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.

Browns River, Westford to Lamoille river road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II
Length: 4 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 44.60883
Longitude: -73.00982

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 44.65877
Longitude: -73.01926

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Current weather conditions at Browns River, Vermont
WXPort

Local climate location: CHAZY 17 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Inn At Essex, Essex Junction
8 miles away
The Essex Vermont s Culinary Resort and Spa is the Burlington area s only AAA 4-Diamond resort. Enjoy cuisine prepared by chefs of the acclaimed New England Culinary Institute in our 2 restaurants and...

La Quinta Inn AND Suites St Albans, Saint Albans
9 miles away
Just minutes from Lake Champlain in the heart of the 'Maple Sugar Capitol of the World,' the newly renovated La Quinta Inn & Suites St. Albans is an ideal choice for travelers in search of value and c...

Econo Lodge Saint Albans, Saint Albans
10 miles away
The Econo Lodge Saint Albans offers clean, comfortable rooms at affordable prices. The hotel is located close to Lake Champlain and Burlington. The hotel offers a complimentary continental breakfast, ...



OTHER_INFO
  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 Vermont

Whitewater 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.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Browns River.
 Whitewater Near Browns River:
Mill Brook, Chittenden County , 9 miles away, Class II-III+(V) - 5 miles long (Jericho)
Huntington River, Chittenden County , 16 miles away, Class I-II - 8 miles long (Hanksville to Cochran Road)
Lamoille River, Lamoille County , 17 miles away, Class I-II - 11.5 miles long (Slide Falls to Jeffersonville)
Ridley Brook, Washington County , 19 miles away, Class V - 2 miles long (Camel's Hump Road in North Duxbury to Winooski River)
Little River - West Branch, Lamoille County , 20 miles away, Class II(IV) - 3 miles long (Fosters to Recreation Path parking lot)
Little River, Washington County , 21 miles away, Class I(III) - 2.5 miles long (Waterbury Reservoir to Winooski River)
Lewis Creek, Chittendon / Addison County , 22 miles away, Class II - 10 miles long (Prindle Corner to Lake Champlain)
Missisquoi River, Franklin County , 23 miles away, Class -blank- - 51.5 miles long (East Richford to Lake Champlain)
New Haven River, Addison County , 25 miles away, Class V - 1.3 miles long (West Lincoln to Route 116 bridge)
Winooski River, Washington County , 26 miles away, Class I(II) - 5 miles long (Middlesex to Waterbury)
 Ski Areas Near Browns River:
Cochran Ski Center, Vermont , 12 miles away, 350 vertical feet
Bolton Valley, Vermont , 15 miles away, 1634 vertical feet
Stowe, Vermont , 17 miles away, 2360 vertical feet
Smugglers Notch, Vermont , 17 miles away, 2610 vertical feet
Mad River Glen, Vermont , 22 miles away, 2037 vertical feet
Sugarbush, Vermont , 26 miles away, 2650 vertical feet
Jay Peak, Vermont , 38 miles away, 2153 vertical feet
Mont Sutton, Quebec , 39 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Ski Bromont, Quebec , 42 miles away, 1271 vertical feet
Pico Mountain, Vermont , 49 miles away, 1967 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Browns River:
Inn At Essex, Essex Junction , 8 miles away
La Quinta Inn AND Suites St Albans, Saint Albans , 9 miles away
Econo Lodge Saint Albans, Saint Albans , 10 miles away
TownePlace Suites Burlington Williston, Williston , 11 miles away
Fairfield Inn Burlington Williston, Williston , 12 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Browns River:
Maple Grove Campground, Fairfax, 3 miles away
Homestead Campgrounds, Milton, 7 miles away
South Hill Riverside Campground, Chittenden County, 7 miles away
 Trails Near Browns River:
Nose Dive Trail, Chittenden County , 14 miles away
Island Farm Nature Trail, Franklin County , 15 miles away
Southern Tip Trail, Franklin County , 15 miles away
North Shore Trail, Franklin County , 15 miles away
West Shore Trail, Franklin County , 15 miles away
 Golf Courses Near Browns River:
Essex Country Club, Essex Jct , 5 miles away
 Lakes Near Browns River

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater