Paddling on the Merrimack River – NH

Join the Merrimack River Watershed Council on a paddling trip in the Merrimack and Nashua Rivers with the local New Hampshire based company North Country Kayak. The Council invites the community to explore the river from a kayak!

Our paddle will begin at Greeley Park in Nashua, New Hampshire. At this point the Merrimack runs along the East side of the city. There are signs of development, but most of it is hidden by the wooded river bank. After two miles we will pass the Nashua river, flowing in on the river right side. We will paddle upstream on the Nashua (if the current allows) into the heart of downtown. Our journey will continue upstream to a dam alongside the Nashua Public Library. We will then turn around and follow the Nashua River back down to the Merrimack. Once we reach the Merrimack, it is a short paddle to our take out at Merrill Park. The entire trip will cover over four miles and will take approximately two hours to complete. The full schedule is below.

*Please note: Our launch and finishing locations will not be the same. At the end of the paddle, you will be expected to carpool with 2-3 others back to the starting location in Greeley Park. This ride will take 10 minutes. Everyone will be required to wear a mask.

* Any youth (ages 12-18) attending the kayaking trip must be at least 12 years old and be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

PADDLING ROUTE MAP:

New Hampshire Paddling Route May 29th

HOW TO REGISTER:

The sign up form contains 3 links to: 1) Payment platform, 2) MRWC waiver and 3) North Country Kayak waiver. You must fill out both waivers and pay for the trip to be considered registered. If you do not receive a confirmation in your inbox with in 48 hours of registering it means that you are missing a waiver or your payment did not go through.

There will be a morning paddle and an afternoon paddle. They will be identical. Please sign up for only one.

Please email volunteer@merrimack.org if you have any questions.

Morning Paddle 9:00am – 1:30pm -> Sign up

Afternoon Paddle 1:30am – 5:30pm -> Sign up

Hourly Schedule

Paddling the Merrimack in New Hampshire

Morning Session 9:00am | Afternoon Session 1:30pm
Arrival at Greeley Park and sign in
Morning Session 9:15am | Afternoon Session 1:45pm
Set up boats
Morning Sessions 9:30am | Afternoon Session 2:00pm
Car shuttle to take out location in Merrill Park;Introduction to the Merrimack River
Morning Session 10:00am | Afternoon Session 2:30pm
Safety Speech and Kayaking overview
Morning Session 10:30am | Afternoon Session 3:00pm
Launch Boats; Kayaking begins
Morning Session 1:00pm | Afternoon Session 5:30pm
Finish at Merrill Park; Load boats and car shuttle back Greeley Park
Morning Session 1:30pm | Afternoon Session 5:30pm
End of Kayaking Session