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
The starting point is not too far from
Burlington-South Burlington, as you can see on the road map further down. This section of Browns River in Vermont is 4 miles long and is a class II section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. The beautiful scenery of Chittenden County and the sparkling of the sunlight
on the water attract people from near and far. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. Getting a good workout and spending some quality time in nature are great attractions for lots of people. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay
the night, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Vermont are easier than the national norm, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that a large number of rivers in this state are quite easy. This is
the only paddling stretch along Browns River. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this is an area with plenty of spots for that.
Briefly about the general area: Here at Browns River there are plenty of people from Burlington-South Burlington. All through the
summer at Browns River highs are generally in the 80's, and through the night it cools down to the 50's. All through the wintertime highs are frequently in the 20's, and night lows at Browns River during the winter frequently dip into the 0's. The yearly precipitation here at Browns River is about average; August is the wettest month with most rain, and January is when it's the driest.
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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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