Massachusetts paddlers and state officials recently celebrated the completion of a new canoe and kayak launch on the Millers River in Athol.
The Millers River is a 50-mile-long waterway that flows from Ashburnham to the Connecticut River.
The new canoe and kayak launch in Athol was built with $385,000 invested by the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game Office of Fishing and Boating Access.
The facility features a new concrete boat launch, shore fishing area, and parking to increase access to paddling and freshwater fishing on the Millers River.
The new facility is located on MassWildlife’s Millers River Wildlife Management Area and is adjacent to the Athol Minnie French Conservation Area.
The project opens up 6.6 new river miles for paddling from Royalston to Athol through the town’s Bearsden Conservation Area. It also complements the downstream 6-mile stretch of the Millers River Watershed Council Blue Trail from Athol to Orange, where the state has three other access points.
