Merrimack Valley NH Boating Guide

Concord Nashua New Hampshire Marinas & Boat Dealers

New Hampshire boating Massabesic Lake, Pawtuckaway Lake and the mighty Merrimack river are just a few of the many boating area in the Merrimack Valley region of NH. With hundreds of lakes, ponds, and rivers, New Hampshire is a boaters’ paradise. Summer residents usually get their boats in the water by mid June and enjoy the season until October. Ask us about NH Boating or share Marina comments.

Merrimack NH Boating & Marinas

Auburn

Massabesic Lake
Launch: Rte 28 bypass, where it crosses the Massabesic. Alternate Launches on Rte 121
Area: 2,500 acres
No swimming allowed, the Massabesic is a public water supply. Motorboats are limited to 45 m.p.h.

Greenville

Souhegan River
Runs: Greenville to Wilton to Milford to Merrimack
Length: 25 miles
Kayak. A 12 mile stretch of the upper portion of the Souhegan at the put in point off of Rte 31 in Greenvile to take out at the dam in Wilton offers challenging Class III and IV rapids. Below Wilton, the tricky river bottom offers a Class II paddle until the river widens near Milford. Take out at the ball field behind the school. The next put in is one mile across the Milford Oval, off of either Nashua street or Souhegan Street below the two Milford dams. The next 10 mile leg travels pleasantly through open fields and golf courses with a few Class II rapids and a short Class III. There is a take out at Turkey Hill Bridge in Merrimack. The last 3 miles wind through a residential area, and requires you to portage around Wildcat Falls.

Franklin

Merrimack River
Runs: Franklin to Concord to Manchester to Nashua
Length: 76 miles
Kayak. New Hampshire’s great river runs from where the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee join in Franklin and runs south into the Atlantic at Newburyport, Massachusetts. Paddling through rural countryside to some of the most congested urban areas, large dams, and electric power stations can make this river tricky to navigate at times. Times of high water should be avoided.
Put in behind Franklin High School for a 17 mile stretch of quick current and Class I rapids. To avoid Class III rapids that used to be the Sewall Falls Dam, take out 2 miles below Hannah Dustin Island. Another put in lies slightly upstream of I-393’s Exit 16. The next 24 miles is an easy paddle to Concord, the launch ramp is near the I-393 cloverleaf, north of Bridge Street. The next 18 mile paddle is fairly easy, though it is broken up by several dams which you will have to portage around. Portage around the Amoskeag Dam by way of the bridge in Manchester. The next 5 miles can be nasty with sets of Class II falls, sewage outfall, and the conditions are dependent on the Public Service Company Dam. You may skip the city section and put in just below the railroad bridge at River Park. The next section is 12 gentle miles with a few Class II rapids that takes you down through Merrimack and into Nashua where you can take out at Rte 111; which is just south of the Nashua River and merely a mile north of the Massachusetts state line.

Raymond

Pawtuckaway Lake
Launch: Pawtuckaway State Park
Area: 900 acres
Boaters must exercise care because of the popular swimming areas.
A 6 m.p.h. speed limit is enforced in the Bay of Fundy area.

NH Boating & Marinas

Discover NH Boat and Marinas in every region. Great North Woods, White Mountains, Lakes Region, Dartmouth-Sunapee, Monadnock, Merrimack Valley and Seacoast.

Discover NH Boating in every region. Great North Woods, White Mountains, Lakes Region, Dartmouth-Sunapee, Monadnock, Merrimack Valley and Seacoast.

Great North Woods NH Boating
Berlin, Colebrook, Errol, Dixville, Lancaster, Pittsburg
White Mountain NH Boating
North Conway, Lincoln, Woodstock, Littleton, Franconia, Gorham, Jackson, Sugar Hill, Whitefield, Waterville Valley
Lakes Region NH Boating
Laconia, Rochester, Plymouth, Ossipee, Meredith, Ashland, Wolfeboro, Bristol, Winnipesaukee
Dartmouth Lake Sunapee NH Boating
Lebanon, Hanover, Claremont, Newport, Tilton, Lyme, Plainfield, Newport
Monadnock NH Boating
Keene, Peterborough, Fitzwilliam, Westmoreland, Chesterfield
Merrimack Valley NH Boating
Manchester, Concord, Nashua, Salem, Derry, New London, Merrimack, Loudon
Seacoast NH Boating
Portsmouth, Dover, Durham, Hampton, Exeter, Rye, Hampton Beach