Contoocook, New Hampshire, US

3. Henniker (class II section)

Usual Difficulty	II(III) (for normal flows)
Length	2 Miles
Avg. Gradient	18 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
CONTOOCOOK RIVER NEAR HENNIKER, NH
usgs-01085000	6.20 - 10.70 ft	II(III)	00h20m	6.66 ft (rc= 0.1 )
	Upper limit for best boatability uncertain. Please help your fellow boaters with a comment or report.

River Description

This is a nice easy class II medium size river. At higher levels it has a big water feel to it with large waves, holes, and turbulance. But even at high water all these features are easily run or avoided. The toughest stretch is a broken dam just upstream from the bridge to the takeout. Scout this drop from the bridge before you run. At medium and high levels there is a nice surfing wave at the outflow through the broken section of the dam. The river starts out with quickwater and class I rapids after the bridge in the center of town the difficulty picks up to class II. Be catious in high water (above 9') this section can increase in difficulty.

Technical info

Put in elevation........419'
Take out elevation......383'
Total drop..............36'
Average drop/mile.......18'
Distance................2.0 miles
River width average.....70'
River geology...........Small to medium granite boulders
River water quality.....Fair to good, clarity fair to good.
Scenery.................The river runs through the center of Henniker, 
                        starts and ends in a rural area.
Wildlife................Deer, Merganzers, Blue herons. 

Directions

Put in
I-93 from southern NH just before Concord take I-89 north
Approximately 9 miles take the exit 5 ramp to Rt 202 West (Henniker/Keene).
Take the Henniker/Bradford exit.
Take a left (east) on NH 114.
Approximately 1/2 mile to the blinking light in Henniker center take a right onto Western Ave.
Approximately 1 mile look for a wide shoulder on the left just after the Henniker police station.

Alternate directions from Rt 101 Manchester. Rt 114 North to Downtown Henniker. Cross the bridge and take a left onto Western Ave. Follow it to the put in.
Take out
Head back to the intersection of NH-114 and continue straight through the intersection, this is now Main st.
Take a right at the "y" intersection just past the Main Street businesses
Continue 1/2 mile over a bridge then take an immediate left on a dirt road alonge the river. This is the take out.