Cohasset Harbor

Cohasset Harbor has a long, rich maritime history -- once a hub for commercial fishing and shipbuilding, it still supports an active lobster fleet today. Five town docks provide public access for boaters and paddlers, two of them (Lawrence Wharf and Parker Ave) with dedicated kayak docks, and the Parker Avenue boat ramp offers a straightforward public launch point. From the harbor, sea kayakers can head out toward Strawberry Point and, conditions permitting, all the way to Minot's Light. The adjoining Gulf River is a different story entirely -- a tidal estuary with fast-moving current over boulders that draws whitewater paddlers during the right stage of the tide, but is genuinely hazardous otherwise. Parking at the boat ramp requires a resident sticker in summer, though loading and unloading is always allowed.