See all 7 routes on Genesee River
New York | Wyoming County / Letchworth State Park
Genesee River
Lee’s Landing to St. Helena / Letchworth Gorge
Check current paddling conditions for this Genesee 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
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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
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 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.
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
Letchworth State Park Trail 5 / Lee’s Landing permitted kayak accessLee’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.
Take-out
Letchworth State Park Trail 13 / St. Helena permitted kayak take-outThe stored coordinates are AW geometry waterline anchors. Confirm the actual landing, carry, gates, parking, shuttle staging, and park/permit boundaries with Letchworth before traveling.
Plan this segment
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Access caveats and watch for
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
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 | Genesee River at Portageville, NY |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 | 9.00 ft to 14.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 9.00 ft |
| High threshold | 14.00 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater planning context: about 9 ft low technical water, 10.5 ft stronger Class III character, and 14 ft or higher closed to kayakers; direct Portageville gauge, permit and field judgment still control |
| 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 / Letchworth State Park / New York State Parks route record
- American Whitewater Letchworth Gorge map and park access guidance
- USGS 04223000 Genesee River at Portageville current conditions
- Letchworth State Park permitted-kayaking and gorge-safety guidance
- USGS 04223000 monitoring location
- USGS 04223000 current conditions
- Genesee River 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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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Genesee River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Genesee River?
Paddle Today watches Genesee River at Portageville, NY and treats 9.00 ft to 14.00 ft 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 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, about 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 this Genesee 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.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.