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

Site Name: Taylor's Landing

Town: South Kingstown

Driving Landmarks: Taylor's Landing is on Route 138, 1.4 miles west of the main entrance to URI and 1.4 miles east of the junction with Route 2.

ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no

Shoreline: Gently sloping sand and gravel

Float/Dock: no

Approximate Length of Carry between Car Access and Water: 10 feet

Hours of Operation: Closed from 1/2 hr. after sunset to 5 am, except for fishing and boating

Parking: parking lot, 10 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:Taylor's Landing is the standard access point for paddling down the Chipuxet River to Worden Pond. The river is very slow moving all the way to Worden Pond so it is quite possible to paddle downstream and then turn around and paddle back upstream to the put-in. The river at the landing looks too small to hold a canoe, but after a bend or two it opens up just a bit. None-the-less, in some areas it is narrow enough that kayakers may have to do a little twisting and turning to find clear space for their paddle. You should expect to encounter various beaver dams on the river, which will require you to get out and lift your boat over the dam, so sturdy footwear that can get wet is advisable. For 4 miles below Taylor's Landing the river winds through a lovely open wetland, with red maples and white pines set well back from the river. Dry ground to land on is very hard to find in this section.

Be careful when you reach Worden Pond. It is broad and shallow and it does not take a lot of wind to kick up a good chop. If the weather is not good, stick to the east shore (where there are many cottages) and follow it to the landing on the south shore, due south of where you came into Worden Pond. In good weather, if you want to continue down the Pawcatuck River, head for Stony Point, which is the headland to your right when you enter the pond. There are good spots to stop for lunch on the east side of this point. Once around Stony Point head across the mouth of the large cove beyond Stony Point to the next point and follow the south shore of this point to the Pawcatuck River. It can be difficult to spot.

Entering the Pawcatuck takes you into a beautiful hardwood swamp, which the river winds through for 4 1/4 miles before joining the Usquepaug a little above Biscuit City Landing. In the summer months, be prepared for a fair amount of poison ivy along this section of the Pawcatuck River. The poison ivy is less of an issue in the spring and the fall. You will also encounter downed trees across the river. Many will have a gap cut in them wide enough to let a canoe or kayak squeeze through. However there may be some recent blowdowns that require you to get out of your boat and lift it over or carry it around the tree. If you come across downed trees that are blocking canoe and kayak passage on the Wood or Pawcatuck Rivers you are encouraged to report them to denisep@wpwa.org .

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

For more details see the full site report