HooRWA’s Watershed Map has been updated (2026)!
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The Hoosic River
3 states, 20 communities, tethered together by topography.
The Hoosic forms in the Green Mountains of Vermont, the Taconics of New York, and the sides of Mount Greylock – the highest mountain in Massachusetts. The river runs seventy miles from its headwaters south of the Cheshire Reservoir in Massachusetts to the community of Stillwater, NY, on the Hudson River. Its watershed covers 720 square miles. Major tributaries include the North Branch, the Green River, the Little Hoosic, the Walloomsac, the Owl Kill, and the Tomhannock.
The Taconic Range on the west and the Hoosac Range (in Massachusetts) and the Green Mountains (in Vermont) on the east constitute the high headwaters areas of the watershed. In general, the Taconics and the Mt. Greylock massif are high-limestone mountains. The plant communities they support are unusually rich and include some species at the northern limits of their ranges. The Green Mountains are generally granitic. Plant communities there are relatively less diverse. The twenty-nine Massachusetts miles have been adopted by the six communities through which they run as state-designated Local Scenic Rivers. Two tributaries, Hopper and Money Brooks on the west side of Mt. Greylock, are state-designated Natural Scenic Rivers. The Tomhannock Reservoir and much of its watershed is also protected; it is the water supply for the city of Troy, NY.
Floating
One of the best ways to see the river is from a canoe, kayak, or raft. Depending on water level, the Hoosic presents exciting and scenic canoeing, kayaking or rafting. Because the Hoosic is a fast-draining system, best boating is likely to be in the spring or during the autumn rainy season, but any significant rainfall will have an effect on water levels.
It is illegal and dangerous to enter the flood-control chutes in Adams, North Adams and Hoosick Falls. Power company dams in the New York section should be given wide berth. Obstructions are marked on the maps with caution signs.
Updated put-in/take-out sites for canoes and kayaks
1 Cheshire Reservoir, Adams, MA
1# Access: Roadside rest area on State Rte. 8. Paddle the reservoir from the roadside rest area at the north end of the lake. The southern basin, a water body, is privately owned. Boaters are asked not to cross the causeway. Paddling the river just below the dam at the north end (the “jungle”) is not recommended because it is narrow, shallow, and obstructed by branches.
2, 3 North Adams, MA (#2) to Lauren’s Launch, Williamstown, MA (#3) 3.4 miles
#2 Access: Ashton Avenue canoe access area is just east of the Williamstown/North Adams line, off MA Rte. 2. Signs on Rte. 2 indicate access area to the north.
Highlights of this stretch include occasionally deep and swift water, the Green River entering on the left one mile from Ashton Avenue, and great views over one’s shoulder of Mount Greylock and the Green Mountains. Shortly after passing under the US Rte. 7 bridge in Williamstown, look on the right for an informal landing. Developed by HooRWA and the Town, it was named after HooRWA’s founder Lauren Stevens.
3, 4 Lauren’s Launch, Williamstown, MA (#3) to Clayton Park, Pownal, VT (#4) 4.8 miles
#3 Access: From the south: go north on US Rte. 7 1.2 miles from the Rtes. 2/7 rotary in Williamstown to an unnamed road on the left with signs including “Williamstown DPW” and “Hoosac Water Quality District.” From the VT/MA state line: go south on US Rte. 7 1.1 miles to the unnamed road. Take the unnamed road 0.2 miles, across railroad tracks, to a sign for Lauren’s Launch. Park in the pull-off opposite the entrance to the transfer station. The river receives treated wastewater from a treatment plant, then swings north through a hemlock glade. As the river gains strength, the water becomes more challenging.
Depending upon flow, tricky rips await at the Vermont line just above a deep swimming hole and just before the Main St. bridge in Pownal. The Clayton Park takeout is a few hundred yards below the bridge, on the right (#4). Taking out at the dam and carrying boats along the railroad right-of-way is not recommended.
4 Clayton Park, Pownal, VT
#4 Access: from intersection of US Rte. 7 and VT Rte. 346: Travel 0.8 miles west on VT Rte. 346 to Lincoln St. Go left on Lincoln St. 0.1 miles to the parking area or simply pull to the side of the road. Be careful crossing the ungated railroad tracks. The access area is not signed. Farm fields,wetlands, and the wooded slopes of the Taconics on your left are typical of this stretch of river.
