Bennington Conservation Commission sets Canoe the Contoocook

A paddler looks at the Hancock-Greenfield Covered Bridge. —PHOTO BY MIKE MUNHALL

Conservation Commissioner Steve Willette and his wife Linda canoe past the Hancock-Greenfield Covered Bridge. —PHOTO BY MIKE MUNHALL

Linda and Steve Willette with other paddling enthusiasts canoe the Contoocook River. PHOTO BY MIKE MUNHALL

Linda and Steve Willette leisurely canoe down the Contoocook River. —PHOTO BY MIKE MUNHALL

Leslie and Joe MacGregor enjoy their time participating in the paddle. —PHOTO BY MIKE MUNHALL

Leslie MacGregor (left) and Zach and Emmitt Allen (right) canoe under the Cavender Road bridge. —PHOTO BY MIKE MUNHALL

By ISABELLA MESSA

For the Ledger-Transcript

Published: 06-27-2024 12:01 PM

bennington nh

On June 29, Bennington Conservation Commission will hold its seventh annual Canoe the Contoocook event.

Talking about the origin of the event, Mike Munhall of the Conservation Commission said, “Why don't we have a celebration for one of our biggest geographical features in New Hampshire? The Contoocook River is a great feature and deserves to be celebrated.”

Before COVID, the event drew around 25 canoes each year.

“Now, after COVID, there are usually around 13 canoes,” Munhall said.

Other factors have affected the event.

“For several years the path up the river was three miles, and then a few years back, a big storm came and left a part of the river covered in trees, so now the route is different,” Munhall said. “The event starts at 9 a.m. and we usually end by 4 p.m. Four hours is the longest its ever taken.”

The event begins at the Powdermill Pond boat ramp by the Hancock-Greenfield Covered Bridge on Forest Road and continues toward Peterborough. It allows any kind of boat or flotation device, but Munhall and the Conservation Commission highly recommend canoes and kayaks.

“There are obstacles, but canoes and kayaks make it easier to get around those obstacles,” he said.

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