Far Mill River
Shelton to Housatonic River
| Difficulty | IV |
| Length | 3.2 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 80 fpm |
| Gauge | Saugatuck River Near Redding, Ct |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 175 cfsrunnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | May 4, 2018 |
It may help to think about this river (really a creek) in two sections, the upper and lower.
The upper section is more continuous than the lower and is about a mile in length. The highlight of this section is the first real rapid, a 10 foot vertical waterfall, followed by a short pool and then a small dam feature that is best run hard left or right. There are several more rapids in the upper section that are all boat-scoutable. When an island separates the flow, follow the right channel into the last set of rapids: a fast approach into a pillow move, followed by a ledge that can be run by sliding down the middle or boofing off the right and then making a quick move to avoid a rock...not bad for Fairfield County whitewater. After passing under the road, take out on the right by the Dunkin Donuts to either go back up and run the upper again or to portage around a pipe and begin the lower section.
The lower basically consists of two very cool Class IV rapids, a few Class II's, and a lot of flatwater. Be prepared for some general unpleasantness associated with the water quality as well. The first Class IV comes at a bend in the creek and is very difficult to boat scout. At present, there is a sizable tree blocking the channel, so visual inspection is preferable. It is a fast, narrow drop that almost makes the flatwater and septic stench worthwhile.
The second Class IV comes towards the end of the run, shortly before the Far Mill empties into the Housatonic. This 12-foot ledge can be run cleanly on the right or left, but the middle looks shallow. One more small rapid and a couple hundred feet of flats brings you to the take-out just upstream of a bridge on Rte. 110.
Shuttle Directions:
The Far Mill can be found off exit 12 on Rte. 8. To get to the upper put-in, head north on Old Stratford Rd., make a right after you pass the Dunkin Donuts (the take-out for the upper section), and then your first left after you cross the c
...This is the first rapid on the run, a vertical 10 foot waterfall. The line is to go off of the center right over a rooster tail. You can also run more in the center, between the left wave and the rooster tail.
Dec 15, 2008
took a log out of left turn (z turn), the first major rapid in the second half of the run (the part after the pipe portage behind dunkin donuts)
there seems to be wood in that rapid on a regular basis and the entrance is blind so be sure to take a quick look each time you paddle it.
I had a saw on me and it only took us 10 minutes to get the wood out of there so we could run the drop cleanly.
Jan 13, 2008
Just paddled this for the first time Saturday. I think the gage was around 2.1 or so on the AWA site (heard from a fellow boater it was actually around 1.9) however... boney but worth the trip from NYC! Can't wait to see it a few inches or even feet higher. Quick and easy run, nice drops very forgiving. Great intro into creeking for those who want to give creeking a try. Water quality ok... but a pretty run altogether.
Kevc
Sep 18, 2006
This is a sweetie! Not super sic, but great for Ct. Ya got to check this one out if you are within an hour.
