Quinapoxet
Canada Mills to Wachusett Reservoir(The Mighty Quinn)
| Difficulty | II-III |
| Length | 2.9 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 38 fpm |
| Gauge | Quinapoxet River at Canada Mills Near Holden, Ma |
| Flow Rate as of 34 minutes | 6.89 ftbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | July 21, 2023 |
River Description
The Quinapoxet is a delightful II/III stream located in Central Massachusetts approximately seven miles north of Worcester, getting its start in the hills northwest of Worcester and draining into Wachusett Reservoir.
The run is class II for the most part except for an longish class III stretch past the remains of the 19th century Springdale Mill; plus an abrupt three foot drop just downstream of the I-190 crossing.
The Wachusett Greenways Section of the Mass Central Rail Trail runs along the river for the majority of the run.
Put-on a few feet downstream of the gage. There is a wonderful surfing wave located at the put-in. From then on it is a combination of quickwater to class II down to the mill. After that the pace picks up a bit for the second half of the run.
Technical info
Put in elevation........553'Take out elevation......447'Total drop..............96'Average drop/mile.......38.5'Distance................2.75 milesRiver width average.....20' ???River geology...........???River water quality.....Good, clarity neutral to good.Scenery.................Woods, some old mill and dam ruins being covered up and overgrown.Wildlife................???Amenities
Nearest Gas.............Intersection of Routes 31 and 122A in Holden.Convenience Store.......Route 31 by the Manning Street Intersection north of Holden.Nearest Restrooms.......None near by.Camping.................??Restaurants/Pizza/etc...??Regional Weather
Go here for a NOAA weather forecast.
Local Map - Quinapoxet River and surrounding area of Holden and West Boylston
_Map of Holden, West Boylston, and area surrounding the river._Map courtesy of
...River Features
Gage
The USGS Gage is a few feet upstream from the put-in.
Put-In
Put-on by a small parking area for the rail trail about 200 feet upstream of the River Street Bridge.
Play Wave at Put-In
A wonderful play wave is found at the put-in.
First Rail-trail Crossing
The rail trail crosses the river several times.
Strainers
Dangerous strainers on narrow streams in the woods such are a constant hazard. This one is between the two rail-trail crossings.
Second Rail-trail Crossing
The rail trail crosses the river again. Take out here and walk downstream to scout the rapid at the ramains of a 19th century mill.
Play Wave at Mill
Just at the beginning of the Springdale Mill Rapid is a nice play wave at the bottom of a small island that splits the river in two.
Springdale Mill Rapid
This is a longish rapid with several pushy drops. It can be scouted from the remains of the mill. (Note: The mileage is approximate.)
Elevator
Just below the I-190 crossing is an abrupt three foot drop.
Take-Out
Park along the road at one of several turn-offs where the river runs along the road.
Flatwater Take-out
The flatwater take-out is one-half mile downstream from the whitewater take-out. Note that the reservoir is posted against watercraft since it is a public water supply.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportI ran the Quinn after a week of rain. Flow was 9.8-10 feet. Conditions were Class II with a longer Class III rapid in the second half of the trip starting with the abrupt dropoff under the I-190 overpass. The Quinn was super fun, but... there are now multiple strainers throughout the trip (at least 5) including a full river wide strainer just above the I-190 overpass. This one required portaging. The others were not complete riverwide and could be skirted.
Ran for the first time today with Quin frequenters Patrick Robbins and Michael Orsini.
At 9.3' it was very fun - lots of surfs and eddies to catch. Overall I'd rate it an easy class III perhaps, with fairly consistent class I-II throughout and a couple III sections.
There are two riverwide strainers in low current sections, and plenty more branches and trees partially blocking the river at the moment. Nothing that isn't avoidable or portageable safely.
Ran the Quin for the first time Saturday with a group of 13 mostly kayaks and a few OC1s. Level was 9.5' which meant not bony at all. Lots of wood in the water but no portages were necessary. There is a log just above water level blocking the main channel at one point and you'll see a large boulder about 20' above it on river right. If you eddy out behind this rock, there is a side channel you can take to avoid the log. The exit of this channel has some sweepers blocking it but the current is slow and you can easily get by on the channel left side.
Sunday we returned to play the wave at the put in for a while. Level was 8.5' then and dropping.
My wife and I ran it on 6/3/2012 at about 8.4 on the gage. Although AW says it's runnable down to 8.1, I'm not sure I'd do it again at this level - it was pretty bumpy. Lots of strainers and low-hanging trees - although only one that required a portage, if the water were pushier things could have gotten scary.
At the bottom of a small island that splits the river into two channels is a nice set of double play waves. Note: Take the left channel as the right is blocked by a strainer.