Where to Paddle

The Shawsheen River is a 27-mile-long tributary of the Merrimack River in northeast Massachusetts. The river runs generally northward through the towns of Bedford, Billerica, Wilmington, Tewksbury, Andover, and Lawrence, where it joins the Merrimack. It originates at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford and travels through the six communities before emptying into the Merrimack River along the border between Lawrence and North Andover. 

In addition to wildlife habitat, the Shawsheen offers several wonderful locations for enjoyable recreational paddling. Below is a list of put ins and points of interest created by Shawsheen Riverkeeper Ken Doran

Note: these listings are presented going down stream starting at the Tewksbury/Andover line.
 
Sanborn Reservation:
  • Owned by the Town of Andover Conservation Commission.
  • Link to additional information: Lightning Tree Reservation (andovertrails.org)
  • Reservation has trails to explore and is adjacent to Lighting Tree Reservation.
  • Access by water is on ‘River Right’ at the large high-tension lines.
  • Note: in the future, this landing site may not be accessible as the nearby ‘oxbow’ cut-through will reroute the river and there will no longer be river access at this location.
  • Parking is available at the end of South Street in Tewksbury; however, access to the river is a considerable walk and therefor is not a suitable launch site.  
 
Lighting Tree Reservation:
  • Owned by the Andover Village Improvement Society (AVIS).
  • Link to additional information: Lightning Tree Reservation (andovertrails.org) and AVIS Reservations - Sanborn Reservation (avisandover.org)
  • Reservation has trails to explore and is adjacent to the Sanborn Reservation.
  • Access by water is on ‘River Right’ just upstream of the Route 93 bridge and has a sign at the landing.
  • Parking is available at the end of South Street in Tewksbury; however, access to the river is a considerable walk and therefor is not a suitable launch site.
 
Shawsheen Pines Reservation:
  • Owned by the Town of Andover Conservation Commission.
  • Link to additional information: Shawsheen Pines Reservation | Andover, MA (andoverma.gov) and http://www.andovertrails.org/shawsheen-pines.html
  • Shawsheen Pines is accessible via Lowell Junction Road and is directly across the street from Pfizer facility via a small dirt road with a sign.
  • The reservation has parking for several cars, has a place to lock a bicycle, several picnic tables, a short trail along the shore, and storage racks for canoes/kayaks operated by the Town.
  • There is a canoe/kayak launch that was upgraded with stairs leading to the water’s edge.
  • Access by water is on ‘River Right’ a short distance past the Route 93 bridge.
  • Note: This site is a wonderful location to begin or end a canoe/kayak trip. You can head upstream into Tewksbury or downstream to the Ballardvale Dam.  This section of river is useable at nearly all water levels throughout the seasons.
 
Serio’s Grove Reservation:
  • Owned by the Town of Andover Conservation Commission.
  • Link to additional information: Serio's Grove Reservation (andovertrails.org)
  • Serio’s Grove is accessible via Lowell Junction Road with parking by a chain link fence and a trail that crosses railroad tracks and enters the reservation.
  • The reservation also has two boat launch sites which are currently available only by water on ‘River Right’ at the first large backwater area heading downstream.
  • The site also has: walking trails, picnic tables, a pavilion and fire pits. 
  • Note: This site is a beautiful location to stop and have a lunch. 
 
 
Pole Hill Reservation:
  • Owned by the Town of Andover Conservation Commission.
  • Link to additional information: https://www.andovertrails.org/pole-hill.html
  • Pole Hill is accessible via Pole Hill Drive and Marland Street, both off Tewksbury Street.  
  • Access by water is from ‘River Left’ (before the stone arch railroad bridge). 
  • The site also has: walking trails, a picnic table, and remains of the old dance hall and walking track. 
  • Note: This site does not provide good access from the river and is often missed. 
 
Nason’s Landing:
  • Owned by the Town of Andover Conservation Commission.
  • Nason’s landing is the ‘unofficial’ name giver to a very small boat launch site across the street from 60 River Street. There is just enough room to park two cars at the side of the road with a narrow access to the river cut in the tall grass.  This landing is in the wide ‘flats’ section of the river.  Note: there is no sign identifying this site. 
  • Access by water is from ‘River Right’ but may be difficult to locate.  
 
