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New Jersey | Delaware River / New Jersey

Delaware River

D&R Canal State Park Firemen’s Eddy access to City of Trenton Waterfront Park

Check current paddling conditions for this Delaware River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.

Route location

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DistanceApproximately 14.5 river miles
DifficultyHard
Typical time6–10 hours depending on discharge
ShuttleCar shuttle
The Delaware River at a USGS monitoring station, used as same-river context for the New Jersey Firemen’s Eddy-to-Trenton route.
Route photoDelaware River same-river context for the Firemen’s Eddy-to-Trenton planning reachPhoto by U.S. Geological Survey

Need to know

Why this call
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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

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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Short-route forecast

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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

On-water distanceApproximately 14.5 river milesD&R Canal State Park Firemen’s Eddy access to City of Trenton Waterfront Park
DifficultyhardThe named source describes recreational moving water. Shallow sections, current, strainers, bridges, cold water, and access restrictions remain material.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the vehicle at City of Trenton Waterfront Park only after confirming current parking, ramp sharing, access hours, and waterline; then launch at D&R Canal State Park Firemen’s Eddy access. The shuttle does not authorize unloading on bridge shoulders, private banks, or across the state line.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current NJDEP/NJDFW ramp notices, municipal parking rules, applicable New Jersey boating/PFD requirements, DRBC guidance, and any closure or water-quality advisory. Confirm seasonal launch permits where the official guide requires them; Lambertville is identified as the free exception in the park guidance.
CampingDay tripNo on-route camping is claimed. Use separately reserved lodging or a designated campground; public ramps and interstate river banks do not grant shoreline camping rights.
SeasonMar-NovSpring through fall is the practical planning season. Check current flow, recent rain, debris, water temperature, daylight, and park alerts before every launch.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

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Plan

Plan your trip

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

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A bounded lower Delaware River planning reach from the Firemen’s Eddy gravel access to Trenton Waterfront Park.

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Prepare this trip

Take the plan with you

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Start

Put-in

D&R Canal State Park Firemen’s Eddy access
Open map

The NJDEP access guide is an official ramp inventory with dated GPS entries; confirm current facility status, parking, fees/permits, ramp sharing, and waterline before unloading.

Finish

Take-out

City of Trenton Waterfront Park
Open map

Coordinates are official GPS ramp anchors and still require a current wetted-edge and landing check.

Plan this segment

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • The NJDEP access guide is an official ramp inventory with dated GPS entries; confirm current facility status, parking, fees/permits, ramp sharing, and waterline before unloading.
  • Coordinates are official GPS ramp anchors and still require a current wetted-edge and landing check.
  • The Delaware is an interstate river. Do not cross, land, or shuttle through Pennsylvania access without separately following that manager’s rules.

Watch for

  • USGS 01463500 direct endpoint-area discharge, gage height, recent rainfall, and visual river conditions
  • cold water, wind, strainers, bridge and wing-dam hydraulics, motorboat traffic, and missed take-out
  • ramp sharing, parking, permit/fee changes, daylight, water quality, and shuttle failure

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.

The Delaware River at a USGS monitoring station, used as same-river context for the New Jersey Firemen’s Eddy-to-Trenton route.
Delaware River same-river context for the Firemen’s Eddy-to-Trenton planning reachPhoto by U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Geological Survey station image

Score & sources

Why this score

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
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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.

Why
  • Checking evidence-strength notes.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteDelaware River at Trenton, NJ
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Ideal rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floorNot calibrated yet
High thresholdNot calibrated yet
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial data source
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreNJDEP Delaware River public boat-access list and DRBC water-trail context
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
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 corridorD&R Canal State Park Firemen’s Eddy access to City of Trenton Waterfront Park

    DRBC indexes the non-tidal Delaware River Water Trail and NJDEP’s official access sources identify both bounded public ramps.

    Source

  • Direct public endpoint evidenceD&R Canal State Park Firemen’s Eddy access and City of Trenton Waterfront Park

    NJDEP publishes the named facilities, official GPS coordinates, ramp type, and current-use caveats; no bridge shoulder or private bank is used.

    Source

  • Direct flow evidenceUSGS 01463500 Delaware River at Trenton, NJ

    The station is at the downstream route area. Use current discharge and stage with wind, traffic, cold water, recent rain, and visual scouting; no recreational cutoff is inferred.

    Source

  • Camping postureNearby basecamp only

    No public-ramp camping entitlement is claimed.

    Source

  • Live gaugeUSGS 01463500, Delaware River at Trenton, NJ

    Direct route-context station: use current discharge, gage height, recent rain, and visual conditions together; no numeric recreational cutoff is transferred.

    Source

  • Approved route imageryRights-cleared same-river or same-water-trail context image

    Same-river USGS Delaware River context image; it does not depict these NJ ramps or certify current flow, access, hazards, or water temperature.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

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Reports

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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.

More in New Jersey

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New Jersey route guideBrowse every tracked New Jersey route.Delaware River / New JerseyJump to routes in this region.

More on Delaware River

All 12
Byram DEP Access to Bull’s Island Recreation Area DEP AccessDelaware River / New JerseyModerate · Approximately 0.9 river mileD&R Canal State Park Bull’s Island ramp to Lambertville rampDelaware River / New JerseyModerate · Approximately 6.9 river milesFairview DEP Access to Byram DEP AccessDelaware River / New JerseyModerate · Approximately 5.9 river milesFiremen’s Eddy / Belle Mountain DEP Access to Washington’s Crossing State ParkDelaware River / New JerseyHard · Approximately 5.0 river miles

Nearby routes by distance

South Branch Raritan RiverSunnyside canoe access at Kiceniuk Road to Stanton Station Road public access · about 17 mi awayModerate · Approximately 1.5 river milesMillstone RiverLincoln Avenue Park primitive boat launch lower Millstone same-access out-and-back · about 23 mi awayModerate · Approximately 4 river miles round tripNorth Branch Raritan RiverBurnt Mills Road North Branch access to the North Branch–South Branch confluence area · about 24 mi awayModerate · Approximately 7 river milesRancocas CreekHainesport public access to Mount Holly public access · about 25 mi awayModerate · Approximately 3.5 river miles

Quick answers

Delaware River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Delaware River?

Paddle Today watches Delaware River at Trenton, NJ and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.

Where does this Delaware River route start and end?

This route starts at D&R Canal State Park Firemen’s Eddy access and ends at City of Trenton Waterfront Park, about Approximately 14.5 river miles on the water.

Is this Delaware River route good for beginners?

This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.

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