Okay, so maybe it’s not QUITE Canada, but you start about a mile from its border. Close enough…especially if you love to paddle, crave adventure, embrace the great outdoors, and enjoy sleeping under the stars.
If paddling makes your heart smile, then you might want to plan your next vacation around paddling the Connecticut River, New England’s longest river starting in the beautiful town of Pittsburg, NH, just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Canadian border and flowing 400 miles south to the river’s discharge in Long Island Sound.
Now, before you say, “What? Are you nuts? Paddle to Connecticut,” keep reading, because this trip is the coolest, thanks to the Connecticut River Paddler’s Trail, a series of primitive campsites, river access points, and portage trails spanning from the tip top of NH to Long Island Sound.
With 150 access points and over 50 primitive campsites, you can enjoy this beautiful, unique experience without having to worry about where to take a rest. The Connecticut River is known for its consistently navigable waters, few challenging rapids, and an ever-changing natural landscape that will keep you in awe.
Back in the 90’s, the Upper Valley Land Trust paved the way in establishing formal river campsites in Vermont and New Hampshire and since then, over twenty other groups have teamed up to add more sites and increase and improve access points. What a fantastic community effort and gift to get to witness the heart of New England in this spectacularly unique way! Even the landowners of most of the river’s shore have been kind enough to host the public at primitive campsites on their land.
If this sounds like a trip for you, visit the interactive map and start planning today!