The Shetucket River is a tributary of the Thames River

Thames River (Connecticut)

The Thames River is a short river and tidal estuary in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It flows south for through eastern Connecticut from the junction of the Yantic and Shetucket rivers at Norwich, to New London and Groton, which flank its mouth at the Long Island Sound.Differing from its...

, 20.4 miles (32.8 km) long, in eastern Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

It is formed at Willimantic

Willimantic, Connecticut

Willimantic is a census-designated place and former city located in the town of Windham in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was estimated at 15,823 at the 2000 census. It is home to Eastern Connecticut State University, as well as the Windham Textile and History Museum....

 by the junction of the Willimantic

Willimantic River

The Willimantic River is a tributary of the Shetucket River, approximately 25 mi long in northeastern Connecticut in the New England region of the United States....

 and Natchaug

Natchaug River

The Natchaug River is a river in Windham and Tolland Counties in Connecticut.The Natchaug River is formed in Eastford, Connecticut at the confluence of Bigelow Brook and the Still River. It then flows to the south, paralleling Connecticut Route 198. The river also runs along the western border...

 rivers. It flows southeast and south. Approximately 4 miles (6 km) northeast of Norwich

Norwich, Connecticut

Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...

 it receives the Quinebaug River

Quinebaug River

The Quinebaug River is a river in south-central Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut, with watershed extending into western Rhode Island. The name "Quinebaug" comes from the southern New England Native American term, spelled variously Qunnubbâgge, Quinibauge, etc., meaning "long pond", from...

 and broadens into a wide estuary

Estuary

An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....

 which stretches southeast for approximately 5 miles (8 km) and joins the Thames estuary on the south side of Norwich.

The river flows through an especially unspoiled rural section of southern New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

, despite the historical prevalence of industry in the surrounding region. Parts of the rivers have been designated by the federal government as the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor

Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor

The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor is located in northeastern Connecticut and portions of Massachusetts. It is an area known for its rural character with rolling hills, farmland and classic New England scenery. This area was designated because it is one of the...

. The National Park Service

National Park Service

The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...

 describes the river valley as the "last green valley" in the Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

-to-Washington

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 megalopolis

Megalopolis (city type)

A megalopolis is typically defined as a chain of roughly adjacent metropolitan areas. The term was used by Oswald Spengler in his 1918 book, The Decline of the West, and Lewis Mumford in his 1938 book, The Culture of Cities, which described it as the first stage in urban overdevelopment and...

. In nighttime satellite

Satellite

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....

 photos, the valley appears distinctively dark amidst the lights of the surrounding urban and suburban regions.

A popular paddling route begins just east of Willimantic at Rec Park south of Route 14. The waters can be expected to be a combination of flatwater and quickwater for most of the route. Additional put-ins can be found at the Route 203

Connecticut Route 203

Route 203 is a state highway in eastern Connecticut, running entirely within the town of Windham.-Route description:Route 203 begins as Windham Center Road at an intersection with Route 32 in the South Windham section of the town of Windham. The route heads northeast to cross the Shetucket River,...

 bridge, the Route 97

Connecticut Route 97

Route 97 is a north–south state highway in eastern Connecticut running for from Route 12 in Norwich to US 44 in Pomfret.- Route description:...

 bridge, and a take-out at the Route 12

Connecticut Route 12

Connecticut Route 12 is a state highway that runs between Groton and the state line near Thompson.-History:Route 12 was preceded by New England Interstate Route 12. The southern terminus of NE-12 was originally at New London, Connecticut. It travelled along present-day Route 32 from New London to...

 bridge. There are a few dams that should be avoided, the first at 41°39.898′N 72°7.317′W, the second at 41°35.836′N 72°2.978′W, and the last at 41°34.35′N 72°2.728′W using NAD83.

Crossings

Carries	Location	Built
Route 2	Norwich Norwich, Connecticut Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
Providence and Worcester Railroad Providence and Worcester Railroad The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad in the United States. The railroad connects from Gardner in central Massachusetts, south through its namesake cities of Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island, and west from Rhode Island through Connecticut and into New York City...
Route 12 Connecticut Route 12 Connecticut Route 12 is a state highway that runs between Groton and the state line near Thompson.-History:Route 12 was preceded by New England Interstate Route 12. The southern terminus of NE-12 was originally at New London, Connecticut. It travelled along present-day Route 32 from New London to... /Route 2
Route 2
8th Street
Providence and Worcester Railroad Providence and Worcester Railroad The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad in the United States. The railroad connects from Gardner in central Massachusetts, south through its namesake cities of Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island, and west from Rhode Island through Connecticut and into New York City...	Norwich Norwich, Connecticut Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...  and Lisbon Lisbon, Connecticut Lisbon is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,069 at the 2000 census. The town center is also known as the village of Newent...
Route 12 Connecticut Route 12 Connecticut Route 12 is a state highway that runs between Groton and the state line near Thompson.-History:Route 12 was preceded by New England Interstate Route 12. The southern terminus of NE-12 was originally at New London, Connecticut. It travelled along present-day Route 32 from New London to...
Route 169
Connecticut Turnpike Connecticut Turnpike The Connecticut Turnpike, known now as the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike, is a freeway in Connecticut that runs from Greenwich to Killingly. It is signed as Interstate 95 from the New York state line at Greenwich to East Lyme, and then as Interstate 395 from East Lyme to Plainfield...
Bridge Street/Main Street	Norwich Norwich, Connecticut Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...  and Sprague Sprague, Connecticut Sprague is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town was named after William Sprague, who laid out the industrial section. The population was 2,971 at the 2000 census...
Route 97 Connecticut Route 97 Route 97 is a north–south state highway in eastern Connecticut running for from Route 12 in Norwich to US 44 in Pomfret.- Route description:...	Sprague Sprague, Connecticut Sprague is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town was named after William Sprague, who laid out the industrial section. The population was 2,971 at the 2000 census...
Route 203 Connecticut Route 203 Route 203 is a state highway in eastern Connecticut, running entirely within the town of Windham.-Route description:Route 203 begins as Windham Center Road at an intersection with Route 32 in the South Windham section of the town of Windham. The route heads northeast to cross the Shetucket River,...	Windham Windham, Connecticut Windham is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It contains the city of Willimantic and the villages of Windham Center, North Windham, and South Windham. The city of Willimantic was consolidated with the town in 1983...
Providence and Worcester Railroad Providence and Worcester Railroad The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad in the United States. The railroad connects from Gardner in central Massachusetts, south through its namesake cities of Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island, and west from Rhode Island through Connecticut and into New York City...
Plains Road

External links

• National Park Service: Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor
• LastGreenValley.org
• Connecticut Explorer's Guide Online Shetucket River maps