Northern Forest Canoe Trail
Connecticut River Valley
Wildlife Itinerary
**Map 7**
The section of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail spanning between Stratford and
Groveton, NH threads its way past beautiful vistas of rolling hills and farmland. The lazy
current of the Connecticut River allows for a peaceful paddle through osprey, Canada
goose and bank sparrow nesting grounds. Black bear may also be seen feeding in the
area’s cornfields. The nearby Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge provides
protected habitat for these animals. Although the relaxing pace of travel and opportunities
to view wildlife and are reason enough to explore this section of the Northern Forest
Canoe Trail, there are also several places to disembark and investigate the human history
that shaped this landscape.
Below you will find a sample itinerary designed to reveal a few of the many activities and
experiences available to visitors here. To tailor a trip to this area, simply visit the Trip
Planner and create your own itinerary.
If you would like to stay in the area the night before your paddle on the Connecticut you
can find lodging in the towns of Stratford, North Stratford or Colebrook. (Area Lodging)
Day 1
Dining
Breakfast
 Blueberry Hill
Inn and Café
North Stratford,
NH
Lunch
 riverside picnic
Dinner
 riverside picnic
Day 1
Begin your day with a delicious home-cooked breakfast at
the Blueberry Café in North Stratford. If you still need to
buy gear for your paddling trip, Ducret’s Sporting Goods in
Colebrook has a wide variety of boating, fishing and
camping supplies. Debanville’s Store and the Stratford
Market are great sources for sandwiches and other basic
grocery needs.
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Activities
 Paddle 7 miles along
the Connecticut
River to Stratford,
NH
Lodging
 camping at the
Maine Central Rail
Road Trestle
or
further downstream
at the Northern
Forest Canoe Trail
Ray Lovell campsite
 The Blueberry Inn
and Cafe, North
Stratford
While you prepare for your paddling adventure, consider
the benefits of hiring a local guide to join you. The guides
at Kingdom Guide Service can assist with logistical
preparations and shuttle services. Along the river, guides
also reveal the subtleties of the river’s natural ecosystems
and tell stories of both the Native and non-Native people
who have inhabited the landscape through history. For
those interested in fishing, Osprey Fishing Adventures
offers drift boat tours, fishing equipment and expert advice
on the Upper Connecticut’s renowned wild brook trout and
landlocked salmon populations.
You will depart from the North Stratford boat launch
between the ball field and the railroad tracks. There is also
a put-in on the Vermont side of the River in Bloomfield.
Look for the Northern Forest Canoe Trail Kiosk.
The brooks and streams feeding into the Connecticut River
in this region powered grist, shingle, saw and stave mills
for centuries. Finished products were then sent to market by
the Connecticut River or by railway. The Connecticut River was also used for log drives
from the mid-1800’s to the mid 1900’s.
High fuel and energy costs and a shift to overseas manufacturing have all contributed to a
widespread closing of New England’s wood products mills in the past two decades. Coos
County and the towns along this stretch of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail have suffered
massive job losses as a result. The local residents are now invested in creating a new
vision for the future of the area.
As you paddle downstream, you may notice a sulfur odor in the
air. You are passing Brunswick Springs, a sacred place long
considered by the Abenaki to have healing powers. There are
6-8 springs in the area, each with its own unique chemical
property. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, during the era
of the construction of the Grand Hotels in northern New
Hampshire, several hotels were built on this site. Visitors
flocked to the medicinal springs. Each of the hotels built on the site burned down, as did
most of the Grand Hotels in the region. Legend suggests that the hotels of Brunswick
Springs were cursed because they attempted to profit from the sacred waters.
The Abenaki now own the site and have protected it from future development through
land easements. If you visit Brunswick Springs, please be mindful of its significance and
treat it with care.
Three miles into your journey, you will pass the outlet of Wheeler Stream which marks
the beginning of a designated “Natural Section.” In its entire 410 miles to Long Island
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Sound, this is the only designated “Natural Section” along the Connecticut River. There
are no motors permitted along this section of river.
Enjoying a picnic lunch on one of the islands on the Connecticut River is a true pleasure.
The sandy beaches on the islands just downstream from Smarts Mill Brook are
particularly great for picnics and swimming. Although these islands are private, you are
welcome to use them as long as they are not posted. Practicing Leave No Trace
guidelines will help preserve the beauty of the area as well as the good will of local
landowners.
Along the Connecticut River, you will observe great
stretches of working farmland. Although it may not
strike you as prime wildlife habitat, black bear can
be observed feeding in the ripened corn fields. Of
course black bears can hear twice as well as humans
and have and excellent sense of smell (their nasal
mucosa area is 100 times larger than that of humans)
so they can usually sense our presence long before we
know they are in the area. Consider yourself lucky if you see a bear in the wild!
Many different species of birds are also active along this river corridor and use the crop
fields as a food source and for shelter and protection. You may also pass riverbanks
riddled with holes; evidence of nesting bank swallows. These slender songbirds can be
found in colonies ranging from 10 to 2,000 birds across North America and in parts of
Europe and Asia. They feed solely on insects, a great trait in a North Country travel
companion!
Canada geese also spend summer months feeding and raising their young on this section
of the Connecticut River. Some Canada geese migrate 2,000 miles to their summer
breeding grounds. Be mindful that the geese have lost their flight feathers and give them
a wide berth, along with any other wildlife that you observe, while you paddle. It is easy
to inadvertently separate parents from their nests by remaining too close and forcing them
downriver.
You will camp for the night at the Northern Forest Canoe Trail’s Maine Central Railroad
Trestle Campsite which was constructed by the Kingdom Corps Youth Crew in 2004.
Look for the granite pier in the middle of the water and pull off on the Vermont side of
the river. The pier is a prime example of 19th century railroad trestle engineering and was
part of a historic railroad corridor.
