See all 29 routes on Cedar River
Iowa | North Central Iowa
Cedar River
Acorn Park to Halvorson Park
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
Checking the next several hours.
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
Launch at Acorn Park and paddle the short St. Ansgar-area Cedar River connector to Halvorson Park, ending before the St. Ansgar dam portage.
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
Acorn ParkThe guide says the St. Ansgar dam must be carried around and identifies the best portage on river right about 50 yards above the dam.
Take-out
Halvorson ParkThis route should stop at Halvorson unless the downstream dam-portage plan is staged and conditions are clearly appropriate.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The guide says the St. Ansgar dam must be carried around and identifies the best portage on river right about 50 yards above the dam.
- This route should stop at Halvorson unless the downstream dam-portage plan is staged and conditions are clearly appropriate.
- The Charles City gauge is downstream and route-family-level. Inspect current and depth at Acorn before committing.
Watch for
- The St. Ansgar dam approach, faster current near the take-out, and low-water scrape points.
- Wood, strainers, private banks, and bridge or access debris after rain.
- Endpoint campground rules and seasonal park conditions at Halvorson.
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 | Cedar River at Charles City, IA |
| 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 | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Cedar River Paddling Trips Otranto-to-Janesville guide |
| 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.
- Official route and mileageAcorn Park to Halvorson Park, 2.8 mi
The guide lists Acorn Park to Halvorson Park as 2.8 miles and publishes coordinates for both access sites.
- Dam portageSt. Ansgar dam, river-right carry
The guide says it is necessary to carry around the St. Ansgar dam and identifies the best portage on river right about 50 yards above the dam.
- Camping and rampHalvorson County Park
The guide says Halvorson County Park has camping, a boat ramp, and swimming facilities.
- Current gauge checkUSGS 05457700 at 1,270 cfs / 3.86 ft
USGS Water Services returned current Cedar River at Charles City data at 2026-07-23 16:30 CDT during this run.
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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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Cedar River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Cedar River?
Paddle Today watches Cedar River at Charles City, IA and uses 200 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Cedar River route start and end?
This route starts at Acorn Park and ends at Halvorson Park, about 2.8 mi on the water.
Is this Cedar River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.