Paddling Through Time: A Look at the History of the Ledyard Canoe Club
Sick of his studies and yearning for adventure, Dartmouth student John Ledyard felled a pine tree near campus on a crisp spring day in 1773. He hollowed it into a canoe and set off down the Connecticut River, bound for the sea. Ledyard’s now-legendary escape from Dartmouth in May 1773 was a week-long paddle down the Connecticut River to his grandfather’s farm— his exit marked the beginning of a self-declared “seven-year’s ramble” that took him from the Barbary Coast to the Caribbean, and eventually into the ranks of the British Royal Marines
Nearly 150 years later, in an attempt to revive the sports of rowing and paddling on campus, Dartmouth students founded the Ledyard Canoe Club in his honor. They built their own boathouse, launched weekend river trips, and began a tradition that would come to define warm-weather life on campus. Today, the club welcomes paddlers of all skill levels and remains one of the oldest and most active student-run organizations at the college.
Each spring, a group of graduating Dartmouth seniors retraces Ledyard’s historic route, paddling from Hanover to Long Island Sound—a journey of more than 200 miles—before entering the next chapter of their own adventures. It’s a rite of passage that embodies everything the club stands for: challenge, camaraderie, and the thrill of pushing off into the unknown.
Today, the Ledyard Canoe Club is open to the public and located just a short walk from downtown Hanover. Guests are warmly invited to stop by during the warmer months and rent from their fleet of kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddle boards. Whether you’re out for an hour or an afternoon, paddling the Connecticut River is one of the most memorable—and peaceful—ways to experience the Upper Valley.