Assabet
Route 117 to Route 62
| Difficulty | I-II |
| Length | 1.5 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Assabet River at Maynard, Ma |
| Flow Rate as of 45 minutes | 2.63 ftrunnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | March 20, 2026 |
River Description
Posted 3/30/03 by Tommy T. on the NPMB message board The Assabet in Maynard is a short, easy class II that runs right through downtown Maynard. The putin is at the junction of Rtes. 117 and 62, just below the dam. I've always used the office building parking lot. Even though it has been posted 'Private Property no river access' since last fall, I've had no trouble putting on with small groups on weekends. You can access the river from the other side as well. The take out is at the Maynard Elks on Rte. 62 just above the next dam. When we were there last December we took out right through the Christmas tree sale. Nice people. The scenery ain't much. The water quality is so-so. But it's 40 minutes from Boston and you can scout it all from the road.
This run makes for a good solo run if that is something you are comfortable with. THe hike back up to the top ends up being shorter than the paddle.
Here are a few videos of the features.
River Features
Put In
Park at the office building and put in below Ben Smith Dam. There are a couple of good waves in the run out of the dam.
Crackbaby
Under the route 62/117 bridge there is either a wave or hole depending on the side you choose. The left side has a nice surfing wave and the right has a drop/hole that can be boofed. Named after Crackpipe on the Merrimack
Mill St Bridge
There's some fast moving water leading into the Mill St bridge, where the river divides into three channels under the bridge. It's relatively straightforward, just make sure not to run into one of the pillars.
Pedestrian / Mill Waves
Below the rail trail bridge is a very nice surfing wave (Pedestrian). It is quickly followed up by the Mill Waves. It's easy to walk back up here if you fall of the waves or do it as a park and play.
Town Lot Access
An alternate takeout is a town lot off of River St. It is on river left after you go through the sharp left curve after the Mill Waves and is about half way down the rapid there. There is a good eddy to catch and get out. The parking lot should be easily visable from the water.
McRapid
Above the Waltham St bridge is a nice series of waves. The USGS gage is at the top of this rapid
Take Out
Take out at the Elks Club Lodge. Park as far back as you can.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportPut in & take-out address:
Put-in is behind an office building at the Intersection of Routes 62 & 117: The address is 62 Great Road, Maynard Ma. Note, it's unclear if they will enforce parking restrictions.
Take-Out: Elks Lodge, 34 Powder Mill Rd, Maynard, MA 01754
Ran this stretch with a friend on 1/11/20 and happy to report there wasn't any wood in play.
Thanks! Hit me up for more runs with the kids! I have two interested
I wanted to comment because there haven't been any updates for a few years on this river. I brought my kids down it in a canoe (Rogue River 14' - a giant slow plastic canoe). I ran it last sprint in the canoe during snow melt season around 5' and it was wild. Good sized rapids, not stuck anywhere, the whole trip was 20-30 minutes. We got up to 11 mph according to a GPS we carried with us. There were a couple down trees that posed hazards that were avoidable and once we slammed hard into a bridge. It was a great time.
We ran it again 6/15/17 and the gauge height was 2.39 - below recommended. Scratchy isn't the right word, we got stuck a few times. I had to get out and push the boat. Rapids were exciting for the children and not overwhelming. The water was very warm to stand in. Great trip. I'll watch and go again after rain, it is really a good time if you live in the area. I live about 15 minutes away.
Parking note - On weekends the building at the dam appears closed/no one is parked in back. I parked there with no problem. Weekday there were people around but lot was still mostly empty. I look for the no river access sign but didn't see it until we were leaving. It is still posted but has been bent over. No one said anything to us and my car was there for about 3 hours total. There is a canoe launch called ice house landing above the dam but I haven't scouted it to check parking.
The best take out is Elks as suggested, but the river continues. We went down to West concord and took out there, and in the past have gone all the way to Concord's Lowell Rd Boat launch. There is a really difficult portage around a dam across from the Buick dealership. After that dam there is a couple more small rapids and by the old Damon Mill building there is a rapid though a broken dam. A bit downstream the river is blocked by down trees but in an area of flat water. I was able to pull my canoe over it.
In reference to the map under the photos: there are a total of six bridges that you go under. You probably only want to scout 6.
1: Straight shot through the middle is easiest.
2: Trickiest one. Sneak route is to stay right of the two islands & then through the right of the 3 arches. Center arch is easy enough to line up, but be careful to not get pushed sideways. Left arch is toughest to get to due to a constriction just upstream creating a strong rightward push on the left side of the river.
3 & 4: Essentially flatwater, at least at medium levels.
5: Easiest to stay on the left half of the river when approaching, the bridge is after sharp leftward turn.
6: Straight shot, but there is seemingly always a blockage in at least one of the tubes. Scout it!
Now, they have all 3 tubes blocked, with beams, trees and sandbags. For what reason, I still don't know. I know they are removing the pylons, but why blocking the waterways aids in this effort, I have no idea. I was going to slip just to the right of the right pylon in a small space, but there were construction guys right there, a crane slowly dropping a slab of stone overhead, etc.......looked a little dangerous, plus I may have gotten hung up on the sandbags below the surface. I ended up having to port on the right side, and carry up over 62 to put for the final stretch to get my car at the Elks. Looks like I'll have to end my run at the McDonald's parking lot instead, find a way to avoid the evil allure of the deep-fried smells, and get a healthy lunch elsewhere. Bummer, the Elks was a nice take out with plenty of parking. Hope the bridge is fixed soon.
The Mill Rd. Bridge is the second bridge you have to pass under on the Maynard Assabet run, and possibly the trickiest. The level today was 3.6 feet or so, and it wasn't too bad, but the flow (as described astutely by other members here) can push you into the pylon and pin you if you aren't careful. It happened to one of my buddy's sit-on-top kayaks last summer.
By golly, you are right, but I swear only the right side was blocked the day before and I didn't see any sandbags that time either! It was dusk, so I may have missed them. Anyway, I just uploaded some pics here, and one is of the bridge from the Tedeschi's parking lot next to the construction site........it sure makes for a fun rapid chute!
We ran it last Saturday (1/28/12) and there was contruction at the last bridge before the Elks Hall (Acton Street?) The right and left shoots were blocked with steel, and there were sandbags (or something else) in the middle shoot. We ran through it fine, but it looked like the work was ongoing.
Frothy fun to play in, just below the Ben Smith Dam