The location you clicked on is a site for launching hand-carried boats such as canoes or kayaks.

Site Name: Biscuit City Landing

Town: Richmond

Driving Landmarks: Heading south on Route 2, after you cross Route 138, go 4.1 miles and look for a very small road taking off to the left. This is Biscuit City Road but there is no sign to identify it. Turn here and go 500 feet to the end of the road. Heading north on Route 2, 0.1 mile after you cross the railroad tracks, look for a small road that crosses Route 2. This is Kenyon School Road. Turn right here and go to the T-junction with Biscuit City Road. Turn right and go to the end of the road.

ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no

Shoreline: There is a gravel slope leading into the water, which provides a good canoe and kayak landing.

Float/Dock: no

Approximate Length of Carry between Car Access and Water: 25 feet

Parking: parking lot, 12 spaces

ADA Accessible Parking Spaces? no

Water 'Features' At Site: 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:Biscuit City Landing is the first access point on the Pawcatuck River below Worden Pond and is thus often used as a take-out for trips starting on either Worden Pond or the Chipuxet River. The Pawcatuck River in this area is winding, natural and beautiful. Allow plenty of time if coming from Worden Pond because the river from Worden Pond to the confluence with the Usquepaug River, about 1/2 mile before Biscuit City Landing, is very narrow and very, very sinuous. Watch out for overhanging poison ivy. Once you reach the Usquepaug and are looking for Biscuit City Landing, watch carefully for a narrow channel taking off to the right. There is a small sign pointing to the landing but it may be overgrown. If you come to a bridge over the main river you have gone just a little too far. Once in the small side channel you will first come to a house with a lawn coming down to the river. Do not land here but instead continue under the railroad tracks to the landing. STAY OFF THE RAILROAD TRACKS: This is the Amtrak mainline and sees lots of traffic, including regular Acela Express trains. These trains are VERY quiet and moving VERY fast and so can appear seemingly out of nowhere.

The Pawcatuck River from Biscuit City Landing to Shannock Lower Falls is rarely paddled because there are two to three portages in rapid succession, but the portages are not hard and the river is interesting. The first portage is 1 mile downriver from Biscuit City Landing at Kenyon. Portage around the dam on river left (the left side of the river when facing downriver). The next portage is another 0.9 miles downriver at the horseshoe dam. Again, the portage is on the left. BE CAREFUL because the take out for the portage is right at the lip of the dam. Cross Shannock Road and put in from the left bank below the old parking area. This portage could also be used as a put-in or take-out but the lack of parking makes it problematic so Shannock Lower Falls and Biscuit City Landing are preferable.

The third (optional) portage is 0.45 miles further downriver at Shannock Falls. The dam that backed up the river at Shannock Falls for over 100 years was removed in the fall of 2010. The former dam site is now the site of some challenging class II rapids with several large boulders in mid-channel. You can portage around these rapids by taking out above the rapids and carrying your boat about 100 yards down the lightly used Railroad Avenue, which parallels the river on river right. For information about the river below Shannock Falls see the listing on this website for the Shannock Falls put-in.

The Wood-Pawcatuck River Guide is highly recommended for paddling on the Wood-Pawcatuck river system.

For more details see the full site report