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 such as canoes or kayaks.
Site Name: Hillside Avenue, Johnston
Town: Johnston
Driving Landmarks: Hillside Ave. is a short street that branches off from Greenville Ave. just west of the Greenville Ave. - Manton Ave. bridge across the Woonasquatucket River. The new Woonasquatucket River Greenway Bike Path runs past this site.
ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no
Shoreline: The shoreline here is low and grassy, but quite brushy.
Float/Dock: no
Approximate Length of Carry between Car Access and Water: 100 feet
Parking: parking lot
Water 'Features' At Site: whitewater
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 an informal canoe and kayak launch on the Woonasquatucket River. It is the first good access point below the Superfund site that encompasses Allendale Mill Pond and Lymans Mill Pond, which are closed to public access. There is a parking lot for the bike path and it is only about 100 feet from this lot to the river, but the last 50 feet are down a steep, brushy bank and across brushy floodplain. The river below here is surprisingly wild in appearance despite its urban setting. You should expect to encounter swiftly moving water, some tricky turns, and other obstructions. This section of the river is best run in the spring when water levels are up. Starting about a mile below this put-in there are combined sewer overflows that dump sewage into the river after a heavy rainfall, so this section of the river should be avoided if significant rain has fallen recently and at all times the water and sediments should be treated with caution.
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.