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New York | Hamilton and Essex Counties / Blue Mountain Wild Forest and Essex Chain Lakes Complex

Cedar RiverPelon Road to Outer Gooley / Hudson River

A planning-only approximately 18-mile Cedar River wilderness route from the NYSDEC Pelon/Benton Road access to the Outer Gooley Hudson take-out. American Whitewater describes mixed flatwater and Class II–III water with a possible Class IV Cedar/Hudson confluence drop, a low golf-course bridge requiring a portage, and one long mid-route egress. NYSDEC independently publishes both access areas, seasonal road/carry constraints, the hard boundary before the Indian River/Hudson Gorge, and designated Essex Chain camping context.

Route location

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Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 18 river miles from the Pelon/Benton Road access to the Outer Gooley Hudson take-out
DifficultyHard
Typical time6–10 hours or an overnight depending on stage
ShuttleCar shuttle
Wakely Dam on Cedar River Flow in the Adirondack Cedar River system of New York.
Route photoCedar River Flow; same-river Adirondack context for the Pelon to Outer Gooley routePhoto by Wildhart via Wikimedia Commons

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Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
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Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceApproximately 18 river miles from the Pelon/Benton Road access to the Outer Gooley Hudson take-outPelon Road to Outer Gooley / Hudson River
DifficultyhardClass I–III with a possible Class IV confluence drop; remote and long with narrow one-line rapids, a golf-course bridge portage, shallow sections, cold water, wood, limited egress, and a mandatory take-out before the Hudson Gorge boundary.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the downstream vehicle at Outer Gooley, then drive to the Pelon/Benton access. Allow extra time for slow Chain Lakes roads, seasonal gates and mud, the long wilderness shuttle, portages, a failed-shuttle plan, and an early-exit plan; keep vehicles in designated areas.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current NYSDEC Blue Mountain Wild Forest and Essex Chain Lakes Complex rules, seasonal road/gate notices, designated-site and fire rules, New York boating/PFD requirements, and all posted private or hunting boundaries. No route-specific paddling permit is identified.
CampingOptions nearbyThe Essex Chain Lakes Complex provides designated primitive tent sites and nearby campground/basecamp context, but no endpoint campsite is claimed for this route. Camp only at marked legal sites and never on private banks, the golf-course property, an access road, or an unmarked shoreline.
SeasonApr-OctSpring-dependent Adirondack wilderness reach. Paddle after the Outer Gooley access road opens and before summer low water when possible; check mud season, road gates, recent rain, debris, cold water, daylight, and rescue limitations.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A planning-only approximately 18-mile Cedar River wilderness route from the NYSDEC Pelon/Benton Road access to the Outer Gooley Hudson take-out. American Whitewater describes mixed flatwater and Class II–III water with a possible Class IV Cedar/Hudson confluence drop, a low golf-course bridge requiring a portage, and one long mid-route egress. NYSDEC independently publishes both access areas, seasonal road/carry constraints, the hard boundary before the Indian River/Hudson Gorge, and designated Essex Chain camping context.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

NYSDEC Pelon Road / Benton Road Cedar River access
Open mapDirections to put-in

NYSDEC’s Pelon Road River Parking Area is an official access-area anchor while American Whitewater supplies the route’s water-entry coordinate; confirm the exact carry and wetted-edge entry in the field.

Finish

Take-out

Outer Gooley Hudson River take-out
Open mapDirections to take-out

Outer Gooley is a seasonal public access and short-carry context, not a guaranteed ramp; confirm the road, gate, parking, landing, and take-out above the Indian River confluence.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
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Access planner

Choose your launch and take-out

This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.

On-water distance18.0 miMixed access
On-water time6–10 hours or an overnight depending on stageFull route option
ShuttleCar shuttleChoose a shorter in/out pair for a shorter day.

NYSDEC Pelon Road / Benton Road Cedar River access to Outer Gooley Hudson River take-out is about 18.0 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.

Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • NYSDEC’s Pelon Road River Parking Area is an official access-area anchor while American Whitewater supplies the route’s water-entry coordinate; confirm the exact carry and wetted-edge entry in the field.
  • Outer Gooley is a seasonal public access and short-carry context, not a guaranteed ramp; confirm the road, gate, parking, landing, and take-out above the Indian River confluence.
  • The Gooley Club Road point is a long emergency walkout and not a routine public take-out; do not plan the route around an assumed vehicle shuttle there.

Watch for

  • 01315500 proxy stage, local rain, rapidly changing water, shallow sections, wood, debris, cold water, road gates, and daylight
  • Low bridge portage, narrow rapids, blind bends, strainers, the possible Cedar/Hudson confluence drop, and limited rescue/egress
  • Pelon/Benton and Outer Gooley parking/carry, private or golf-course banks, seasonal access rules, and the mandatory exit before Hudson Gorge

Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.

Trip schedule

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Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.