Ballardvale Mill Pond (Dam)
  • The areas on both sides of the Mill Pond and dam are owned by a private business (river right) and mill building condominium (river left). There is no public owned land for access and parking during work days is discouraged. Permission for non-workday launch and parking can usually be obtained from the private business (Shawsheen Rubber Co) ‘river right’.  This site has traditionally been used as a put-in and/or take-out point for canoe/kayak trips and has plenty of parking.
  • Portaging: If you are traveling through this section of river and continuing downstream, it will be necessary to portage around the dam.  This is done on ‘river left’ (onto Dale Street), although there is no specific place to exit the river, there is a short bank that can be navigated in multiple places.  Once you are on Dale Street, your portage is either around the back of the mill building for put-in below the dam; or to walk down the length of Dale Street to the parking lot for Vale Reservation and put-in at that point.
  • Link to additional information: AVIS Reservations - Vale Reservation (avisandover.org)  
  • Note: The section of river between the dam and Vale Reservation historically has downed trees and may not suitable for recreational paddling some years.     
  • SAFETY NOTE: Caution at the Mill Pond/Dam is necessary as there is no barricade to prevent a boat from going over the dam!  The dam is immediately downstream after going under the Andover Street bridge.
 
Vale Reservation/Dale Street:
  • The parking lot is owned by the Town of Andover Conservation Commission which is used to access the Vale Reservation, which is owned by the Andover Village Improvement Society (AVIS).
  • Link to additional information: AVIS Reservations - Vale Reservation (avisandover.org) 
  • Link to a River Guide from Dale Street to Central Street: shawsheengreenwayballardvalecentral_map_hires_20171003__front___back_.pdf (andovertrails.org)
  • Vale Reservation is accessible via a dirt road that is the extension of Dale Street.  There is plenty of parking and storage racks for canoes/kayaks are operated by the Town. Also, there is a stairway from the parking lot to the river’s edge making boat launching easier.
  • The Vale and Shawsheen Reservations (AVIS) provide miles of trails and good access from Dale Street to Central Street. 
  • See the above link to the River Guide as it has extensive details on this section of the river.
  • Pomps Pond: It is possible to take a side trip from the river into the South Marsh of Pomps Pond and into Pomps Pond itself.  The marsh can be accessed via a 40-foot portage just downstream (at the second corner) from the Dale Street put-in.  Note that low water in the pond or dense summer surface vegetation may prevent the paddler access during much of the summer season.     
  • Note: This site is a classic location to start a 1.5-mile paddle to Central Street.  This section of river is useable at nearly all water levels throughout the seasons.
 
Central Street (Abbot Bridge Drive):
  • Parking is on the right side of Abbot Bridge Drive, has a small kiosk, and a trail that leads to a launch site.  Both the trail and launch site are owned by the Town of Andover Conservation Commission.
  • Link to additional information: AVIS Reservations - Vale Reservation (avisandover.org) 
  • Link to a River Guide from Dale Street to Central Street: shawsheengreenwayballardvalecentral_map_hires_20171003__front___back_.pdf (andovertrails.org)
  • Abbot Bridge Drive site has plenty of parking and has storage racks for canoes/kayaks operated by the Town. 
  • The Vale and Shawsheen Reservations (AVIS) (opposite side of the river) provide miles of trails and allow access from Central Street to Dale Street. 
  • See the above link to the River Guide as it has extensive details on this section of the river.  
  • Pomps Pond: It is possible to take a side trip from the Shawsheen River into the South Marsh of Pomps Pond and into Pomps Pond itself.  The marsh can be accessed via a 40-foot portage just downstream (at the second corner) from the Dale Street put-in.  Note that low water in the pond or dense summer surface vegetation may prevent the paddler access during much of the summer season.      
  • Note: This site is a classic location to start a 3.0-mile roundtrip paddle from Central Street to Dale Street.  This section of river is useable at nearly all water levels throughout the seasons.
  • SAFETY NOTE: It is recommended that all paddlers using this put-in GO UPSTREAM ONLY as the section going downstream has multiple hazards and is suitable only for experienced boaters with local knowledge! 
 
Penguin Park / Sacred Heart Reservation:
  • Owned by the Town of Andover Conservation Commission.
  • Link to additional information: Sacred Heart Reservation | Andover, MA (andoverma.gov)
  • Penguin Park is accessible via Burnham Road parking lot (next to the narrow railroad underpass).
  • The reservation has a boat launch; however, it is a considerable walk from the parking lot to the put in.  There is a storage rack for canoes/kayaks operated by the Town. 
  • When launching from this site you can proceed either upstream or downstream.  Note that upstream is a relatively short paddle to Main Street (Rt. 28), at which point recreational paddling is not recommended (see Safety Note above).       
  • The site has walking trails and multiple large mowed grass areas including playing fields.
  • Note: This section of river may not be accessible in low water conditions. 
 
As with all paddling activities, safety is a primary consideration.  
  • Wear a properly fitting life jacket
  • Scout the section to be paddled ahead of time as conditions are always changing
  • Paddle in areas within your skill set
  • Understand river hazards
  • Consider weather and water level conditions​

These are the recommended sections for recreational paddling on the Shawsheen in Andover: 

   
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