Souhegan
2) NH Rte. 101 Bridge to Wilton(Horseshoe Falls)
| Difficulty | III |
| Length | 1.3 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 60 fpm |
| Gauge | Souhegan River (site Wlr-1) Near Milford, Nh |
| Flow Rate as of 46 minutes | 153 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 2, 2023 |
River Description
Technical info
Put in elevation........420'Take out elevation......335'Total drop..............85'Average drop/mile.......60'Distance................1.4 milesRiver width average.....35'River geology...........schists, small boulders, some ledge especially at Horseshoe fallsRiver water quality.....neutral to good, clarity; neutral to dark. Some leaching from dump.Scenery.................Poor, upper reaches pass dump, lower reaches extend into the Wilton urban area. Middle section good.Wildlife................Occasional deer, merganzers, beaverRiver Features
Put In
Trash Dump Rapid (aka Recycling Station or Recycler)
This is a long rapid starting just around the bend past the route 101 bridge. The top of the rapid has a nice play spot. Eddy out on river right behind a 1' ledge. Here there is a hole turning more into a wave towards river center. The rest of the rapid picks along the rocks as it passes the Wilton recyling center on your right.
Note Re: rapid name. The historical name has always been 'Trash Dump Rapid' and will be found in older publications, web sites, etc. Once the Wilton town dump changed to a recycling center people have started referring to this rapid as 'Recycler'. This refers to the physical location next to the recycling center, and NOT to a river feature that paddlers should be aware of.
While there are holes and waves in this rapid, there are no dangerous hydraulics. However further downstream, just below Horseshoe Rapid there is a dam that *DOES* contain a hydraulic and generally should be portaged.
Horseshoe Falls
Horseshoe falls is the toughest rapid on this section. It starts out with a series of ledge drops that can be run anywhere. Down below the river constricts from 40' wide to 18' wide into a narrow box canyon. The transition is by a horseshoe shaped drop. This drop is approximately 6' over a 40' distance. There are two routes the easiest one being far left. If you take the route on far right, catch the right side eddies as you prgress down. This will give you a better view as you scout your next move. There are also a few high penalty surfing waves you can access from these eddies. The bottom ledge does have a fairly large hole towards river center, it may upset you but not likely to hold you in.
Wilton Dam
This is an 'L' shaped dam approximately 8' in hieght. It is usually (and recommended) portaged on river left, however it has been run on the left and far right where there is a small break along a channel of the 'L'. Usually the boater launches off towards the right avoiding the hydraulic and shallows below. It is usually only deep enough to run in high water but high water also creates a larger hydraulic at the base of the dam. Scout carefully and consider the consequences here, portage if there is any doubt.
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportAs of January 2023, there is a giant tree/rootball embedded in the normal boat drop on far river right (the only smart way to boof these falls). Scout this area easily during your car shuttle to see if the passage remains blocked by walking out onto the manual spill control adjustment pad. Much of the tree is underwater and will be difficult to see from boat scouting or from the left side of the river. Portage is normally easy on far river left. Maybe a large flow will dislodge the tree.
Some people ran from the top to Wilton recently at a 3900 CFS level. which was high but not quite in the trees yet. It was pushy and there were some big waves but I would not rate it above a 3 or 3+ until you get to the falls. Big stuff there; try to eddy out above and observe before running. Trash dump was partially washed out, so less tricky than at lower levels, but moving very fast.
The real issue was overhanging branches, of which there were many. With fast moving water you have to be watching carefully all the time to avoid getting stuck. The river is largely free of blockage thanks to public spirited boaters who cleared it out recently, but there can always be a new strainer and with this high speed current it would not be fun to hit one, so extra care is required.