Paddle the Quinebaug River

Quinebaug River

The Quinebaug River is about 69 miles long with 37 of those miles in the State of Connecticut. Due to a high number of dams and waterfalls in CT only about 30 miles are able to be paddled and attempting to paddle the whole thing would be quite technical.

The name “Quinebaug” comes from the Native American term, spelled variously Qunnubbâgge, Quinibauge, etc., meaning “long pond”. In 1994 the river was protected as the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor by the National Park Service. In December 2014, Congress passed a law officially renaming the area the Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor.

Boat Launches

Fabyan Road, Thompson
West Thompson Lake boat ramp, Thompson
Simonzi Park on Kennedy Drive, Putnam
Route 101, Pomfret
Riverside Park, Brooklyn
Quinebaug River Trail Launch, Killingly
Quinebaug Trout Hatchery, Plainfield
Manship Park, Canterbury
Butts Bridge Road, Canterbury

Section List

Work in progress, likely updated in Spring 2023. In the meantime, refer to the paddler’s guide linked above.

Route 101 Boat Launch

★☆☆☆☆

460 Killingly Road, Pomfret Center, CT, USA

Route 101 Boat Launch Quinebaug River Boat Launch 1 acre in Pomfret, CT Parking: Medium sized lot near 437 Killingly Road, Pomfret, CT Trail Map …

Quinebaug River Trail

★★☆☆☆

39 Wauregan Rd, Danielson, CT

Quinebaug River Trail Rails to Trails Conservancy 10 acres in Killingly, CT Parking: Medium sized lot near 39 Wauregan Rd, Danielson, CT Trail Map …

Davis Forest

★★☆☆☆

Davis Forest Disc Golf, Salmon Drive, Brooklyn, CT, USA

Davis Forest Brooklyn Town Park 143 acres in Brooklyn, CT Parking: Medium sized lot at the end of Salmon Dr, Brooklyn, CT Trail Map …

Manship Park

★☆☆☆☆

50 Lovell Ln, Canterbury, CT

Robert Manship Park Canterbury Town Park 8 acres in Canterbury, CT Parking: Small lots near 50 Lovell Ln, Canterbury, CT Trail Map Trails: 0.3 miles …

West Thompson Lake

★★★☆☆

41.952254, -71.904027

West Thompson Lake and Dam U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1,763.5 acres in Thompson, CT Parking: West side (hiking) of the dam small lot Parking Link East… Read more…

Fisherman’s Walk Trail

★☆☆☆☆

42.010085, -71.941494

Fisherman’s Walk Trail / Fabyan Boat Launch Thompson Town Park 8 acres in Thompson, CT Parking: Small lot near 622 Fabyan Rd, North Grosvenor Dale, CT Trail…

Dunn Preserve

★★☆☆☆

41.862530, -71.921684

Dunn Preserve Wyndham Land Trust 32 acres in Killingly, CT Parking: Shoulder parking at the gate near 149 Lake Rd, Dayville, CT Aerial Map …

Taft Tunnel

★★☆☆☆

41.554334, -72.036052

Taft Tunnel Lisbon Historical Landmark 10 acres in Lisbon, CT Parking: Small pull-off near 679 River Road, Lisbon, CT Trail Map Trails: Less than…

Putnam River Heritage Trail

★★☆☆☆

41.908118, -71.908057

Putnam River Heritage Trail Putnam Town Park Along the Quinebaug River in Putnam, CT Parking: There are a number of small open lots along Kennedy Drive Putnam, CT… Read more…

Sugar Brook

★★☆☆☆

41.716444, -71.941710

Sugar Brook / Quinebaug River Wildlife Management Area / Tillinghast Preserve Sugar Brook Field Trial and Wildlife Management Area and Wyndham Land Trust Estimated 400 acres in…

Quinebaug River