Links to related organizations and useful resources:
Local Paddling, Hiking & Related Groups:
These are good groups to check out if you are want to find people with whom to go paddling or hiking.
- Appalachian Mountain Club
- Blackstone Valley Paddle Club
- Rhode Island Canoe/Kayak Association (RICKA)
- Southern New England Paddlers
- Rhode Island Families in Nature
- See also the list of watershed councils below, many of which run paddling trips.
Watershed Councils in Rhode Island and the Narragansett Bay Watershed:
Some of these groups run organized paddling outings in their watersheds and all are actively working to clean up, protect and restore the watersheds in which they work. Please support them.
- Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone
- Buckeye Brook Coalition
- Friends of the Moshassuck
- Kickemuit River Council
- Narrow River Preservation Association
- Pawtuxet River Authority & Watershed Council
- Salt Ponds Coalition
- Saugatucket River Heritage Corridor Coalition
- Taunton River Watershed Alliance
- Ten Mile River Watershed Council
- Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association
- Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council
Land Trusts in Rhode Island
Many of the land trusts in Rhode Island run organized hikes and all are working to conserve open space in the communities where they operate. Please support them.
- For a list of land trusts in Rhode Island see the Rhode Island Land Trust Council website.
Safety on the Water:
- American Canoe Association Safety Resources (see their Top Ten Safety Tips list too)
- US Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Safety Classes
Other Sources of Information on Public Water Access Points and Related Information:
- Coastal Public Access Sites for Kayaking in Southeast New England
- CRMC Guide to Public Access on the Coast of Rhode Island (pdf)
- Massachusetts Coastal Public Access Sites Information
- Prepare to Launch: Guidelines for Assessing, Designing, and Building Launch Sites for Carry-In Watercraft (National Park Service)
- RI DEM Boat Ramp List
- RI DEM Guide to Outdoor Recreation
River Level Information:
- USGS River Data (near real-time) (Rhode Island) (Massachusetts)
- National Weather Service River Level Data and Predictions (Rhode Island) (Massachusetts)
Weather Resources
- National Bouy Data Center: Near real-time data from bouys and lighthouses. Zoom in on New England to see the available data sources.
- National Weather Service Weather Forecasts: Scroll down and click on the link for "Hourly Weather Graph" for an hour-by-hour forecast. To switch to another city use the search box on the left sidebar. This search box is available on the "7-Day Forecast" page but not on the hourly page.
- National Weather Service Marine Forecast for:
- National Weather Service Tides & Currents: Detailed tide and current data for selected sites.
- Weather Underground: Detailed forecasts with links for marine forecasts and other useful information. See especially the "10 day" forecasts for more details.
Major Land Holders in Rhode Island and the Narragansett Bay Watershed with Public Trails on Their Land:
- Rhode Island:
- Audubon Society of Rhode Island
- The Nature Conservancy (Rhode Island Chapter)
- Rhode Island State Parks System
- Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge
- Many land trust across Rhode Island have trails that are open to the public. For more information see the Rhode Island Land Trust Council website.
- Massachusetts:
- Both: