North Carolina | Stokes County
Dan River
Hanging Rock to Moratock Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Dan 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
A scenic Class I–II Dan River day section with two public accesses, direct regional telemetry, local flow cues, and a conservative moving-water safety posture.
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
Hanging Rock State Park – Dan River AccessNorth Carolina State Parks lists the Hanging Rock Dan River access at 1258 Flinchum Road, Danbury. Piedmont Trails lists Moratock Park at 1077 Sheppard Mill Road; confirm current parking, stairs, riverbank footing, and any seasonal notices.
Take-out
Moratock Park AccessThe published mileage varies by source and access measurement (about 4.5–5.9 miles). This card uses the Dan River Basin route-family description and retains the named endpoint pair rather than implying surveyed mileage precision.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- North Carolina State Parks lists the Hanging Rock Dan River access at 1258 Flinchum Road, Danbury. Piedmont Trails lists Moratock Park at 1077 Sheppard Mill Road; confirm current parking, stairs, riverbank footing, and any seasonal notices.
- The published mileage varies by source and access measurement (about 4.5–5.9 miles). This card uses the Dan River Basin route-family description and retains the named endpoint pair rather than implying surveyed mileage precision.
Watch for
- flow below 150 cfs
- flow above 1,000 cfs
- rapid rise after rain
- easy Class II near Moratock
- low-water rocks
- strainers and storm debris
- NC 89 and Seven Island bridge hazards
- access closures
- cold water
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.
No approved route photos yet
Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.
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 | Dan River near Wentworth, NC |
| 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 |
| Target band | 250 cfs to 800 cfs |
| Low threshold | 150 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Piedmont Trails / Dan River Basin local flow 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.
- Named route sectionHanging Rock State Park to Moratock Park; approximately 4.5–5.9 miles; Class I–II
Dan River Basin and Piedmont Trails document the popular public-access section, its moving-water character, and the endpoint chain; mileage varies by access measurement.
- Endpoint coordinatesHanging Rock 36.429985, -80.248259; Moratock 36.409296, -80.195971
Piedmont Trails publishes both practical GPS anchors and identifies the state-park and town park access facilities.
- Public put-in1258 Flinchum Road, Danbury, NC 27016
North Carolina State Parks identifies this as a paddling access on the Dan River with an easy riverside trail.
- Station-tied flow guidance150 cfs / 1.75 ft minimum cue; 250 cfs / 2.0 ft medium reference; 1,000 cfs / 3.5 ft dangerous cue
Piedmont Trails supplies local planning references for Dan River paddles. Paddle Today stores discharge thresholds and requires same-day visual, weather, debris, and access checks.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 02071000; 205 cfs and 1.03 ft at 2026-08-27 17:45 EDT
The reviewed observation was above the local minimum discharge cue but below the stage reference cited by the guide; recheck current provisional telemetry, trend, and visual conditions before launch.
- State-trail contextDan River State Trail
North Carolina identifies the Dan River as a designated state paddle trail; this route is the documented Hanging Rock to Moratock access section.
- Image decisionNo route-specific image selected; approved Dan River context image used
No route-specific image was copied into the repository; the preview uses a rights-clean Dan River context image and does not imply endpoint coverage.
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
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Quick answers
Dan River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Dan River?
Paddle Today watches Dan River near Wentworth, NC and treats 250 cfs to 800 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Dan River route start and end?
This route starts at Hanging Rock State Park – Dan River Access and ends at Moratock Park Access, about approximately 5.9 river miles on the water.
Is this Dan 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.