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 boats from trailers. Boat ramps can normally be used to launch canoes and kayaks but please do your best to keep the boat ramp clear for boat trailers.
Site Name: Hope Dam
Alternate Site Name: Upper Pawtuxet - Hope Landing Access
Town: Scituate
Driving Landmarks: From Route 116 north or south turn onto Hope Furnace Road at the general store in Hope. 200 feet down Hope Furnace Road look for a dirt drive leading to the access site.
ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no
Shoreline: The shoreline here has been stabilized but it is also muddy and sandy in places. The bank slope is very gentle and access is easy.
Float/Dock: no
Approximate Length of Carry between Car Access and Water: 30 feet
Hours of Operation: Year-round
Parking: parking lot, 40 spaces
ADA Accessible Parking Spaces? no
Water 'Features' At Site: dam, pond
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 site provides access to the upper Pawtuxet River. There is a gravel boat ramp here that is good for launching small trailered boats and hand-carried boats. Only non-motorized boats and boats with electric motors are permitted. From this put-in it is an easy 2 mile paddle upstream to the base of the massive earthen dam that creates Scituate Reservoir. The first part of this paddle takes you through the winding marshy pond created by Hope Dam. Finding your way can be a little tricky because of the many marshy coves leading off of the main river channel. The AMC Guidebook and "Paddling Connecticut and Rhode Island" both have good details and a map will also help. Slowly the river narrows as you head upstream until you are following a narrow, tree-lined river. At the end you will be paddling against a very gentle current, but under most conditions it is so gentle as to be barely noticeable. When you get to the end, stay off the Scituate Reservoir dam unless you want to tangle with the reservoir security department. There is no take-out here, so plan to turn around and return to Hope Dam to complete your paddle. If you stay out of the side coves, the round trip is an easy 4 mile paddle, but the side coves are well worth exploring if you have the time.
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.