Connecticut
2. Wave-o-Saurus
| Difficulty | II(III) |
| Length | 0 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Connecticut River at Montague City, Ma |
| Flow Rate as of 27 minutes | 16100 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | June 11, 2018 |
River Description
Lotsa folks on the Northeast Paddlers' Massage Board enjoy this spot when spring rains bring it up. It's a mile or two upstream of the Holyoke Dam in Holyoke, along Route 5.
Don Williams gives the beta:
Look for a small parking area off of Rte. 5 with a kiosk and sign saying 'Dinosaur Footprints Reservation.' (Editor's note: that would explain the name.) It is 2.1 miles North of the intersection of Rt. 141 and Rte. 5 in Holyoke (exit 17 off of I91) or 5.1 miles South of the Rte. 5 exit in Northampton (exit 18). The playspot is only there when the Connecticut is at or near peak during the spring snowmelt season. Last spring we even had a couple of people show up with surfboards and do quite well. Lat/longitude coords courtesy of Angela Baldo.
See more photos in the NPMB Photo Gallery.
River Features
Take Out
Put In
Wave-o-Saurus
At high flows, expect a sweet wave here.
Ledges below the dam
Below the Holyoke dam, a series of bedrock ledges and large rock/block debris create interesting looking opportunities at what may be a wider variety of flows (compared to when Wave-o-Saurus is 'in').
Trip Reports
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Brian Oelberg
Apr 15, 2005
a long ride at least...a little mushy
spin and front flip out
surfer surfing
Brian Oelberg
Apr 3, 2005
surfs up...
surfing
Someone should go...
Below the Dam
Here is the shelf at high water.
This is where the 'big hole' in the other foto is, and below that the shelf...
Brian Oelberg
Jan 1, 1900
There is a half mile of class II below the dam which could hold great potential at higher water, although access then gets to be a problem, unless of course you just ride right in off the dam...i accessed it by walking a boat up river left, but that's not possible at higher water levels. The spot would be a great place for a whitewater park...lots of big granite blocks and a 3 foot shelf. Put in at South Hadley Falls river access. The fish ladder area provides the closest access but is a little technical.