Gauge detail

Water-level history and forecastDetailed view

Gauge

Recent trend

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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Short-route forecast

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Route gallery

Photos

Check each caption: some photos show the surrounding area rather than this exact trip.

Wakely Dam on Cedar River Flow in the Adirondack Cedar River system of New York.
Cedar River Flow; same-river Adirondack context for the Pelon to Outer Gooley routePhoto by Wildhart via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY-SA 3.0

Sources

Data and sources

Read the access and hazard notes and check the linked guides. We do not issue a daily score for this trip.

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 corridorPelon Road to Outer Gooley / Hudson River; approximately 18 miles; Class I–III with possible Class IV confluence hazard

    American Whitewater publishes the distinct Cedar River reach, endpoint names, trip distance/context, route character, egress, bridge portage, confluence hazard, and route boundary.

    Source

  • Official public accessNYSDEC Pelon/Benton Cedar River access and Outer Gooley Hudson access

    NYSDEC independently publishes the Pelon Road/Benton Road Cedar access, Outer Gooley access, seasonal road/carry context, and the required Hudson take-out boundary.

    Source

  • Downstream proxy gaugeUSGS 01315500 Hudson River at North Creek, NY

    The live station is downstream and off the route; use it only as clearly labeled stage context alongside local rain, visual depth, wood, and tributary conditions.

    Source

  • Route-specific flow guidanceAmerican Whitewater historical approximately 4-foot Newcomb/North Creek stage planning context

    This is a historical low-water screen and not a universal cutoff; the route remains planning-only because the station is a downstream proxy and local Cedar conditions control.

    Source

  • Camping contextEssex Chain designated primitive sites and nearby basecamp/campground options

    NYSDEC publishes designated camping and nearby campground context; the route does not claim endpoint camping or unmarked shoreline camping.

    Source

  • Route imageCedar River Flow dam image used as same-river Adirondack context

    The Wikimedia image depicts the Cedar River system rather than certifying the exact Pelon-to-Outer-Gooley reach, current flow, wood, access, or a runnable line.

    Source

  • Same-river proxy gaugeUSGS 01315500, Hudson River at North Creek, NY

    USGS 01315500 is downstream on the Hudson River near North Creek and is not route-local. American Whitewater provides approximately 4 feet as historical Newcomb/North Creek planning context only; local rain, Cedar tributaries, shallow reaches, wood, and the group’s actual conditions control.

    Source

  • Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch

    American Whitewater / NYSDEC Blue Mountain Wild Forest / Essex Chain Lakes Complex and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.

    Source

  • Image decisionApproved watershed/proxy-gauge context image used for route presentation

    The image is clearly labeled as watershed/proxy-gauge context and does not claim to depict this exact reach.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Reports

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Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or explore different rivers within 75 straight-line miles.

More in New York

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New York route guideBrowse every tracked New York route.Hamilton and Essex Counties / Blue Mountain Wild Forest and Essex Chain Lakes ComplexJump to routes in this region.

More on Cedar River

All 2
Cedar River Flow hand launch to Cedar River lean-to turnaround and returnHamilton County / Moose River Plains Wild ForestModerate · Approximately 8.5 planning miles round trip from the Cedar River Flow hand launch; the Cedar River branch is about 3 miles from the launch

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Indian RiverAbanakee Dam / Rafters access to Outer Gooley / Hudson River · about 3 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 2.3 miles on the American Whitewater Abanakee Dam to Hudson reach; NYSDEC describes a roughly 3.5-mile Rafters-access section to the Hudson depending on the exact launch and boundary usedHudson RiverIndian River confluence / Old Outer Gooley access to North River Take-out · about 5 straight-line mi awayHard · 15.4 whitewater milesMarion RiverBlue Mountain Lake town beach through Eagle Lake, Utowana Lake, Marion River, and Raquette Lake to the village launch · about 8 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 12.5 water miles one way from Blue Mountain Lake to the Raquette Lake village launch; about 25 miles round trip if returned to Blue MountainMiami RiverLewey Lake Campground to Miami River and return · about 11 straight-line mi awayModerate · About 5 round-trip paddling miles from Lewey Lake Campground through the Miami River entrance and back

Quick answers

Cedar River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Pelon Road to Outer Gooley / Hudson River route on the Cedar River?

This planning route has no live Paddle Today score. Review the linked water-level sources, current access notices and route-specific hazards before travel.

Where does the Pelon Road to Outer Gooley / Hudson River route on the Cedar River start and end?

This route starts at NYSDEC Pelon Road / Benton Road Cedar River access and ends at Outer Gooley Hudson River take-out, Approximately 18 river miles from the Pelon/Benton Road access to the Outer Gooley Hudson take-out on the water.

Is the Pelon Road to Outer Gooley / Hudson River route on the Cedar River suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a hard route. Review the difficulty notes, hazards and current access conditions against your group's skills. No live score assesses this trip.

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