The Merrimack Paddle Challenge is presented by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Five Rivers Conservation Trust, Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust, and the Merrimack River Watershed Council.
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Five Rivers Conservation Trust, Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust, and the Merrimack River Watershed Council, announced a two-state Merrimack Paddle Challenge this summer.
The do-it-yourself challenge runs from June 15 through September 30, 2021 along the Merrimack River and its tributaries. The four sponsoring groups have mapped out a collection of five paddling adventures in the Merrimack River watershed, specially chosen to maximize fun and opportunities to learn more about the ecosystem of the Merrimack watershed that stretches from Franklin, New Hampshire to Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Adventurers registering for the challenge ($25 per party) will receive a laminated paddle guide for each excursion, complete with maps, locations of put-ins and take-outs, important details about the paddle (length, difficulty, and time), and information about points of interest along the way. Participants will also be entered into a raffle to win prizes at the end of the challenge period.
All paddle excursions are designed to be beginner to intermediate flat-water paddles, between 4 and 9 miles in length, and 3 to 5 hours on the water. The five paddles include:
Concord River Paddle in Lowell and Billerica, Massachusetts
Cross-Border Merrimack Paddle from Nashua, New Hampshire to Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
Contoocook River Paddle in Contoocook and Concord, New Hampshire
Muchyedo Banks Paddle in Penacook, Boscawen, and Canterbury, New Hampshire
Silver Maple Floodplain Paddle in Concord, New Hampshire
To register participants can visit www.forestsociety.org/merrimack-paddle-challenge. For more information email mpc@forestsociety.org. Participants are encouraged to share their photos on social media at #MerrimackPaddleChallenge and to watch the documentary, The Merrimack: River at Risk to learn more about their adventure along the Merrimack River.
Presented by: Five Rivers Conservation Trust, Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust, Merrimack River Watershed Council & Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
