See all 25 routes on Cedar River
Iowa | North Iowa
Cedar RiverCharles City Dock to Nashua Access
Twelve-mile Cedar River continuation from downtown Charles City to Nashua, with official/local access notes, Nashua dam caveats, and the direct Charles City gauge.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch from the downtown Charles City riverfront and take out at Nashua Access above the dam. The route continues the Cedar flatwater corridor downstream of the whitewater park, then slows into the Nashua impoundment.
Access map
Put-in
Charles City Dock / Riverside ParkThe whitewater course and upstream dam corridor sit immediately above the put-in area; use the normal flatwater launch below that corridor unless your group is intentionally paddling whitewater.
Take-out
Nashua Access / Cedar Lake ParkTake out at Nashua Access / Cedar Lake Park on river left above the Nashua dam. Do not drift into the dam or treat the below-dam access as part of this route.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Nashua Access / Cedar Lake Park before launching from downtown Charles City. Inspect the Nashua dam area and the intended above-dam exit first; do not rely on a rushed landing at the end of the day.
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Charles City Dock / Riverside Park to Nashua Access / Cedar Lake Park is about 12.5 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- Howard Woods is a useful late-route access / primitive-camping context point, but this route is scored to the Nashua above-dam take-out.
More route and safety guidance
- The Charles City whitewater course is immediately upstream of the default put-in area. Scout and use the flatwater launch plan unless the group intentionally wants whitewater.
- The direct Charles City gauge cannot show floating wood, impoundment wind near Cedar Lake, or temporary access closures.
Plan this paddle
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Conditions
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Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Weather
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Short-route forecast
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Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
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Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Cedar River at Charles City, IA. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Cedar River at Charles City, IA |
| Discharge | Checking |
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| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
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| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
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| Wind | Checking |
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| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | 200 cfs to 2,500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,500 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | CanWePaddle Charles City to Nashua estimated range |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
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NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-221,680 cfs / 4.37 ft at 2026-07-22 22:15 CDT
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Threshold range200-2,500 cfs
CanWePaddle ties Charles City-to-Nashua to USGS 05457700 and estimates a 200 to 2,500 cfs runnable window.
- Route shapeAbout 12 miles / about 6 hours
The Cedar River Paddling Trips materials map Charles City to Howard Woods as 10 miles and Howard Woods to Nashua Access as 2.5 miles; City of Nashua describes Memorial Park to Veterans Memorial Park as about a 6-hour kayak/canoe trip.
- Take-out supportNashua Access / Cedar Lake Park
The paddling guide names Nashua Access at Cedar Lake Park, publishes coordinates, and warns to portage the dam on river left.
- Local access supportCharles City to Nashua public float
City of Nashua says user-friendly Charles City access points lead to Cedar Lake, where paddlers can exit at Cedar View, Lakeshore, or Veterans Memorial Park.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Cedar River
All 25Nearby routes within 75 miles
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