6. Route 3 Wave

Update:  A rock has once again become lodged upstream of the wave. Until further notice the wave is no longer surfable. This is a popular after-work park-n-playspot for locals who don't have time to run the whole Black. The other great park and play is at Hole Brothers. This is also the site of a controversial proposal to alter the riverbed in order to provide a hole/wave that'll be attractive to high-level playdogs and international competitions. Some paddlers are concerned that messing with the riverbed might ruin a good thing; others believe that improving the playspot will give a jumpstart to efforts to improve water quality all over this historically abused, urbanized stream. There are two putins to this p-n-p (the coordinates for which are listed below, as the putin and takeout): either park at Waterworks Park on Huntington St., hike down a longish trail and paddle upstream to the wave, or park off Rte. 3 (off Huntington St., just South of where Rte. 3 crosses the river), walk across the rocky dam runout and paddle downstream a short bit to your play. (See the map.) Watertown Area Reaches: Black River (Rt. 3 Wave) Black River (Watertown to Brownville) Black Creek Deer River (Section 1) Deer River (Section 2) Roaring Brook (Brokeback Gorge) Salmon River (Section 1) Salmon River (Section 2) Sandy Creek South Sandy Creek (Section 1) South Sandy Creek (Section 2) Mad River Mill Creek Negro Brook Google Map of New York Whitewater New York Whitewater Paddlers Facebook Group