Paddling on a winding river with nothing but the sound of the paddle hitting the water is one of the quintessential New England Experiences. The Vermont Canoe Touring Center, in Brattleboro VT, is a locally owned business makes that experience possible in one of the most scenic locations imaginable.
The Vermont Canoe Touring Center is situated in a quiet cove at the intersection of the Connecticut and West Rivers; right across from the Marina. They offer canoe, kayak and stand up paddleboard at hourly and daily rates.
My wife and I stopped in to enjoy a few hours on the river before lunch. The Vermont Canoe Touring Center was easy to find; just look for the giant sign with the canoe!
It is setup in a shady cove with a layout that is pleasantly quaint, totally non-corporate and very New England; just the way we like it. We strolled down the dirt path, past a rack of canoes to the office where we met Spencer, the Operations Manager. He quickly set us up with kayaks, paddles plus life vests and we were in the water within minutes. Be sure to bring cash, as the Vermont Canoe Touring Center doesn’t take cards.
Spencer gave us a few recommendations of things to check out on the water and we were off. My wife and I paddled up the quiet West River with rolling green hills on either side; clear water below us. The sound of motorboats was nowhere to be found. It doesn’t get much better than that! The West River offers plenty of coves and islands to explore where it is possible to see otters, blue heron and a few other friendly paddlers.
Paddling on the West River defines the amazingness of New England by surrounding you with scenery and peacefulness; allowing you to leave all of your stress onshore.
After a few hours we paddled back to the Vermont Canoe Touring Center, handed back our boats and walked across the street to the Marina for a tasty lunch.
New England Outside received no incentive from the Vermont Canoe Touring Center to write this review.
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