AMC Recommended Trips – Wood River and Alton Pond (Paddling in RI)
Source: Quiet Water Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island: Canoe and Kayak Guide
What you’ll see: This is a pristine paddling resource where you could see a variety of wild and plant life.
What you’ll experience:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 6.5 miles
- Estimated Time: A few hours or days
- Location: Hopkinton and Richmond, RI
- Map: Connecticut and Rhode Island Atlas, Maps 70 and 74 USGS Quadrangle
What’s in the area:
- A variety of wildlife, including painted turtle, osprey, waterfowl, and great horned owl
- Plant species including mountain laurel and swamp rose
Getting There
- Alton Dam. From I-95, Exit 2, go south on Woodville-Alton Road for 3.6 miles to the access on the left.
- Woodville Dam. From Alton Dam, go north on Woodville-Alton Road for 1.5 miles, and turn right at the stop sign onto Woodville Road. Access is on the left in 0.7 mile, just before the bridge. From I-95, Exit 2, go south on Woodville-Alton Road for 2.1 miles, and turn left at the stop sign onto Woodville Road. Because only one or two cars park along Woodville Road on the dam's west side, we would not use this as an access.
- Hope Valley. From the junction of Route 3 and Mechanic Street in Hope Valley, go south on Mechanic Street for 0.9 mile to the access on the left, at the end of the guardrail just after the I-95 bridge.
