Paddling the Pemi River – Plymouth to Bristol
| Date: | 8-17-2025 |
| Location: | Plymouth, NH |
| Distance: | 12.1 mi |
| Elevation Gain: | 1006′ |
| Total Time: | 6 hr 30 min |
| Parking: | 10+ cars |
I’ve paddled the Pemigewasset River many times. This time my buddy Jack and I decided to do the Plymouth to Bristol route. This route is about 12 miles total.
We started by dropping Jacks Jeep in Bristol, NH at the boat launch under route 104. From here we drove up River Road to Route 3 all the way to Plymouth.
The boat launch is right next to the courthouse. We unloaded the kayaks, and I parked the car before setting out downstream.
The river was low and there was not much of a current. In a few spots it got bumpy but we were able to make it with out getting out of the boat.
We took a few breaks here and there on the many beaches. It was hot and humid but much nicer on the water.
Soon after we came to the Osprey nest with one of the Ospreys hanging out looking at us. It was pretty cool. Then another one came out and they both started flying around us.
A little further down the river we also saw a Bald Eagle flying around. Great day for birds.
After that we came to the Route 3 Bridge in Ashland and the train Tressel. The bridge was under construction, and it looked like it had just been replaced. Some of the pilers were missing too.
After a quick break, we continued on. To the Island in Bristol. This is about the half way point in the trip. This is also an option to take out if you dropped a car off here.
Because it was a warm day there were a lot of people on the island. Many of them came up with motorboats and pontoon boats.
From here the rest of the paddle is pretty straight forward. The water is plenty deep here and not many places to stop if you need to stretch your legs. After about 3+ hours of paddling we finally saw the open fields that are not far from our take out. So, we knew we were close.
Once we got the boats out of the water and loaded up we headed back to Plymouth to grab my car. This is a great paddle. The whole trip took us about 6.5 hours. I’ve done it many times over the years and no matter how high or low the water it is always a good run.
