Family Weekender: Boston
Family Paddle on the
Ipswich River
By Diane Bair and Pamela Wright
It's a maze of the best kind. Zig to the left, and you encounter a ripply
little patch of river. Zag to the right, and you enter a labyrinth of marshy
canals that may — or may not — lead you back to the main waterway. You never
really get lost on the Ipswich River, though. There's always a landmark,
like an old bridge, to remind you of where you are. And, some of those
"oops!" detours lead to a beauty spot you might have missed — a stand of
velvety cattails, a red-winged blackbird crossing your bow.
Kayaking the Ipswich
The serpentine curves of the Ipswich River are a powerful lure for north shore kayakers and canoeists; everybody puts in at Foote Brothers' launch, or farther down Topsfield Road off Bradley Palmer State Park. You're not
alone, but so what? Once you're headed upstream along this sinuous river, you'll have stretches of it all to yourself. The kids will happily ride
mojo, the better to point out the splendid details you might have missed: the jumble of pencil-point tree limbs, noshed by beavers; the rat-tat-tat of woodpeckers in nearby forest. Pull over anytime and have a picnic on the riverbank. On this meandering river, you can go for hours (Foote Brothers will shuttle you all the way to Middleton's Thunder Bridge, if you wish), or
make it a short, gentle jaunt through the marshlands.
 |
| Directions to the Ipswich River
Take I-95 north to Route 1 north (exit 50). Follow Route 1 past Topsfield
Fairgrounds. At second set of lights after fairgrounds, take a right onto
Ipswich Rd. (Ipswich Rd. becomes Topsfield Rd.) Foote Brothers is 2.5 miles on the right.
|
|
Foote Brothers, 230 Topsfied Rd., Topsfield, rents canoes from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Day-long rentals are $20 weekdays; $25 weekends and holidays. Call
(978) 356-9771.
Kayakers might try contacting Ipswich Bay Ocean Kayaking. Call Carl Spanger at (978) 356-2464.
Return to  Top
Article © Diane Bair and Pamela Wright, 2000.
Ipswich River photo © Ipswich Online (www.ipswichma.com).
RELATED GORP LINKS
 GORP Massachusetts
GORP Paddling
GORP Family
Looking for adventure?
Close to home or a world away, GORPtravel can help you find the perfect vacation for your family.
|
|
|
from Away.com
Powered by Trip.com
