In spring, a river's tenor deepens as warm rains and melted snow fuel its urgent push toward the sea. Paddling through this quickwater can be an exhilarating way to pit your mettle against nature's fluid forces. The routes listed below are good entry points for flatwater enthusiasts yearning to dip their paddles in faster stuff. All trips have short sections of either class I or class II rapids mixed with stretches of smooth water. (Chapter outings and introductory workshops on navigating whitewater can be found at trips.outdoors.org.)

Connecticut River
West Stewartstown, N.H.
The Connecticut River forms the 271-mile border between New Hampshire and Vermont. Put in at West Stewartstown, N.H., for an even paddle by grazing dairy cattle. A quick, 100-yard class I-II rapid occurs below a nearby bridge. Ten miles will put you in the shadow of Vermont's own Mount Monadnock, where the water quickens and small rips surface for a few miles before the river settles again. Pull out before Lyman Falls Dam and portage around. Lyman Falls State Park is below the dam.

Distance: 24.5 miles
Information: Connecticut River Joint commissions, www.crJc.org/paddling.htm; AMC River Guide: New Hampshire & Vermont (AMC Books)

Deerfield River
Shelburne, Mass.
The Deerfield River's legendary Zoar Gap churns up Class III and IV whitewater runs, but farther down the rapids mellow, and quickwater newbies can float through wild country and classic New England villages. Put in upstream of Bardwell Ferry Bridge in Shelburne.  The first four miles kick up a few Class I  rapids and riffles, before the water heads  downhill at a rate of 20 feet per mile. It  levels off as it cuts through farmland and  ultimately mixes at the mouths of the  Green and Connecticut rivers.

Distance: 12.4 miles
Information: 800-452-1737 (water release schedule); www.deerfieldriver.org; AMC River Guide: MA/CT/RI (AMC Books)

Clear and Branch Rivers
Harrisville, R.I.
Put in below the dam at Harrisville for immediate gratification. The first of four short rapids rears up around boulders hidden just beneath the surface. If the water is low, put in farther down. Roiling water is still close by. Whipple Rapid, a half-mile away, serves up a two-and-a-half-foot drop. Portage around the dam at Oakland before running two more Class II rapids, where waves may be slightly bigger. The last, Mohegan Rapid, can be tricky to run in low water. One more dam portage yields a scenic cool-down on mi-nor riffles and flatwater. 

Distance: 7.5 miles
Information: Rhode Island Canoe & Kayak association, www.ricka.org; AMC River Guide: MA/CT/RI (AMC Books)

Housatonic River
Falls Village, Conn.
The Housatonic River skirts the eastern slopes of the Taconic Range. At the Falls Village put-in, the water is usually swift, and Class II rapids form where the river curves left. Quickwater carries you by forests and open fields, into West Cornwall, where Class II+ rapids bubble under a covered bridge. Take out 150 yards upstream to scout the run and portage trail. More Class II rapids and riffles follow before taking out at Housatonic State Park. 

Distance: 11 miles
Information: 888-417-4837 (water level updates from CT Power & Light); Classic Northeastern Whitewater Guide (AMC Books); AMC River Guide: MA/CT/RI (AMC Books)

Salmon River
East Haddam, Conn.
The Salmon River is best run in early spring before trout fishing season. The first rapid forms several hundred yards after  the Blackledge and Jeremy rivers merge to  form the Salmon. Go left around several  boulders. You can practice in an eddy before shooting down a series of rocky rapids that morph into a shallow pool. Take in the bucolic, forested banks of Salmon River State Forest before approaching an old dam, the trip's crux. Scout it first as it can be difficult. Another shallow pool follows before the Comstock Covered Bridge takeout.

Distance: 6 miles
Information: AMC River Guide: MA/CT/RI (AMC Books); Classic Northeastern Whitewater Guide (AMC Books); American Whitewater, www.americanwhitewater.org

Violette's Lock/GW Canal Loop
Potomac, Md.
Short and sweet, this stretch of Class I and II rapids is considered ideal for beginners.  Put in at the Violette's Lock picnic area, paddle across to the Virginia side, and enter the channel on the right. Watch for strainers (obstacles like fallen trees) before the first rapid—a rock garden perfect for eddy turn practice. Ride the waves at Surfer's Hole before scouting the final rapid, a narrow slot that can become blocked by strainers. Head back up the adjoining  channel to return to the Potomac. A trail on the Maryland shore provides portage to the C & O Canal, where you can return  to the picnic area.

Distance: 4 miles
Information: American whitewater, www.americanwhitewater.org

Lehigh River
Jim Thorpe, Pa.
Rapids sandwich this section of the river.  Put in at the township parking lot and paddle into the fray of the Bear Trap Rapid. Stay in the middle, then bear right to avoid rocks along the edge. You'll shoot  out into flatwater with scattered wave trains (look for a fun surfing wave under the left arch of a railroad bridge). The second rapid, Carnage, can be unpredictable, so scout ahead of time. Take out in Bowmanstown at the 895 bridge. Paddle a little farther, though, and land at Riverside Park to explore a 10-mile trail network and osprey nature center on foot. 

Contributors: Barry Gorfain, Charlie Camp, Ken Voytac, Erik Eckilson, Lenny Grefig