Excerpt from "10 Great Paddling Trips from Easy to Epic"
Nothing says summer like drifting along a river or lake and camping near the shoreline. Here’s how to paddle some of the most beautiful waterways of Vermont and the Northeast.
The Missisquoi (Easy to Moderate)
Part of the Vermont segment of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, the Missisquoi ambles
south from Quebec through some of Vermont’s most scenic farmland before it spills out at Lake Champlain’s Missisquoi Bay. With big views of the Green Mountains, it’s no surprise that this section is part of our state’s 46.1 miles of designated National Wild and Scenic Rivers. For a short (one to two-day) trip, put in at Davis Park in Richford and drift west 22 miles to take out at Enosburg Falls. At Samsonville Dam you can choose to portage (though it is runnable). A bonus of this trip (besides the scenery) is that you can camp at Doe campsite on a bluff above the river. Also, the rail trail runs alongside the river, making for a pleasant bike back to your car (or plan to do the Missisquoi Pedal and Paddle Race next June). There are also two other maintained campsites if you want to make it a leisurely weekend. “We did a trip in June 2019 and saw bear, a fisher, otter, eagles and deer—all from the river,” says Lindsey Wight, coordinator for the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers Wild and Scenic Committee, which celebrated its fifth anniversary with a paddle down all 46.1 miles June 2019.
For more information on recreational opportunities along the Missisquoi, please visit: https://www.umatrwildandscenic.org/explore
We hope that while you're exploring out Wild and Scenic Rivers, you'll also support a local business!
And: please pick up trash wherever you see it - help keep our rivers healthy and clean.
Have fun exploring!