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New York | Wyoming County / Letchworth State Park

Genesee RiverLee’s Landing to St. Helena / Letchworth Gorge

A planning-only advanced 5-mile Genesee River gorge run from Lee’s Landing below Lower Falls to the St. Helena take-out inside Letchworth State Park. American Whitewater rates the reach Class II–III and documents the direct Portageville gauge, changing stage character, named gorge features, steep carries, and hard waterfall boundaries. Current Letchworth guidance permits kayaking only by park permit at Lee’s Landing and St. Helena, so the route is access-conditional rather than a walk-up launch.

Route location

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Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 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 miles
DifficultyHard
Typical timeAbout 2–4 hours of whitewater plus steep carries
ShuttleCar shuttle
American Whitewater banner image for the Genesee River Letchworth Gorge reach from Lee’s Landing to St. Helena.
Route photoLetchworth Gorge; Lee’s Landing to St. Helena route contextPhoto by American Whitewater

Need to know

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 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 milesLee’s Landing to St. Helena / Letchworth Gorge
DifficultyhardAmerican Whitewater rates the reach Class II–III. At lower levels the gorge is technical and rocky; around 10.5 ft it develops stronger Class III waves and holes. The steep carries, changing stage, cliffs, rockfall, strainers, cold water, private/railroad boundaries, and waterfall exclusions require an experienced, rescue-capable team.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the downstream vehicle at St. Helena only after confirming the current restricted-road gate, parking, carry, and permit instructions, then shuttle to the Lee’s Landing parking area. Build in time for steep carries, park entry, outfitter coordination, changing stage, and a failed-shuttle plan.
PermitsCheck posted rulesA current Letchworth State Park kayaking permit is required for gorge kayaking. Confirm park office instructions, vehicle-entry fees, seasonal hours, Trail 5 and Trail 13 access, gate/parking/carry status, outfitter or shuttle coordination, New York PFD requirements, and all no-entry, railroad, waterfall, and water-quality rules before departure.
CampingOptions nearbyLetchworth State Park provides endpoint camping, cabins, and lodging context, subject to reservation, seasonal availability, current construction-related loop closures, park rules, and kayaking permission. Camping is not claimed at Lee’s Landing, St. Helena, the gorge, or the riverbank; arrange a legal park campsite or separate lodging before the trip.
SeasonMar-NovAmerican Whitewater describes the gorge as most consistently high in March and April, with rain and fall releases also affecting the window. Confirm the park permit, seasonal road/parking status, Portageville gauge trend, weather, water temperature, and river access before committing.

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 advanced 5-mile Genesee River gorge run from Lee’s Landing below Lower Falls to the St. Helena take-out inside Letchworth State Park. American Whitewater rates the reach Class II–III and documents the direct Portageville gauge, changing stage character, named gorge features, steep carries, and hard waterfall boundaries. Current Letchworth guidance permits kayaking only by park permit at Lee’s Landing and St. Helena, so the route is access-conditional rather than a walk-up launch.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

Letchworth State Park Trail 5 / Lee’s Landing permitted kayak access
Open mapDirections to put-in

Lee’s Landing and St. Helena are current park-identified kayaking access areas, but they are permit-only and involve steep or restricted carries. Do not treat hiking access, fishing access, or a visible riverbank as a walk-up launch.

Finish

Take-out

Letchworth State Park Trail 13 / St. Helena permitted kayak take-out
Open mapDirections to take-out

The stored coordinates are AW geometry waterline anchors. Confirm the actual landing, carry, gates, parking, shuttle staging, and park/permit boundaries with Letchworth before traveling.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • Lee’s Landing and St. Helena are current park-identified kayaking access areas, but they are permit-only and involve steep or restricted carries. Do not treat hiking access, fishing access, or a visible riverbank as a walk-up launch.
  • The stored coordinates are AW geometry waterline anchors. Confirm the actual landing, carry, gates, parking, shuttle staging, and park/permit boundaries with Letchworth before traveling.
  • The Genesee Arch railroad bridge is private and dangerous. No route access, scouting, landing, or portage is claimed there; stay on marked legal park routes.
  • The route ends at St. Helena before the downstream waterfall system. Do not extend it to Upper Falls, the railroad bridge, or an unverified downstream bank.

