Pawtuxet Village Park

41° 45.722' N    71° 23.288' W   See this location in: Google Maps   Map Server   Acme Maps

This is a site for launching boats from trailers. Boat ramps can normally be used to launch canoes and kayaks but please do your best to keep the boat ramp clear for boat trailers.

Description & Overview:

There is an asphalt boat ramp next to the Asprey Boat House in Pawtuxet Village Park, on Pawtuxet Cove. This small cove is the mouth of the Pawtuxet River and with the recent removal of the old dam at the mouth of the river it is now possible to paddle from the cove into the river, if you time the tides correctly. However, before we talk about that, here is some information on the cove area. The 1/2 mile of shoreline south of Pawtuxet Cove is protected by a breakwater, so large waves are unlikely, making this a good area for less experienced paddlers as long as you keep an eye out for boat traffic as the area is very popular place to moor power and sailboats. There is small beach suitable for launching hand-carried boats at the south end of the cove at George B. Salter Grove. This is often a nicer place to launch from then Asprey Boat House. Heading beyond the breakwater puts you in the Providence River, where caution should be used both because this is a large body of water that can easily become rough and because the river is traveled by large commercial vessels going to and from the Port of Providence.

If you plan to paddle up into the Pawtuxet River you need to pay close attention to the tides. The falls change with the tide from flat and pond-like with ripples (high tide) to a drop of up to three feet and fast white water (low tide). The natural bedrock of the falls continues under the Broad Street Bridge a ways, so be alert until you have passed through. There is plenty of clearance under the bridge at all tides.

At anything other than high tide you will likely have to portage around the falls on the dry ledge near the flood wall next to Hunter's Garage.

Once on the river you can paddle upriver for almost a mile to the Warwick Avenue Bridge where you will likely encounter shallow and faster moving water. If you can get past this area then you should be able to go some distance further up river. About 1/3 mile up river from the mounth is the Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, where you can launch and land hand-carried boats.

If you plan to paddle upriver and then back out of the mouth of the river, pay attention to the tides. Once the tide starts to go out the current will get faster and faster at the mouth of the river.

To get the times of high and low tide at Pawtuxet Cove see this website.

This site provides access to the following water bodies: Providence River, Pawtuxet Cove.

Location:

Alternate Site Name: Asprey Boat House

Town: Warwick

Driving Landmarks: On Narragansett Parkway, at the south end of Pawtuxet Village, look for the Pawtuxet Park on the east side of the road. The parking lot is at the south end of the park.

Access & Waters:

Water 'Features' At Site: estuary, ocean/bay

Note: Because one boat launch can access, say, both a lake and a river or both the upstream and downstream portions of a river, not all paddling trips at a given site will necessarily encounter all of the features listed.

Type of Access: Boat ramp

ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no

Shoreline: The only reasonable place to launch boats at this site is on the boat ramp. The ramp ends above the low tide line with a small drop off onto a sand and gravel bottom. The ramp at the north end of Pawtuxet Cove is in much better condition and is more suitable for launching larger trailered boats.

Float/Dock: low float or dock

Parking:

Parking: yes: 50 spaces

ADA Accessible Parking Spaces? no

Sources for More Information:

Other Guidebooks: This is site 4 in Ed Mullen's book "Kayaking Narragansett Bay"

Website: History and information about the Apsrey Boat House

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