Boston Sea Kayak Club Put Ins Page

PUT-INS

For those new to the kayaking scene, Tamsin Venn's "Sea Kayaking along the New England Coast"includes a description of Hingham and Hull, and many other put-ins along the North and South Shores of Massachusetts. I believe however, the sites listed here below haven't been in print before.

Charles River | Mystic River | Outer Harbor

Kayak Put-ins around Boston Harbor

Courtesy of Al Goldberg

Charles River

There are a number of auto parking lots along Soldiers Field Road in Allston that lie along on the Charles. Probably the easiest river bank to manage is from the last lot on Soldiers Field Road, just before the start of Storrow Drive and about opposite Harvard Stadium. The Harbor is some 5 miles downstream so this is really a place to do a leisurely excursion down the Charles River and see the city from a unique angle. There are two good lunch places along the Esplanade - one on the river bank just at the upstream entry to the Esplanade Waterway, the other on the bank immediately downstream of Hatch Shell with public access to a large nearby dock; both sites have nearby restrooms.

Magazine Beach is an MDC area on the Cambridge side of the Charles River, just upstream of the Boston University Bridge and about 3-1/4 miles before the locks to the Inner Harbor. Stay right on the eastbound lane of Memorial Drive just before the bridge; parking is usually available.

Lee Memorial Pool, an MDC facility, about opposite Mass General Hospital and just before the upstream entry to the old lock channel at the Museum of Science; .6 miles to the locks. There is a large parking area at the rear, posted for two hours, may or may not be monitored. Entry to the lot is from the westbound lane on Storrow Drive. The river bank is armored with 3 or 4 feet of rough rip-rap, use care.

Mystic River

O'Malley Park is an MDC recreational area in Chelsea about .4 miles upstream of the Tobin Bridge; look for a small parking area near the entry. There is about a 100 yard carry to a shale beach, bring wheels if you have them. This makes a feasible lunch stop if you are on the water in the vicinity of the Tobin Bridge.

The Locks on Charles River © A. Goldberg

Schraffts Boat Ramp in Charlestown, privately owned but has public access, is just downstream from the Rte 99 crossing of the Mystic River and 1-1/4 miles upstream of the Tobin Bridge. Take the Sullivan Square exit from Rutherford Avenue, a hard right onto Main Street, then first left into Schraffts' parking lot. Stop at the guard shack; the ramp is at the far right end of the lot. Parking is available on weekends - supposedly overnight Saturday, but check first with security at 617-242-6037 - unloading only allowed during working hours.

Schraffts Center Boat Ramp Hours of Operation:

;Monday thru Friday	;6 am to 8 am and 5 pm to 8 pm
;Saturday and Sunday	;6 am to 8 pm
;Holidays	;6 am to 8 pm

Parking: Limited to weekends 6 am to 8 pm. No overnight parking. No parking weekdays.

Key (not really necessary for sea kayakers): issued with drivers license.

Amelia Earhart Dam, Somerville, about 2 miles upstream of the Tobin Bridge. An adjacent MDC park has auto parking next to a rough but modest bank on the downstream side of locks in the dam. Access can be had to the upper Mystic River, also.

Outer Harbor

City Point Beach is an MDC site in South Boston near Castle Island. Go right at the end of E. Broadway in South Boston to an open picnic pavilion on a sand and gravel beach; lots of parking available. It's on the Outer Harbor but the Aquarium on the Inner Harbor is 3-1/2 miles away, reached by paddling around Castle Island. Thompson Island is 1 mile offshore - camping available. Phone the Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center first. Windmill Point in Hull is 5-3/4 miles across the Outer Harbor. All the Harbor Islands are accessible from City Point.

Nickerson Beach, Squantum, is a small beach on Squantum Road just before the guard post to Long Island. There is poor auto entry to a small parking area at the beach, but more parking is available a hundred feet or so further along Squantum Road. The tip of Thompson Island is 3/4 miles away, Long Island starts 2 miles away. From the S.E. Expressway take the Neponset exit to Quincy Shore Road, then left at a 'Dunkin Donuts' onto Squantum Road; from the western suburbs take rte 203 in Jamaica Plain through the Arborway to Neponset Circle and Quincy Shore Road.

The Winthrop Town Landing is supposed to be accessible although I haven't been there; can be quite noisy due to nearby Logan Airport.

South of Boston there are several more good put-ins to the Outer Harbor, among them Hingham Beach in Hingham and Windmill Point at the tip of Hull. Both have auto parking; at Hull look for a small restaurant opposite the Hull High School. Hingham has a well sheltered area from which to sample the Outer Harbor although the beach can be messy at low tide. Windmill Point gives good access to the Outer Islands but has fierce tidal currents just offshore, get advice if not accustomed those conditions.