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Iowa | Cedar Valley
Cedar River
North Cedar Park to Cedar Bend Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Cedar River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
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
Paddle from North Cedar Park to Cedar Bend Park through the Bremer County Cedar corridor. The route is a longer county-park connector and intentionally stops before the Waverly dam-portage sequence.
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
North Cedar Park boat ramp / canoe accessNorth Cedar and Cedar Bend coordinates come from the Cedar River Paddling Trips guide and county park context; follow posted park access and camping rules.
Take-out
Cedar Bend Park accessCedar Bend vehicle access is seasonal, with the park gate normally open May 1 through October 31 according to Bremer County.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- North Cedar and Cedar Bend coordinates come from the Cedar River Paddling Trips guide and county park context; follow posted park access and camping rules.
- Cedar Bend vehicle access is seasonal, with the park gate normally open May 1 through October 31 according to Bremer County.
- Do not treat this route as a through-Waverly dam run unless you separately plan Cedar Bend-to-Three-Rivers and the Kohlmann/Brookwood portage.
Watch for
- Longer rural exposure, outside-bend wood, bridge current, private banks, and limited bailouts.
- High or rising water that makes wooded bends and landings pushier despite the minimum-only score.
- Low-water gravel and slower travel if the Waverly gauge approaches 200 cfs.
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
Why this score
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 Waverly, 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 Waverly/Charles City gauge 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.
- Route shape8.3 miles
The Cedar River Paddling Trips guide lists North Cedar Park as 8.3 miles upstream of Cedar Bend Park.
- Endpoint coordinates42.849516, -92.522648 to 42.760425, -92.493585
The guide publishes GPS coordinates for North Cedar Park and Cedar Bend Park.
- Endpoint campingCampgrounds at North Cedar and Cedar Bend
The guide and Bremer County sources document campground support at North Cedar Park and Cedar Bend Park; Cedar Bend has more than 60 sites and seasonal vehicle-gate limits.
- Gauge floor200 cfs minimum; 400-600 cfs better
The Cedar River Paddling Trips guide gives a 200 cfs adequate-water floor and 400 to 600 cfs as a better range for the broader trip set.
- Current gauge check2,450 cfs / 5.10 ft at 2026-07-23 08:15 CDT
USGS Water Services returned current Cedar River at Waverly discharge and stage 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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Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Cedar River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Cedar River?
Paddle Today watches Cedar River at Waverly, 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 North Cedar Park boat ramp / canoe access and ends at Cedar Bend Park access, about 8.3 mi on the water.
Is this Cedar 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
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.