If you prefer to stay in an early colonial farm house surrounded by over 50 acres of
blueberry fields, try The Blueberry Inn and Cafe in North Stratford. You can arrange for
the Inn owners to pick you up at the Maidstone Bridge.
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Day 2
Dining
Breakfast
 riverside picnic
Lunch
 riverside picnic
Dinner
 Stone’s Pizza
Groveton, NH
 Everybody’s Place
Northumberland,
NH
Activities
 Paddle 15 miles along
the Connecticut River
to Groveton
Lodging
 The Blueberry Inn
and Cafe, North
Stratford
 Trailside Lodge,
North Stratford
 Connolly Cabins,
North Stratford
 Big Rock
Campground and
Store Stratford,
NH
Day 2
A few miles past your campsite, you will pass under the
steel truss of the Stratford - Maidstone Bridge. This link
and pin design structure was originally built c. 1885 by the
Berlin Iron Bridge Company. There is a boat launch here
where you can take out if you want to shorten the paddling
portion of your trip.
If you choose to stay on the river, you will continue past
the Fort Hill Wildlife Management Area managed by the
New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Keep your
eyes out for a nesting pole with an active osprey nest
perched at the top. Ospreys are magnificent birds of prey
that feed exclusively on fish. They can be observed diving
from 100 feet above and submerging themselves in order to
catch fish 3 feet underwater. Amazingly, some juveniles
have been observed underestimating the size of a fish and
being drowned while hunting this way!
The riparian zone (or shoreline) along the Connecticut is
populated in places by silver maples and ostrich ferns
which are sensitive to human traffic, but beautiful to behold
as you float slowly downstream.
Continue downstream looking for the sediment buildup
along the oxbows and beaches which reveal signs of the
glacial retreat in the final ice age. Because the Connecticut
flows north to south, the glaciers’ impact was relatively
subtle in this area.
Full listing of area dining and
lodging options
A couple of miles later, you will come to the confluence
with the Upper Ammonoosuc River. The Northern Forest
Canoe Trail continues east along the Upper Ammonoosuc, but you will stay on the
Connecticut for 3 more miles and take out on the Vermont side before the now breached
Wyoming Dam in Guildhall, VT. Keep your eyes peeled for the take out. There are no
signs marking the dam or take out and it is dangerous to paddle too far downstream.
If you prefer, you can also choose to travel upstream for ½ mile along the Upper
Ammonoosuc to a pull out in Groveton.
Once you leave the river, you have many options for lodging and dining. Enjoy a pizza or
sub at Stone’s Pizza or a home-cooked meal at Everybody’s Place. Enjoy a Jacuzzi and
comfortable room at the Trailside Lodge in North Stratford or rent a cozy cabin at
Connolly Cabins. You can also camp at the Big Rock Campground and Store in Stratford.
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Lancaster, New Hampshire is also nearby and offers a wider selection of restaurants and
hotels.
Looking for vacation packages in this area? Check the NFCT Packages.
Get Involved with the Northern Forest Canoe Trail and find a service project in your area.
Help us to preserve the natural and cultural history of this great natural resource.
Recommended Reading
Maps and Guides
 AMC River Guide: New Hampshire/Vermont, Appalachian Mountain Club, 2002.
 Androscoggin River Map and Guide, Appalachian Mountain Club, 2001.
 Boating on the Connecticut River in Vermont and New Hampshire, Connecticut
River Joint Commissions, www.crjc.org, 1999.
 New Hampshire Atlas and Gazetteer, Delorme, 2005
 Northern Forest Canoe Trail Map 7: Great North Woods, The Mountaineers
Books, 2005.
 The Cohos Trail, Kim Nilsen. Nicolin Fields Publishing, 2000.
 The Connecticut River Boating Guide: Source to Sea, 3rd edition, Connecticut
River Watershed Council, 2007.
 USGS Topographical Map: Groveton (NH-VT-ME). (888) ASK-USGS or
www.usgs.gov
 Find flowage levels for the Connecticut River at the Connecticut River Joint
Commission website: www.crjc.org
Fact and Fiction
 Log Drives on the Connecticut River, Bill Gove. Bondcliff Books, 2003.
 Northeast Passage: A Photographers Journey Along the Historic Northern Forest
Canoe Trail, Clyde Smith. Thistle Hill Publications, 2005.
 Northwoods Echoes: A Collection of True Short Stories and Accounts of the North
Country, Richard E. Pinette. Self-published, 1986.
 Northwoods Heritage: Authentic Short Accounts of the Northland in Another Era,
Richard E. Pinette. Liebel Printing, 1992.
 Paddling Through Time, Northern Forest Canoe Trail. Northern Forest Canoe
Trail, 2006.
 Smoke from a Thousand Campfires, Paul Doherty. Smith and Town Printers,
1993.
 Tall Trees, Tough Men, Robert E. Pike. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1999.
If you enjoyed this adventure, consider exploring other portions of the Northern Forest
Canoe Trail.
Map 1 – Fulton Chain of Lakes to Long Lake
Map 2 – Long Lake to Saranac River
Map 3 – Saranac River to Lake Champlain
Map 4 – Lake Champlain to Missisquoi River
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Map 5- Missisquoi River to Lake Memphremagog
Map 6 – Lake Memphremagog to Connecticut River
Map 7 – Connecticut River to Umbagog Lake
Map 8 – Umbagog Lake to Rangeley Lake
Map 9 – Rangeley Lake to Spencer Stream
Map 10 – Spencer Stream to Moosehead Lake
Map 11 – Moosehead Lake to Umbazooksus Stream
Map 12 – Umbazooksus Stream to Umsaskis Lake
Map 13 – Umsaskis Lake to St. John River
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