
Hopkinton Dam on the Contoocook River in Merrimack County
The 'Contoocook River' is a 71
mile long (114.5
km) river in
New Hampshire. It flows from Pool Pond and
Contoocook Lake on the
Jaffrey/
Rindge border to
Penacook (just north of
Concord), where it empties into the
Merrimack River. It is one of only a few rivers in New Hampshire that flow in a predominantly northward direction. Two picturesque
covered bridges in
Hopkinton and one in
Henniker span the Contoocook. Residents and tourists have made the Contoocook popular for fishing and whitewater boating.
The river gives its name to
Contoocook, New Hampshire, a
census-designated place (CDP) within the town of
Hopkinton.
Principal Tributaries
From south to north:
★
Nubanusit Brook begins at
Nubanusit Lake in
Nelson and joins the Contoocook in
Peterborough.
★ The
North Branch of the Contoocook starts in
Stoddard and joins the main stem in
Hillsborough.
★ The
Warner River starts in
Bradford and joins the Contoocook in Hopkinton.
★ The
Blackwater River begins at
Pleasant Lake in
New London and joins the Contoocook in Hopkinton.
See also
★
List of New Hampshire rivers
External links
★
NH Department of Environmental Services The Contoocook and North Branch Rivers
★
American Whitewater description of the Freight Train rapids section