AS OF SUMMER 2017, THIS RUN IS FULL OF WOOD, ESPECIALLY LOWER DOWN.
Source: Greg and Sue Hanlon's
Steep Creeks of New England, which has more info on this run. Text used with permission.
Directions: From Rte. 2 West in Charlemont, bang a right onto Zoar Road just before crossing the Deerfield River. Follow about 2.5 miles to a T intersection; take a left here onto River Road, passing under a railroad trestle. Continue on this road about 10.5 miles to Monroe Bridge, MA. Take a left up Kingsley Hill Rd., a steep hill, and head ~1.3 miles to a T intersection at Main Road. Head left and follow Main Rd. about 2.0 miles to a left on South Road. Shortly after this turn, South Road crosses Dunbar Brook. This is the putin.
To takeout: backtrack to Monroe Bridge; bang a right onto onto River Road. Continue about 1.6 miles to a parking area on your right at the confluence of Dunbar Brook and the Deerfield River. From this lot, you can see the dam at the Dunbar Brook takeout.
Note: This is one of those runs which tend to get full of logs. Be careful here.
River Description: Source: Nate Warren
A continuous class 5 run with two very large, long and complicated class 5+ sections. Low water reveals the many undercuts and sieves. The put-in rapid is the smaller of the two 5+. If the first rapid looks good, the river should be in. This one requires lots of rain and drains quickly. If the WB Deerfield is high, Dunbar might be in.
This run is nearly completely scoutable from a trail that runs along it in Monroe State Forest.
As of 4/14, Kingsley Hill Rd. in Monroe is closed - continue north into Vermont then turn left onto Bosley Hill Rd. Continue up hill, turn left onto Shippee Rd, bear left at the fork. Shippee turns into Main Rd - continue until the left onto Raycroft Rd (aka South Road). This is the put-in.
Map Dunbar Brook