While the Nashua River powered the big mills, it was Salmon Brook that first brought white folk to the neighborhood (then part of Dunstable, Massachusetts). Back then the brook was full of fish, fit to drink and easy to cross.

Folks haven’t treated Salmon Brook with the respect it deserves. The river got dammed, piped under a shopping center, and befouled with run-off from ill-conceived housing developments. It’s been a long time since Nashuans could safely swim in Fields Grove.

Salmon Brook is, however, navigable by canoe or kayak, and spring is the best time to run it. I recommend waiting for a warm day, because you never know what obstacles you might encounter. If you’re going to play on a river, you just might get wet.

I’ve run Salmon Brook from the crossing at Ridge Road (near the Cub Scout Camp Doucet) to Fields Grove. There's also a nice put-in on Main Street in Dunstable (AKA Gregg Road, in Nashua); I've been meaning to try that stretch.

Some stretches are gorgeous. Other sections are more akin to walking along the railroad tracks. You will find all sorts of flotsam and trash.

There are sure to be obstacles, both known and unknown. Before you run Salmon Brook, check the culverts at Searles, New Searles, Harris and Lund Roads. If the river’s too high or too low, you’ll have to portage across the roads.

If it’s just right, you can duck down and sail right through; it’s a blast, especially passing under the F.E. Everett Turnpike! In any case, it’s good to see them before you run them.

You’re likely to encounter some downed trees along the way, and you need to be prepared to take them as they come. The river twists and meanders sharply, so you can't always see too far ahead.

If you can’t pass under, over or through the limbs, you can always go to shore, get out and haul your boat over or around (I recommend carrying a tow rope).

There is a point just upstream of Harris Road and the turnpike where you will need to push, pole or drag your craft through the brush. If you’ve forgotten to pack a snack or drinks, there’s a convenience store and gas station just up the bank and across the road.

The brook splits into at least two different channels as it passes through my neighborhood, before getting itself together again at Fields Grove. Pick the biggest one.

I can walk my canoe home from Fields Grove, but you could leave a car there, too. I’ve also left a bicycle at one end, and my car at the other…. whatever works.

Much as I enjoy urban exploration, I can’t recommend trying the lower end of Salmon Brook, on account of the dam and aforementioned tunnel!