5 Strobridge Recreation Complex, North Pownal, VT (#5) to County Rte 95 bridge, Petersburg, NY (#6), 5.3 mile
#5 Access: This put-in is on the downstream side of the Tannery Dam. From the south: at the intersection of US Rte. 7 and VT Rte. 346, take VT Rte. 346 west 3.0 miles to an unnamed road leading to a bridge over the Hoosic in the hamlet of North Pownal. From the north: the road is 1.6 miles from the NY/VT state line. Off Dean Rd. a gravel driveway leads to the hydroelectric plant. Take the driveway close to the river and park. A floaters ramp is located at the downstream end of the old concrete pad. The access area is not signed. The Hoosic holds close to the wooded slopes of the Taconics to the state line (at the Rte. 346 bridge), then begins to bend back and forth on a sinuous route through farm fields. After executing a U-bend and returning to near the railroad tracks, floaters should watch for waves ahead. These signal a Class II rapid, caused by a ledge and a three foot drop. Paddle through the center of the wave and hole, and then bear far left to avoid a smaller rapid. Treat this challenging section with respect! One can take out just before the County Rte. 95 bridge, on the right (#6). The area is not signed.
6,7 County Rte. 95 bridge (#6), Petersburg, NY to Rock Cut Parking Area, Hoosick, NY (#7), 3.6 miles
#6 Access: From the west: at the intersection of NY Rtes. 22 and 346, take NY Rte. 346 0.5 miles east to County Rd. 9. From the east: at the NY/VT state line, travel west on NY Rte. 346 about 2.1 miles to County Rte. 95. Go north on County Rte. 95 about 0.2 miles to the bridge across the Hoosic. The access area on the northeast side of the river is not signed.
The Little Hoosick enters, quickly, on the left beyond the railroad bridge. Downstream, watch out for old stone piers, remnants of a Rutland Railroad bridge. Placid water is the rule to the Rock Cut parking area.
7 Rock Cut Parking Area, Hoosick, NY
#7 Access: The Rock Cut parking area is on NY Rte. 22, about 0.5 miles north of the intersection of NY Rte. 7 and NY Rte. 22, on the east side of the highway.
Though floating is pleasant downstream of the Rock Cut parking area, there are at present no publicly accessible take-out sites between it and the Hoosick Falls flood chutes. Under no circumstances should floaters enter the flood chutes! (Dangerous by themselves, they also lead to a nearly non-navigable series of ledges.)
8, 9 Treatment Plant, Hoosick Falls, NY to Hudson-Taconic put-in 6.4 miles
#8 Access: From the Rock Cut parking area, take NY Rte. 22 north through the Village center about 5 miles to Sewer Plant Rd. on the left. From the intersection of NY Rtes. 22 and 67 in North Hoosick: Sewer Plant Rd. is on the right, about 1.2 miles south on NY Rte. 22. Take Sewer Plant Rd. down the steep hill, across the ungated but frequently used railroad tracks, past an electric substation then, bearing right, to a dam and power plant. The access pathway is on the right side of the power plant and fence. It is signed.
This stretch of river is delightfully undeveloped – although it has long been used for agriculture and railroading. A 3-span Boston and Maine trestle at 0.8 miles downstream may be piled with debris at its bases. Use the center span. At about 1.4 miles, the Walloomsac River, a major tributary draining the Green Mountains east of Bennington, VT, enters on the right. Some distance farther, as the view on the left bank opens up and the river begins to bend left, prepare to traverse a Class II rapid at a railroad trestle that once carried the Delaware and Hudson Line. Many large rocks are piled around the piers.
9 Hudson Taconic Lands Boat Access
#9 After passing beneath the NY Rte. 67 bridge (the Eagle Bridge), the Hoosic begins to flatten and slow. Look for Hudson Taconic Lands boat access (#9) on the left, 0.6 miles downstream of NY Rte. 67 bridge. Farther downstream you will encounter the red Buskirk Covered Bridge access area, a NYS DEC site (#11) on the south side of the bridge.
9,10,11 Eagle Bridge to Buskirk, NY (#10) to Johnsonville Dam, Johnsonville, NY (#11) 5.1 miles
#9 From the Hudson-Taconic put-in, a short paddle will take you under the Buskirk Bridge to a take-out on the downstream side. There is an additional take-out on the right hand side.
#10 Access: From the intersection of NY Rtes. 67 and 22, in Eagle Bridge: take NY Rte. 67 3.1 miles west to County Rte. 103. Turn north on Rte. 103. The #10 access site will be adjacent to the Buskirk Covered Bridge, on the left. It is signed.
