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Vaughan Street Bridge

41° 51.588' N    70° 55.014' W   See this location in: Google Maps   Map Server   Acme Maps

Google Maps is the mapping system used on the new ExploreRI mapper and shows the access site located on a terrain view, a street map or an aerial photograph. Clicking on this link will take you to the full Google Maps website, which is not part of ExploreRI.
Map Server shows a topographic map of the area. The Map Server website is not part of ExploreRI.org.
Acme Maps shows the access site located on a topographic map. The Acme Maps website is not part of ExploreRI.org.

This is a site for launching hand-carried boats such as canoes or kayaks.

Description & Overview:

Vaughan Street is the first put-in on the Nemasket River below Assawompset Pond. Assawompset is a public water supply and so is closed to boating but the Nemasket is open to boating and is a wonderfully clean river that winds its way through wetlands and forests to its junction with the Taunton River above Titicut Street, 11 miles downriver from Vaughan Street.

The put-in at Vaughan Street is on the downriver side of the bridge down a short path from the new dirt parking lot. Just below the put-in the river forks. You can take either fork. The right fork takes you on a winding journey through a broad, open wetland. The left fork, an old steamboat channel, is more direct but may be brushy, especially in high summer. The two forks rejoin in about 1/2 mile (via the more winding route) and then the Nemasket continues to wind its way slowly through a lovely open wetland, a great place to look for birds and other wildlife.

Warning 1: As of June 2019, the main channel below Vaughn Street was filled with floating vegetation (probably milfoil, an invasive species) down to the start of the old steamboat channel, making it hard to paddle. Taking short, shallow strokes with your paddle will help but it will still be a hassle. See the photo below to get a sense of what it looks like.

Warning 2: The old steamboat channel has LOTS of poison ivy along both sides. As of June 2019 it was possible to paddle this route without touching the poison ivy, as long as you are careful, but if you have children on board warn them not to touch the vegetation. See the photos below to get a sense of what it looks like.

About 1.3 miles below the put-in you will come to the Bridge Street bridge over the Nemasket and shortly below that on the left is the put-in/take-out at Old Bridge Street. Below Old Bridge Street the river continues to be slow moving for another 2 miles to the take-out/portage at Wareham Street, below which the river becomes significantly faster and includes a bit of quickwater and whitewater before flattening out and slowing down again. For more details on this part of the river see the descriptions for Old Bridge Street and the put-ins below Old Bridge Street.

Click here for a printable map and guide (in Adobe Acrobat format) to paddling this part of the Nemasket River.

This site provides access to the following water bodies in the Taunton River watershed: Nemasket River.

Location:

Town: Lakeville

Nearest Town Center: Lakeville

Driving Landmarks: From I-495 north or south take the Exit 4 for Route 105, Middleboro Center and Lakeville. If you are coming from the north go right at the end of the ramp. If you are coming from the south go left at the end of the ramp. This will put you on South Main Street (Route 105) heading southwest. Go about a mile and turn left on Vaughan Street. Go 1.1 miles on Vaughan Street and look for a dirt parking lot on the left just before the bridge over the river.

Access & Waters:

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.

Type of Access: Boat launch for hand carried boats

ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no

Shoreline: At higher river levels the shoreline at the put-in can be a little muddy. At lower water levels it is sandier and some rock rip-rap may be exposed.

Float/Dock: no

Approximate Length of Carry between Car Access and Water: 60 feet

Parking:

Parking: yes: 8 spaces

ADA Accessible Parking Spaces? no

Nearby Amenities:

Public Restrooms: No

Sources for More Information:

AMC River Guide: 4th Edition, page 157

Website: Map and Guide to paddling the upper Nemsket River (Adobe Acrobat format)

Photographs:

View of the parking area at Vaughn Street

View of the parking area at Vaughn Street

Photography by: Bruce G. Hooke

Date of Photograph: May 1, 2010

The parking area at Vaughn Street. The river is visible through the trees to the right.

 
The Path to the River at Vaughn Street

The Path to the River at Vaughn Street

Photography by: Bruce G. Hooke

Date of Photograph: May 1, 2010

The canoe in the picture is on the path to the river. This photograph was made in the spring when the river was high and had partly flooded the path to the river.

 
View of the Put-in at Vaughn Street from across the River

View of the Put-in at Vaughn Street from across the River

Photography by: Bruce G. Hooke

Date of Photograph: May 1, 2010

A view back across the river at the Vaughn Street put-in. Downriver is to the right in this picture.

 
View Downriver from the Vaughn Street Bridge

View Downriver from the Vaughn Street Bridge

Photography by: Bruce G. Hooke

Date of Photograph: May 1, 2010

This photograph was made in the spring when the river was high. The put-in at Vaughn Street is the channel leading to left in the foreground of this photograph. At lower water levels what is water there now would be dry land next to the river.

 
The Vegetation Clogging the Channel Below Vaughn Street

The Vegetation Clogging the Channel Below Vaughn Street

Photography by: Jen O'Keefe

Date of Photograph: June 24, 2019

 
The Old Steamboat Channel

The Old Steamboat Channel

Photography by: Jen O'Keefe

Date of Photograph: June 24, 2019

 
The Poison Ivy Along the Old Steamboat Channel

The Poison Ivy Along the Old Steamboat Channel

Photography by: Jen O'Keefe

Date of Photograph: June 24, 2019

 

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The data on this website come 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 (see link above).

This site report was last updated on June 28, 2019

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