Shawsheen Launch

This 0.25-acre parcel with an official address of 2000 Whipple Road is where the Shawsheen River makes its entrance into Tewksbury from Billerica and Wilmington. The way the river meanders itself around this parcel provides great recreational opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and wildlife observation. If one were to launch their kayak from this location on a day that provided optimal paddling conditions they would be able to paddle the entirety of the Shawsheen River from Tewksbury to Andover, an estimated 7-mile stretch; hence the name 'Shawsheen Launch'.

The parcel was purchased by the Tewksbury Conservation Commission in 2012. At that time, a dilapidated single-family home was located on a property that had suffered from years of flood damage. In 2014, the Conservation Commission began restoring the site with the help of a few dedicated volunteers. These initial efforts included the demolition of the single-family residence, the removal of weed overgrowth, and the re-establishment of the existing parking area. These initial efforts were able to shine light upon the potential of this parcel. As a result, new volunteers started to sign up to get involved with the restoration efforts while fishermen began arriving to check out the new spot. Since that time, the Town of Tewksbury has partnered with the growing volunteer group within the community to provide additional improvements to this parcel that include a picnic table, bench, boulders for seating, boulder-delineated parking area, kiosk, trash barrel, and the implementation of a native plant landscape plan.

In 2017, Tewksbury Memorial High School's International Club officially adopted this parcel for annual maintenance.