This stretch of water resembles a lake with many bays. A heron rookery is located on the river right as the hills begin to close in on that side. Waterfowl make heavy use of the quiet backwaters. The river here still moves, but slowly.
Take out just above the Johnsonville Dam, on the left (#11). There is heavy water chestnut vegetation and silt in the area.
Under no circumstances should floaters go beyond this point! The parking area there serves both the upstream take-out and the downstream put-in sites.
12,13 Johnsonville Dam, Johnsonville, NY (#12) to James Thompson Hydroelectric Project, Valley Falls, NY (#13) 4.2 miles
#12 Access: From the east: at the intersection of NY Rte. 22 and NY Rte. 67, travel Rte. 67 west about 8.3 miles to Johnsonville Rd./County Rte. 112. From the west: at the Valley Falls bridge over the Hoosic River, travel east on NY Rte. 67 about 2.8 miles to Johnsonville Rd. Go north on Johnsonville Rd. to River Rd. less than 0.1 miles on the right. Take River Rd. northeast to the parking area along the river. The put-in is about 100 yards down a mostly informal path to a small cove below the dam. The parking area is signed.
Just beyond the Johnsonville Dam, floaters pass under two bridges including a historic 1891 mesh-floor iron bridge, and then pass the piers of an old Greenwich and Johnsonville Railroad trestle. (A historic G&J railroad car is on display at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Greenwich, NY.) This section of river contains some big rocks and is hard to float in low water. Farther downstream, water becomes backed up by the dam at Valley Falls. As the dam and the adjacent abandoned factory buildings become apparent, and above the sign reading “Caution, Dam Ahead,” pull to the right and look for a grassy ramp to the river and the take-out site (#13). Car parking is off of Bunker Hill Rd.
Under no circumstances should floaters go beyond this point!
#13 Access (for spotting a vehicle, or for paddling on the Valley Falls backwater): Just west of the NY Rte. 67 Valley Falls bridge over the Hoosic, turn on Schaghticoke Rd. to its end at Bunker Hill Rd. Go right on Bunker Hill Rd. to a signed grassy parking area on the right. This site has room for only 3 or 4 vehicles.
The stretch of river between the Valley Falls dam and the next impoundment downstream is, except for a very short stretch, only safely paddled by expert floaters. Remnant dams, rapids, and large rocks are the rule in this section.
14,15 Powerstation Rd., Schaghticoke, NY (#14) to Hudson River Lock 4, Stillwater, NY (#15) 5.4 miles
#14 Access: From the north: at the intersection of NY Rtes. 67 & 40 at the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds, go south on NY Rte. 40 about 1.1 miles to Chestnut St. on the right. From the south: where NY Rte. 67 leaves NY Rte. 40 at the traffic light, go north about one-half mile to Chestnut St. on the left. Access signs are on that corner. Take Chestnut St. west, and bear left on Powerhouse Rd. Stay on Powerhouse Rd. (it will become dirt and cross a beautiful bridge) to its end at the signed parking area at the Brookfield Energy Power substation. Limited parking, 3 to 4 vehicles only.
Riffles, high banks, and impressive scenery reward floaters early on this reach. Downstream of Tomhannock Creek, the river slows its course, flowing through open farm fields and winding between gravel bars. The Hoosic becomes wide and shallow here, and may be hard to navigate in low water. Floaters can end their journey in one of two places (#15). The Hudson River waters of the Champlain Canal’s Lock 4 join those of the Hoosic at an easily seen shale-y point on the Hoosic’s right, the terminus of a path leading from Lock 4 State Park to the river. The path is the most frequently used take-out route here. After a short haul uphill from the river, it levels out for an easy ten-minute carry to the parking area. The oak woods on this point shelter a variety of native woodland plants, some of them uncommon.
When water levels are appropriate (they fluctuate) floaters can bear right around the point and into the lock itself. The ride upstream through Lock 4 is free to recreational boats.
#15 Access: Lock 4 State Park is located just south of the Stillwater Bridge over the Lock and the Hudson River off Stillwater Bridge Rd. Be aware that the Park is open seasonally, and that the park gate is locked at 4:30 pm. The path to the point begins where the park road bears west toward the lock structures.
Hiking
There are innumerable hiking trails in the watershed’s high hills, including three major long-distance trails.
