How do I get to Hawkins Bridge from Speedwell?

[subkron]

We were going to canoe down from Hawkins bridge to Evan's Bridge last week. We started to follow a dirt road off of Speedwell-Friendship Rd but we turned around pretty quickly since we came upon what looked like a quarry.

I thought I read somewhere that was the way to access the river. Please hlpe, I want to try it again this weekend.

 

[Ben Ruset]

Take Friendship-Speedwell Rd. until it hits a T intersection at Friendship. Make a left, and follow that road straight for a while. Hawkins Bridge is on that road.

 

[46er]

Easiest way is off of 563, take the turn to the private Godfrey Bridge campground, bear right at the campground, over the bridge, past the picnic tables, past the state campground and take a right at the sign for Hawkins bridge. I was there last weekend, the water levels were very low then, maybe this rain has helped.

Mick's Canoe rentals has some decent maps if you don't have your own;

http://www.mickscanoerental.com/trail.html

 

[usafvet]

Take Friendship-Speedwell Rd. until it hits a T intersection at Friendship. Make a left, and follow that road straight for a while. Hawkins Bridge is on that road.

The "T" is where there is a bridge directly to your right... and a sort of foundation to your left before you make the left? And what is the name of that bridge? I think I passed a tree farm or plant nursury on the way out. That road once I turned left got a little tight for my silverado.... I may be a wus but it's a new truck.

 

[MartGBC]

That road to left is good enough to drive a car down to Hawkins.

 

[Ben Ruset]

The "T" is where there is a bridge directly to your right... and a sort of foundation to your left before you make the left? And what is the name of that bridge? I think I passed a tree farm or plant nursury on the way out. That road once I turned left got a little tight for my silverado.... I may be a wus but it's a new truck.

Yes. The foundation that you saw to your left was one of the ruins of the town of Friendship. The ruin behind the guard rail is the old packing house. I don't know if the bridge to the right in Friendship has a name.

The road from Friendship to Hawkins Bridge is pretty wide. You should have no problem getting a Silverado down there without scraping up against anything. You must have made a wrong turn somewhere.

From Speedwell you just come up, make a left at Friendship, and drive straight.

 

[usafvet]

I stayed on that main road... it just was a little tighter than the road (Carranza?) that goes across the bridge to the right. I got to the point where there were some old bogs to the left. Took a walk out and it was an over grown bog with a bunch of dead cedar sticks. Got real swampy looking, water was real high right next to the road. Did not want to chance it. Looks like the road could be a little nasty after a good rain? In between Speedwell and Frienship on a map there is Eagle, there is a road that heads directly towards Hawkins Bridge but is was very sandy I would not even call it a road it looked like a clearcut road made by the tree farm property owner? It was right about where the high lines end. I just got too used to my Jeep Cherokee.. now with a full size truck I guess I'm just more cautious.

 

[Teegate]

I travel that road from Eagle to Hawkins Bridge all the time in my car.

There have been some good info in this thread. So either drive in from the new Bridge at Friendship, or come in from the Wading Pines Campground. If your car gets scraped you either are on the wrong road, or you are looking around too much You should have no problem if I can do it in my car.

Guy

 

[subkron]

Great, thanks for the help.

If I'm coming from 563 thru Speedwell can I assume the most direct would be the road down from Eagle? Is there some landmark for the left turn off of Speedwell-Friendship Rd?

Also, Now that I know how to get there, how is the access to the river?

When we were in the area (Evan's Bridge) last week the water level was pretty low - they were still harvesting cranberries up the road a bit so water may have been diverted.

Any idea of conditions now?

 

[Teegate]

If you are worried about your vehicle and want to come in from Speedwell, I would to to Friendship and make the left at the new bridge and go that way. That is a more used road.

As for access to the river at Hawkins Bridge, you can get right to it in the camping area. This time of year if nobody is there camping by the river you can drive right to it.

Guy

 

[usafvet]

Which road is wider wading pines road or from friendship?

 

[Ben Ruset]

Probably from Wading Pines, but the road from Friendship is wide enough that you could drive a Suburban down and not even come close to hitting the sides.

It's a pretty major road through the pines. To give you an idea, here's my old Mercury at Hawkins Bridge, looking up towards Friendship.