Paddle TodayFind the best paddle near you today
RequestRequest

Live score, water level, and weather.

See all 7 routes on Genesee River

New York | Livingston and Monroe Counties

Genesee River

Avon Route 5/20 DEC access to Wheatland/Scottsville Genesee River access

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

Route location

Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.

Open access map
Distance13 river miles
DifficultyEasy
Typical time5–6 hours depending on flow
ShuttleCar shuttle
The Genesee River flows near Avon, New York, beneath wooded banks.
River contextGenesee River at Avon; route and gauge context river-level context — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by National Weather Service Northeast River Forecast Center

Need to know

Why this call
Pulling the latest gauge and weather. This usually takes a few seconds.
View Primary Source

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

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.

------------

Weather

Hourly forecast

Checking weather.

Loading today's forecast.

Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

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 distance13 river milesAvon Route 5/20 DEC access to Wheatland/Scottsville Genesee River access
DifficultyeasyThe published itinerary rates this corridor easy, but current, bridge structures, islands, shallow gravel, cold water, and changing access conditions remain material hazards.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the downstream vehicle at the Wheatland/Scottsville-area DEC hand launch, then drive to the Avon Route 5/20 hand launch. Allow time to inspect the long reach, current bridge/debris conditions, and the exact final landing before launching.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is identified by the route source. Follow current New York boating, PFD, DEC access, parking, park, and posted rules; verify any event-day or seasonal restrictions before launching.
CampingDay tripNo legal on-route or endpoint campground is documented by the route sources. Treat this as a daylight trip and arrange separate lodging or a legal campground; do not camp at the hand launches, islands, or private Genesee River banks without explicit authorization.
SeasonApr-OctCanWePaddle identifies April–October as the more dependable planning season. The Genesee can become shallow in dry weather and faster after rain; use the direct Avon gauge, rainfall, trend, bridge/debris inspection, and current access notices together.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan

Plan your trip

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

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A thirteen-mile Class I Genesee River route from the public Avon DEC access to the Wheatland/Scottsville-area public hand launch. The route adds a distinct western New York corridor with direct Avon telemetry, a conservative cfs screen, public endpoint access, and explicit downstream limits before the Rochester dam and waterfall hazards.

DirectionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

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.

Download GPXAdd to calendar

Start

Put-in

Avon Route 5/20 DEC hand launch
Open map

Avon is a DEC hand launch with parking for about 13 cars; confirm current availability and bank footing before staging the upstream vehicle.

Finish

Take-out

Wheatland Scottsville-area DEC hand launch
Open map

The Wheatland endpoint is a DEC hand launch with parking for about 12 cars in the Scottsville-area corridor. Confirm the final landing and avoid using nearby private banks or bridge shoulders as substitutes.

Plan this segment

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Avon is a DEC hand launch with parking for about 13 cars; confirm current availability and bank footing before staging the upstream vehicle.
  • The Wheatland endpoint is a DEC hand launch with parking for about 12 cars in the Scottsville-area corridor. Confirm the final landing and avoid using nearby private banks or bridge shoulders as substitutes.
  • The Blueway map is informational and access sites can open or close. Recheck current notices, parking, and river conditions immediately before the trip.

Watch for

  • USGS 04228500 below 400 cfs, above 6,000 cfs, rising quickly, unavailable, or inconsistent with the launch visual
  • shallow riffles, logjams, overhanging trees, bridge abutments, large rocks, cold water, and post-rain debris
  • long shuttle, limited bailout options, private banks, thunderstorms, daylight loss, and the downstream Rochester dam/waterfall 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.

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.

Share photos or report conditions

Score & sources

Why this score

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

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

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 siteGenesee River at Avon, NY
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Target band400 cfs to 6,000 cfs
Low threshold400 cfs
High threshold6,000 cfs
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial and local sources
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreCanWePaddle Avon to Scottsville estimated runnable range: 400–6,000 cfs
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 New York corridorAvon to Scottsville; 13 miles; Class I

    CanWePaddle publishes the named reach, mileage, Class I character, season, endpoint areas, downstream limit, and conservative flow band.

    Source

  • Public water accessAvon DEC hand launch and Wheatland/Scottsville-area DEC hand launch

    NYSDEC publishes both endpoint hand launches, coordinates, and parking capacity in the Livingston and Monroe county listings.

    Source

  • Direct flow guidance400–6,000 cfs estimated runnable range at USGS 04228500

    CanWePaddle links the direct Avon gauge and labels the range conservative and informational, not a go/no-go authority.

    Source

  • Direct live gaugeUSGS 04228500, Genesee River at Avon, NY

    USGS publishes continuous stage and discharge data at Avon for this route corridor.

    Source

  • Blueway safety contextPublic-access map with logjam, bridge, rock, waterfall, dam, PFD, and rescue guidance

    The Genesee River Blueway map explicitly tells paddlers to study the route, inspect hazards, portage when needed, and know the waterfall and dam locations.

    Source

  • Direct live gaugeUSGS 04228500, Genesee River at Avon, NY

    USGS provides continuous stage and discharge telemetry for the route corridor.

    Source

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

    CanWePaddle / NYSDEC Genesee River Blueway access sources and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.

    Source

  • 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.

    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

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

Share your trip

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

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 York

All 296 routes
New York route guideBrowse every tracked New York route.Livingston and Monroe CountiesJump to routes in this region.

More on Genesee River

All 7
Genesee Waterways Center, Genesee Valley Park to Corn Hill Landing and returnMonroe County / RochesterModerate · About 6.8 miles round trip from Genesee Waterways Center to Corn Hill LandingJohn Wesley Powell Park / below Mount Morris Dam access to Avon NY Route 5/20 hand launchLivingston CountyEasy · 14 river milesLee’s Landing to St. Helena / Letchworth GorgeWyoming County / Letchworth State ParkHard · Approximately 5 river miles from Lee’s Landing to St. Helena; the route source places the take-out at about 4.5 miles and the reach at 5 milesPetten Street car-top dock to Lower Falls boundary out-and-backMonroe County / Rochester lower GeneseeModerate · Approximately 5 planning miles out and back from the Petten Street car-top dock toward the Lower Falls boundary; exact turnaround distance varies with local navigation conditions

Nearby routes by distance

Honeoye CreekNYSDEC Fishell Road hand launch toward Golah Road and the lower Honeoye Creek corridor, returning to Fishell Road · about 6 mi awayEasy · About 7 round-trip paddling miles from the NYSDEC Fishell Road hand launch toward the Golah Road railroad-bridge reach and backOatka CreekNYSDEC Mumford launch to Canawaugus Park / Scottsville · about 8 mi awayModerate · About 8 river miles from the NYSDEC Mumford hand launch to Canawaugus Park in ScottsvilleOatka CreekLe Roy Red Bridge / Munson Street to Mumford NYSDEC hand launch · about 13 mi awayHard · Approximately 9 planning river miles from Le Roy Red Bridge to the NYSDEC Mumford hand launchBlack CreekChurchville Park to Black Creek Park · about 15 mi awayModerate · At least 10.8 straight-line miles between the named public endpoints; exact wetted-channel mileage is not reconciled in the current sources

Quick answers

Genesee River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Genesee River?

Paddle Today watches Genesee River at Avon, NY and treats 400 cfs to 6,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.

Where does this Genesee River route start and end?

This route starts at Avon Route 5/20 DEC hand launch and ends at Wheatland Scottsville-area DEC hand launch, about 13 river miles on the water.

Is this Genesee 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.

Report a changeEmail update