The Appalachian Trail (AT), the 2,000-mile footpath from Georgia to Maine, runs through much of the eastern portion of the watershed, climbing up and down in the Hoosac Range and the Green Mountains. The Long Trail (LT), which runs through Vermont from Massachusetts to Canada, shares the route of the AT in this section. The trails cross MA Rte. 8 in Cheshire, MA, Rte. 2 in North Adams, and VT Rte. 9 in Woodford. Several trail shelters along the way make a walk through the watershed on the AT/LT a comfortable two- to four-day backpack. Streams and ponds are plentiful. Views are extraordinary, especially from Mt. Greylock, Pine Cobble, and Harwood Hill. The recently restored Glastenbury Mountain fire tower is just beyond the watershed divide on the northeast.
The Taconic Crest Trail begins off Madden Rd. in Hancock, MA and ends on NY Rte. 346 in Petersburg, NY. The mostly ridge-line trail traverses a total distance of about 29 miles, with an “up” of 7,827 feet and a “down” of 9,470 feet. A trail beginning in Hopkins Forest, a Williams College research facility west of Williamstown, and a trail beginning on Prosser Hollow Rd. in Petersburg provide alternative access to the ridge. Other alternative access paths begin in the Berlin (NY) State Forest and Mattison Hollow Rd. off NY Rte. 22 in Cherry Plain.
Special features of the trail include an old ski area, great views from the high points near Rte. 2, and something called the “snow hole” – a very cool, mossy cleft that, it is said, has held snow even in August. The Taconic Hiking Club sponsors an End-to-End hike along the trail every even-numbered year. Early preregistration is required and the number of hikers is limited.
Shorter hiking possibilities are present in a number of federal, state, municipal, and private open spaces.
The Mt. Greylock State Reservation contains many miles of trails. Favorites include Bellows Pipe Trail, Hopper Trail, and Money Brook Trail.
In the Green Mountain National Forest, the trail to the Dome in Pownal, the trails around Woodford Lake in Woodford State Park, and the trail to White Rocks on Bald Mtn. in Bennington are popular.
The Mile-around Woods, owned by the Fund for North Bennington, sits adjacent to the historic Park McCullough House in North Bennington, VT. The site is renowned for its spring wildflowers.
In New York, Mt. Tom State Forest in White Creek offers extraordinary views southward to Mt. Greylock, unusually rich assemblages of spring wildflowers and ferns, and painfully large historic stone walls. Right on the watershed divide, in the Batten Kill State Forest in Jackson, Peaked Rock provides views north to the Adirondacks.
Tibbets State Forest in the Town of Hoosick permits ATV use by handicapped riders with a permit. Large trees and an ancient road are highlights on this property.
Biking
The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, which connects Pittsfield, MA to downtown Adams, MA, is the watershed’s premier biking resource. Fourteen miles long, the trail follows the route of a Boston and Maine Railroad line abandoned in 1990. The ten foot-wide paved trail is universally accessible.
Elsewhere, most roads along the Hoosic also offer excellent and effortless biking. In general, these roads are also paved and are suitable for road bikes. The exceptions include the short Fisherman’s Lane in Schaghticoke, which provides access to an impoundment behind the Great Falls dam, and Knickerbocker Rd., which winds through farm and forestland just east of the Hudson River.
Popular paved road rides include those between North Bennington, VT and Cambridge, NY; a covered bridge tour in Bennington, VT; and for a short challenge – the climb up Woodford Mountain on VT Rte. 9 to the watershed divide. Unpaved country roads and unmaintained higher elevation town roads such as Old Military Rd. between Pownal, VT and Williamstown, MA provide exciting mountain bike opportunities for riders.
Fishing
“We had a sportful day . . . over 200 fish in one afternoon,” William McKinley, 1890.
“What I saw was a brook trout, I could hardly believe my eyes: 22 inches, a wild book trout.” Reginald Galvin, 1990.
Both the U.S. President and the late Williamstown rod-maker were avid fishermen and both were reporting about an adventure on the Hoosic. Although present day anglers are unlikely to repeat McKinley’s feat, the Hoosic teems with fish and Galvin’s catch is still possible.
For nearly the century between, the productivity of the river was overmatched by heavy industrial and municipal pollution. As these have been abated over the last 50 years, the Hoosic has responded. Its gravel bottom is attractive to game fish. The upper reaches are home to cold-water species, such as trout, while the lower reaches host warm-water fish.
Because of limitations on eating fish caught below North Adams, due to PCBs, the
Hoosic has been less heavily fished than the neighboring Deerfield or Battenkill. But word has gotten out, and recently guides’ rafts have appeared on the river. Informal paths provide access for those who prefer to fish from the shore.
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You can also check out access points via the Paddler Guide site