Vermont whitewater - Browns River, Chittenden County
Chittenden
county,
Westford to Lamoille river section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.
CLASS II 4 miles
Two friends of mine and I rafted the Browns River from Westford to the Lamoille River and then down the Lamoille to the Georgia High Bridge in late October 2007. It had rained for a few days prior to our run and the Browns was at flood stage (over Pettingill Rd. about five miles upstream of the put in). Putting in at the Rte. 128 bridge in Westford, at this level you find about 1/4 mile of class II water until you reach the covered bridge in Westford. There is a diagonal hole just below the covered bridge which is right above a partially washed out dam.
We ran the 8ft dam on the far right successfully and continued down river. The rapids below here at this level are good class III+ in places mixed with lots of fast moving flat water. There are 3 or 4 somewhat technical ledge drops ranging in height from 3ft to 6ft. After scouting,
we ran everything. Once we hit the Lamoille, which was running around 5000cfs, it was big water class II and III down to Georgia. The ledge drop and run out rapid above the High Bridge were HUGE. If the air wasn't so cold and the wind blowing so hard, we could have used the big recirculating edies there to surf all afternoon. A very long 3 to 5ft wave train finished off the day before a 1/4 mile flat water paddle to the take out at the fishing access on Rte. 104A. This very sedate little run seems to really come alive at this very high level. Running
it at lower levels would hardly be worth the effort. Our total time on the water was about 3 1/2 hours with snow squalls and a strong head wind. Lots of fun, close to Burlington, enjoy it the next time it's up. Says Whitewaterglenn
Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots
in Vermont are easier than the national norm, so you'd better keep in mind that quite a few of the sections here are pretty easy. This stretch of Browns River in Vermont is 4 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class II section. The Westford to Lamoille
river section is the only paddling section along Browns River. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, around here you'll find a large number of good rivers. The campgrounds here at Browns River are pretty good. The nature scenery of Chittenden
County and the playfulness of the water are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. Getting some good exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great attractions for lots of people. The starting point is not too far from Burlington-South Burlington, if
you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car.
Briefly about the general area: There are plenty
of people from Burlington-South Burlington here at Browns River. At Browns River all through the long summer days highs are in the 80's, and the night is slightly cooler of course, mostly in the 50's. All through the winter highs are in the 20's while the cold winter nights at
Browns River are in the 0's. Browns River gets a common amount of annual precipitation; most of the rain falls during August; the driest month is January.
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All Vermont Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Vermont.Books about whitewater paddling on Browns River, Vermont List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Browns River, Vermont.Find a whitewater outfitter in VermontWhitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.Outdoors Recreation Near Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont, the metro area neareast to Browns River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
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