet River. Immediately after this bridge turn left onto School Street, the launch is about 0.5 miles ahead. Pass the Willsboro Fishway and the Willsboro Wastewater Treatment Plant. The road turns to gravel and ends in a turnaround and parking area at the launch.
Enjoy your paddling adventure!
Jack Downs lives in Plattsburgh with his wife and two daughters. He is an avid hiker and skier who has been enjoying small boats all his life. This article has been excerpted from his recently published book, Kayak and Canoe Paddles in the New York Champlain Valley.
©2000-2005 Adirondack Sports & Fitness. All rights reserved.