New York | Ontario County / Orleans and Phelps
Flint Creek
Orleans to Phelps
Check current paddling conditions for this Flint Creek 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 planning-only Flint Creek whitewater corridor from the American Whitewater Waddell Road/Orleans water-entry anchor to the Phelps take-out below the Old Mill Falls boundary. American Whitewater rates the reach Class II–III+(IV), describes a shallow seasonal creek with ledge drops, low bridges, strainers, and a serious Old Mill Falls hazard, and provides direct USGS 04235250 telemetry at Phelps. Ontario Pathways confirms a public trail network alongside the creek, while the stored endpoints remain waterline anchors requiring current legal-access and parking confirmation.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
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
Orleans Waddell Road / Flint Creek water-entry anchorThe Waddell Road, Wheat Road, and Phelps points are American Whitewater waterline anchors, not a claim that every bridge or shoulder is a maintained public boat launch.
Take-out
Phelps Flint Creek take-out water-entry anchorOntario Pathways documents a public trail alongside Flint Creek in the Orleans/Phelps corridor. Use it only where the trail manager and signs permit a boat carry; public trail access does not authorize private-bank crossings.
Plan this segment
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Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The Waddell Road, Wheat Road, and Phelps points are American Whitewater waterline anchors, not a claim that every bridge or shoulder is a maintained public boat launch.
- Ontario Pathways documents a public trail alongside Flint Creek in the Orleans/Phelps corridor. Use it only where the trail manager and signs permit a boat carry; public trail access does not authorize private-bank crossings.
- Old Mill Falls is a Class IV waterfall/large-drop boundary. The route does not claim a runnable line or an unrestricted portage around the mill; scout and exit from legal public ground.
- The direct gauge is near the lower end of the route. Upper Flint Creek can rise, fall, collect wood, or become shallow independently of the station reading.
Watch for
- USGS 04235250 discharge/stage, the 250 cfs planning screen, recent rain, rapid rise, and actual depth at Waddell Road, Wheat Road, and Phelps
- shallow ledges, stopper holes, Toxic Hole, low bridges, The Tubes railroad bridge, strainers, rebar, Old Mill Falls, and cold water
- legal parking, public carry, private banks, Ontario Pathways restrictions, daylight, and the ability to exit before the Old Mill Falls boundary
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 | Flint Creek at Phelps, NY |
| 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 | 250 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 | American Whitewater trip-report planning context: about 250 cfs is runnable but may be low; higher water changes the difficulty and Old Mill Falls reaches serious Class IV consequences |
| 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 whitewater corridorFlint Creek Orleans to Phelps; Class II–III+(IV); 11 miles in the AW header
American Whitewater publishes the named reach, difficulty, seasonal character, ledge sequence, bridge/strainer hazards, and alternate endpoint/access anchors.
- Water-entry anchors and alternate startWaddell Road/Orleans, Wheat Road, Old Mill Falls boundary, and Phelps take-out
American Whitewater supplies GPS-verified or mapped waterline anchors; the card keeps them conditional until current legal parking, carry, and landing are checked.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 04235250 Flint Creek at Phelps, NY
USGS provides direct stage and discharge near the lower route; local feature and access inspection remain controlling.
- Route-specific flow guidanceAbout 250 cfs as a runnable-but-low trip-report screen; higher water increases consequences
American Whitewater trip reports and the route description provide the planning context; no numeric value certifies safety or a runnable Old Mill Falls line.
- Public trail and creek contextOntario Pathways public trail network follows Flint Creek through Orleans and Phelps
The trail supports public near-water context but does not by itself grant boat-launch or private-bank access.
- Route imageUSGS Flint Creek at Phelps station photograph
Same-river station context image; it does not claim to depict the upper Orleans ledges or current flow.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 04235250, Flint Creek at Phelps, NY
USGS 04235250 is a direct Flint Creek station at Phelps, 25 feet below the Eagle Street bridge and near the lower route. Use its stage and discharge with recent rain and local inspection; it cannot report wood, bridge clearance, ledge shape, Old Mill Falls conditions, or access status at the upper endpoints.
- Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch
American Whitewater / Ontario Pathways / Flint & Spring Creek Watersheds Partnership and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.
- Image decisionApproved same-river context image used for route presentation
The image is labeled as river-level context when it depicts the named river elsewhere, not this exact reach.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- American Whitewater / Ontario Pathways / Flint & Spring Creek Watersheds Partnership route record
- American Whitewater Flint Creek access and Ontario Pathways creek-side context
- USGS 04235250 Flint Creek at Phelps current stage and discharge
- American Whitewater Flint Creek flow, falls, bridge, and strainer guidance
- USGS 04235250 monitoring location
- USGS 04235250 current conditions
- Flint Creek context image
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
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Quick answers
Flint Creek paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Flint Creek?
Paddle Today watches Flint Creek at Phelps, NY and uses 250 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Flint Creek route start and end?
This route starts at Orleans Waddell Road / Flint Creek water-entry anchor and ends at Phelps Flint Creek take-out water-entry anchor, about Approximately 6.7 river miles from the Waddell Road/Orleans access to the Phelps take-out; American Whitewater also publishes a longer 11-mile reach with alternate Wheat Road start context on the water.
Is this Flint Creek 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.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.