See all 25 routes on Cedar River
Iowa | North Central Iowa
Cedar River
Acorn Park to Halvorson Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Cedar River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
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
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Launch at Acorn Park and paddle the short St. Ansgar-area Cedar River connector to Halvorson Park, ending before the St. Ansgar dam portage.
Put-in
Acorn ParkOpen mapThe 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 ParkOpen mapThis route should stop at Halvorson unless the downstream dam-portage plan is staged and conditions are clearly appropriate.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
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
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Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
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Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
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 |
| Data confidence 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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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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.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.