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: Donigian Park
Alternate Site Name: Lonigan Memorial Park
Town: Providence
Driving Landmarks: The park is on the west side of Valley Street in Providence, 2/10 mile south of Atwells Ave. The canoe launch is in the SE corner of the park, near the bridge over the river.
ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no
Shoreline: The boat launch is a short set of steps that cut down through the stone walls that line the river in this area.
Float/Dock: no
Approximate Length of Carry between Car Access and Water: 75 feet
Portage Length: 700 feet
Hours of Operation: Sunrise to Sunset
Parking: on street, no overnight parking
ADA Accessible Parking Spaces? no
Water 'Features' At Site: dam, whitewater, 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:Donigian Park is a city park next to the Woonasquatucket River. There is a broad set of stairs leading down to the river just upstream from Valley St. The dam at this site is upstream from the stairs, so if you are paddling downstream you will not have to portage around the dam. Paddling downstream from here involves some quick-moving water and challenging paddling. A better plan for inexperienced paddlers is to start downtown and paddle up the river to Eagle Square (Atwells Ave.) and then turn around and go back down. The tide affects much of the river below this site so plan accordingly. In times of low river flow some sections can be too shallow to paddle at low tide.
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.