Massachusetts / Charles River /

Charles River Carry-in Access near Needham

This is a public kayak and canoe launch on the Charles River near Needham, Massachusetts, run by MassWildlife.

Aerial view of the roadside gravel pull-off and the path down to the Charles River, September 2023
Aerial view of the roadside gravel pull-off and the path down to the Charles River, September 2023 Photo: USDA Farm Service Agency, NAIP · Public domain · via USGS The National Map

Status not reported No closure has been posted for this launch, but its agency does not publish open or closed status. Check with the managing agency before you tow.

At the launch

Type
Carry-in (canoe and kayak)
Ramp surface
Dirt
Managed by
MassWildlife
Coordinates
42.26967, -71.19639

Directions (Google) Apple Maps

This launch has no official name in our sources; the name above describes where it is.

Conditions

Water level

Latest reading loads here; without it, see the USGS page below.

USGS gauge CHARLES RIVER AT DOVER, MA, 3.4 mi from this launch on Charles River: water level, flow, a reading every 15 minutes. Readings and history at USGS.

On Charles River

The Charles River is an 80-mile river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from its source at Echo Lake in Hopkinton to Boston Harbor, winding through 23 cities and towns and doubling back on itself several times. The river drains 308 square miles, but its source is only 26 miles from its mouth, and it drops just 350 feet from source to sea. The watershed holds more than 8,000 acres of protected wetlands, called Natural Valley Storage, that help prevent flooding downstream. A dam at the river's mouth, finished in 1910, stabilized the water level from Boston to Watertown and removed the mud flats there. More about Charles River.

Boating rules on Charles River

  • Maximum speed of 10 mph in the Charles River Basin source
  • No wake within 50 yards of floats or of canoes, shells, rowboats, kayaks, sailboats or similar non-motorized vessels (Charles River Basin) source
  • Controlled-wake area: motorized craft limited to 5 mph between the North Beacon Street Bridge and the Boston University Bridge source
  • Boats over 30 feet may not moor in the Basin or upstream of the BU Bridge without DCR written authorization; mooring at a public landing is limited to 20 minutes source
  • Car-top boats only at DCR Upper Charles launches including Elm Bank (Dover), Ames St./Pleasant St. and Riverdale Park (Dedham), Charles River Road, Hemlock Gorge and Quinobequin Road (Newton), and Redwing Bay (Needham) source
  • Default 12 mph speed limit on DCR waters where no limit is posted source
  • Moving aquatic invasive species into or out of DCR waters is prohibited source

Community

Where people who use Charles River talk about it.

Nearby launches

Sources

Why it is listed as public: listed by MassWildlife GoFishMA! freshwater access points. Something wrong, or is this launch private? Send a correction; it goes to a person.