Millers River

The Millers River watershed covers 392 square miles with headwaters in Ashburnham and eventually entering the Connecticut River. The Erving section is a popular destination for rafting, kayaking, and fly fishing.

Our friends at the Millers River Watershed Council offers insight on the geological history of the Millers River, as well as the human history.

The USGS offers daily information regarding the flow of the river here.

Fishing

The Millers River is abundant in trout, thus very popular for fly fishers. It is stocked with trout in spring and fall. Due to previous PCB contamination, it is a catch-and-release stream for brown trout and some areas are entirely catch-and-release and require the use of only certain lures. More information can be found on the Trout Unlimited - Millers River page.

Paddling

Erving is located in the lower section of the Millers River, and is popular for rafting and kayaking, with excellent Class II, III, and IV rapids in April. It is not a suitable route for beginners and there is not a viable portage around the Funnel rapid, which is the most challenging and can be dangerous if taken on without experience.

There is a put in at Riverfront Park on Arch Street and at the railroad bridge along Route 2. Popular take-outs are at the Route 2 rest area or downstream in the Village of Millers Falls public riverfront access off of Papermill Road, which also features accessible trails. Guided rafting trips are offered by several local rafting companies.

In the upper section Millers River, the River Rat Race takes place in Athol and Orange on the Blue Trail. Paddlers can learn more information about the river from Massachusetts Paddler.

Parking

Starting March 2021 - The Town of Erving and the Franklin Regional Tranist Authority (FRTA) are piloting a partnership to reduce parking congestion in Farley since it is a popular destination for both climbing and rafting. To alleviate this issue, we are introducing a system called FRTA Access Transit, which provides on-demand rides: a reservation is made through an app and then the pick-up vehicle location and arrival time can be followed through the app. Rides can be booked up to one week in advance or in real time. For folks looking to put a vehicle at the take out, but need a ride back to their put-in, this could be very useful.

The service is available immediately. More information on the FRTA Access program can be found here. Downloads of the FRTA app can be found on Google Play or Apple Store.  It is recommended that you download the app while connected to wifi before starting your trip to Erving, as some areas along your trip may not have strong cellular service. There should be sufficient celluar service in Farley to use the app, but it may vary depending on your service provider.

  • Weekend service hours are currently 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
  • Weekday service hours are 6:30 AM - 7:00 PM
  • The fare is $3 per ride for the first person making the reservation and each additional person on the same booking is half price. Therefore, six people will pay $1.75 each for the shared trip.
  • Payment will be in cash to be deposited into a lockbox on entering the vehicle. Change cannot be given but overpayment will receive a credit for future rides. Online payment is being considered for the future. In the meantime, local businesses may choose to give change against purchases.
  • Riders will be limited to six persons per vehicle until COVID restrictions are lifted by the State, but thereafter, fourteen or more can be carried. All COVID restrictions, including mask wearing, must be followed while on the buses/vans and at the ledges.
  • There is limited room on the vans so large items such as rafts, kayaks, coolers, paddles, and packs should be dropped off at the put-in first.

This is a pilot program and its continuation will depend on popularity, therefore we strongly encourage its use. Hours may be adjusted in the future as ridership demands are evaluated.

Program Feedback

To send us feedback on how the program is working, contact Mariah Kurtz