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Canoeing & Kayaking
Taunton & Segreganset Rivers (lower section), Dighton, Massachusetts USA
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Copyright 2003 Alfonso Vazquez-Cuervo - See Terms of Use

Our Route Summary

  • Submitted by: Adam Auclair thekayakdude@aol.com
  • Date Submitted: 1/2003
  • Location: Dighton & Berkley, MA USA (near Dighton Rock State Park)
  • Class: Class 1 flat, tidal, mostly open to wind and subject to wind blown waves
  • Distance Paddled: at least 5 miles round trip
  • Water Level: regular currents from tides
  • Water: salt
  • Wildlife: Many birds, ducks, swans, hawks, turtles
  • Special Regulations: none

Entry and Exit

  • Directions: Take Rt.138 or Rt. 24 to Dighton. Make your way to Center Street to the one-lane Dighton bridge near Bristol Agricultural School. On the Berkley side of the bridge you will see an open area for parking (fits about 10 cars) Park there. That is also the put-in and take out.
  • Fee: none
  • Description: beach
  • Parking: unpaved parking adjacent
  • Facilities: none
  • Handicap Access: none

What We Saw

Check the tide chart if paddling against the tide bothers you. The Taunton is great year round. In the summer, you will encounter small motor boats, but most go slowly because there are many hidden rocks and much wildlife.

Leo and I set out in late October with warm layered clothes, our kayaks, lunch and plenty of drinks. We paddled south, immediately spotting a huge family of geese or ducks. We passed beautiful houses on the left and a marsh on the right.

Half and hour later, we reached the mouth of the Segreganset River, (which drains into the Taunton).

We paddled under an old railroad bridge (see photo at left) and entered a little pond area that eventually narrows to about 10 ft wide. NOTE: THIS AREA IS ONLY GOOD IN THE FALL OR EARLY SPRING (IN SUMMER IT IS PRETTY DRY). This is a dead end, but worth the trip because it is mostly secluded and one can see many different birds.
We continued upstream under more quaint bridges, until we reached a small dam. Above the dam (which you looks like one could portage) there was another pond and the river continues. We chose not to continue further, but it looked worth exploring. We'll leave that up to you.
After a break, we headed back toward the Taunton for Dighton Rock State Park.
Upon returning to the Taunton River, look straight across the small bay as you cross it and you should see a big white building. This is the park.
Open in the summer, the museum houses the famous rock and other Native American stuff. There are shaded picnic tables, grills and woods to explore. We took out on the right side of the building (see photo).

After lunch, we headed back to put in, which took us about 45 minutes. Total trip time was about 3 hours.