Watch for

  • USGS 04223000 stage/trend, 9–10.5 ft planning context, 14 ft closure rule, rain, debris, cold water, and local hydraulics
  • Lee’s Landing and St. Helena permit, gate, parking, steep carry, outfitter/shuttle, and seasonal park status
  • Entrance/Red Ball/Lunch Rock features, cliffs, rockfall, strainers, railroad bridge exclusion, waterfalls, and the hard St. Helena boundary

Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

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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

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Gauge

Recent trend

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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Route gallery

Photos

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

American Whitewater banner image for the Genesee River Letchworth Gorge reach from Lee’s Landing to St. Helena.
Letchworth Gorge; Lee’s Landing to St. Helena route contextPhoto by American Whitewater
American Whitewater route-specific image

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 whitewater corridorLee’s Landing to St. Helena / Letchworth Gorge; Class II–III; approximately 5 miles

    American Whitewater publishes the distinct reach, stage character, named features, access descriptions, take-out, and waterfall/railroad hazards.

    Source

  • Permit-only public accessLetchworth State Park Trail 5 / Lee’s Landing and Trail 13 / St. Helena

    Current park guidance says gorge kayaking is allowed by permit only at Lee’s Landing and St. Helena; all other gorge access is prohibited.

    Source

  • Direct gauge and route-specific flowUSGS 04223000 Genesee River at Portageville; 9 ft technical, 10.5 ft stronger Class III, 14 ft closed context

    USGS provides current stage/discharge telemetry and American Whitewater supplies the route-specific stage interpretation. Use both with field scouting and park permission.

    Source

  • Park camping contextLetchworth State Park campsites, cabins, and lodging

    The current state-park page documents camping and lodging, with reduced campground availability during 2026–27 construction; reserve and verify current facilities separately.

    Source

  • Approved route imageAmerican Whitewater Letchworth Gorge route banner

    The image is route-specific visual context from the American Whitewater reach page; it does not certify current stage, permit status, or a runnable line.

    Source

  • Direct live gaugeUSGS 04223000, Genesee River at Portageville, NY

    USGS 04223000 at Portageville is a direct same-river gauge near the gorge. American Whitewater uses approximately 9 ft as a low technical reference, 10.5 ft for stronger Class III character, and 14 ft or higher as closed to kayakers. Check current stage and trend with rain, debris, park permission, water temperature, and visual scouting; the gauge does not authorize entry or make the waterfalls runnable.

    Source

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

    American Whitewater / Letchworth State Park / New York State Parks 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.

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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.Wyoming County / Letchworth State ParkJump to routes in this region.

More on Genesee River

All 7
Avon Route 5/20 DEC access to Wheatland/Scottsville Genesee River accessLivingston and Monroe CountiesEasy · 13 river milesGenesee 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 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 within 75 miles

Oatka CreekLe Roy Red Bridge / Munson Street to Mumford NYSDEC hand launch · about 26 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 9 planning river miles from Le Roy Red Bridge to the NYSDEC Mumford hand launchOatka CreekNYSDEC Mumford launch to Canawaugus Park / Scottsville · about 29 straight-line mi awayModerate · About 8 river miles from the NYSDEC Mumford hand launch to Canawaugus Park in ScottsvilleCanisteo RiverCanisteo to Addison · about 30 straight-line mi awayModerate · 28.9 source-route miles from Canisteo to Addison; AW endpoint feature marks the take-out at 20 miles, so confirm the actual wetted mileageHoneoye CreekNYSDEC Fishell Road hand launch toward Golah Road and the lower Honeoye Creek corridor, returning to Fishell Road · about 32 straight-line mi awayEasy · About 7 round-trip paddling miles from the NYSDEC Fishell Road hand launch toward the Golah Road railroad-bridge reach and back

Quick answers

Genesee River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Lee’s Landing to St. Helena / Letchworth Gorge route on the Genesee 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 Lee’s Landing to St. Helena / Letchworth Gorge route on the Genesee River start and end?

This route starts at Letchworth State Park Trail 5 / Lee’s Landing permitted kayak access and ends at Letchworth State Park Trail 13 / St. Helena permitted kayak take-out, 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 miles on the water.

Is the Lee’s Landing to St. Helena / Letchworth Gorge route on the Genesee 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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