Delaware | Sussex County / Milton to McCabe Preserve
Broadkill River
Milton Memorial Park to Edward H. McCabe Preserve canoe dock
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
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Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
A public two-mile Milton-to-McCabe canoe trail with strong tide, wind, shallow-water, private-dock, and hard-take-out controls; no vehicle access or camping is claimed at the preserve dock.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Milton Memorial Park Broadkill River canoe-trail put-inPublic-source descriptions establish the facilities but do not guarantee an open gate, launch-ready wetted edge, parking, safe landing, or current dock condition on the travel date.
Take-out
Edward H. McCabe Preserve public floating canoe dockThe McCabe coordinate is an approximate river-side anchor derived from the official preserve access description and mapped site context, not the TNC-published overland parking coordinate. Verify the floating dock and waterline in the field before relying on it as a take-out.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Public-source descriptions establish the facilities but do not guarantee an open gate, launch-ready wetted edge, parking, safe landing, or current dock condition on the travel date.
- The McCabe coordinate is an approximate river-side anchor derived from the official preserve access description and mapped site context, not the TNC-published overland parking coordinate. Verify the floating dock and waterline in the field before relying on it as a take-out.
- Do not substitute the TNC preserve parking lot, private banks, private docks, bridge abutments, Oyster Rocks, or Delaware Bay shoreline for the named endpoints or emergency bailout.
Watch for
- USGS 01484272 same-river legacy-flow/water-quality context plus local visual waterline, recent rain, tide, wind, and water-quality notices
- reversing tidal current, shallow mud, submerged vegetation, strainers, debris, wakes, private docks, bridge structures, cold-water immersion, and limited bailout
- Milton Memorial Park parking/ramp rules, McCabe preserve dawn-to-dusk hours, dock landing condition, no-parking/no-camping rules, daylight, and pickup failure
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Data and sources
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Broadkill River near Milton, DE |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | Not calibrated yet |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | The Nature Conservancy Milton-McCabe canoe trail guidance and local Broadkill tide guidance |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Named moving-water corridorMilton Memorial Park to Edward H. McCabe Preserve canoe dock on the Broadkill River
The Nature Conservancy describes a two-mile canoe route from Milton Memorial Park to its public floating dock at McCabe Preserve. This record is bounded at the preserve dock and does not claim an Oyster Rocks or Delaware Bay extension.
- Public endpoint evidenceMilton Memorial Park public launch and McCabe Preserve public non-motorized floating dock
The Town of Milton identifies Memorial Park boat-launch facilities, while TNC identifies the canoe-trail put-in and floating dock. TNC expressly limits the dock to non-motorized craft, normal preserve hours, and no parking at the dock.
- Proxy flow and water-level evidenceUSGS 01484272 Broadkill River near Milton, DE
Same-river station near Milton is retained as clearly labeled context. The current record is water-quality/legacy-flow oriented, so no numeric paddling threshold is transferred; combine it with local tide, wind, rainfall, waterline, and water-quality checks.
- Route-specific tide and safety guidanceTNC Milton-McCabe brochure and local Broadkill water-trail guidance
TNC places the route at approximately two miles, identifies the dock as non-motorized-only, warns against the motorized channel and private docks, and prohibits camping/fires. Local route guidance recommends tide-aware travel; preserve those controls without converting them into a universal flow cutoff.
- Camping postureNearby basecamp only; no camping at McCabe Preserve
TNC visitor rules prohibit camping, fires, and cookouts at the preserve. Public launch, dock, or riverbank access does not create an overnight entitlement.
- Approved route imageryCC BY-SA 4.0 Broadkill River photograph in Milton
Approved same-river Wikimedia Commons image supplies route context only; it does not certify current access, tide, hazards, or dock conditions.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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Quick answers
Broadkill River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Broadkill River?
Paddle Today watches Broadkill River near Milton, DE and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Broadkill River route start and end?
This route starts at Milton Memorial Park Broadkill River canoe-trail put-in and ends at Edward H. McCabe Preserve public floating canoe dock, about Approximately 2 tidal-freshwater river miles from Milton Memorial Park to the McCabe Preserve floating dock; actual line and tide may vary on the water.
Is this Broadkill River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
Flag a change
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