Welcome to the ExploreRI Mapper
This mapper will help you locate boat launches and other points of interest to for small boat recreation throughout the state of Rhode Island. To get started, click anywhere on the map to zoom in on that area. To zoom out use the zoom control to the left of the map. Once you have zoomed in, boat launches and other points of interest will show up on the map as clickable red icons (see the key below the map). Click on an icon to get more information about that location. If you prefer to search by criteria or simply look up a site by name, try the boat launch search page. If you have a high-speed Internet connection (e.g., DSL or Cable), you may want to try our Google-based mapping system which also includes sites in the Narragansett Bay Watershed in Massachusetts.
KEY
Hand Carry Boat Launch
Boat Ramp
Portage
Other Type of Site
The location you clicked on is a site for launching hand-carried boats and it is also a portage. This typically means that to continue paddling down the river past this site you will have to portage your boat around a dam or other obstruction.
Site Name: John (Jay) Cronan River Access
Alternate Site Name: Richmond Landing
Town: Charlestown
Driving Landmarks: On Route 91 (Alton-Carolina Road) between Carolina and Wood River Junction, look for signs for this DEM fishing access site on the south side of the road, next to a bridge across the Wood River
ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no
Shoreline: The shoreline both above and below the dam is low and sandy so access is very easy.
Float/Dock: no
Approximate Length of Carry between Car Access and Water: 25 feet
Portage Length: 75 feet
Hours of Operation: Closed from 1/2 hr. after sunset to 5 am, except for fishing and boating
Parking: parking lot, 15 spaces
ADA Accessible Parking Spaces? no
Water 'Features' At Site: dam, flatwater/slow moving river
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.
Comments & Overview:This is a good access point for paddling on the upper Pawcatuck River above the confluence with the Wood River. If you have reached this site from upstream and plan to continue on down the river from here, it is advisable to portage around the low dam (actually a weir for the USGS Gauging Station). This is a short, easy portage.
The Pawcatuck River in this area is relatively wild, with only occasional houses and bridges. The river is mostly quiet and relatively slow-moving. There are likely to be a fair number of trees down across the river, but the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association tries to maintain the route and at least provide a narrow passage past any downed trees that go across the river, so except in the case of newly fallen trees you should not have to get out and lift your boat over or around trees, but you may have to worm through some fairly narrow slots to get around downed trees. The Wood-Pawcatuck River Guide is highly recommended for paddling on the Wood-Pawcatuck river system.
For more details see the full site report
The data on this website comes from many sources, including volunteers and organizations across the state of Rhode Island and nearby parts of Massachusetts. We have done our best to make sure the data are accurate and up to date, but any information critical to the success of your trip should be confirmed before you start. The maps and information on this website should not be substituted for nautical charts, topographic maps, or other more detailed maps and guides. We welcome corrections and additions. To send a correction or provide other feedback, please use our feedback form.
Credits: The data for the base maps was provided by the Rhode Island Geographic Information System (RIGIS) and the Office of Geographic and Environmental Information (MassGIS), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. The site data came from numerous sources and organizations. Much of it was collected through the hard work of volunteers for various conservation, watershed and outdoor recreation groups around the state of Rhode Island.