Paddle TodayFind the best paddle near you today

Live score, water level, and weather.

See all 8 routes on Grass River

New York | St. Lawrence County / Clare and Russell

Grass RiverLampson Falls Waterway Access Site to Downerville State Forest / Grass River confluence access

An advanced planning-only 4.1-mile Grass River section from the public Lampson Falls Waterway Access Site to the Downerville State Forest access at the North Branch confluence. American Whitewater identifies the seasonal Class IV+ reach, named rapid sequence, and public Downerville take-out path; NYSDEC documents the Lampson Falls carry, Downerville public forest access, nearby designated camping, and the river corridor’s changing road and access conditions.

Route location

Loading the route map.

Open access map

Plan this route

Distance4.1 whitewater river miles
DifficultyHard
Typical timeFull daylight for an advanced group
ShuttleCar shuttle
The Grass River at the USGS Chase Mills monitoring station in New York.
River contextGrass River at Chase Mills; same-river proxy context river-level context — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by U.S. Geological Survey

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
View Primary Source
Embed this route

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.

Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distance4.1 whitewater river milesLampson Falls Waterway Access Site to Downerville State Forest / Grass River confluence access
DifficultyhardAmerican Whitewater rates the reach Class IV+ and identifies multiple feature-level drops, including the Old Bridge, Thanks, No Thanks, Dan’s Hole, S-Turn, Snot Rocket, The Slots, There You Go, and North Country Boof. The Lampson Falls carry, remote forest access, wood, cold water, shallow rock, and limited rescue/egress require advanced skills and a conservative boundary.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the downstream vehicle at the confirmed Downerville State Forest River PFAR parking/kiosk, then drive to the Lampson Falls trailhead. Allow full daylight for the 0.4-mile put-in carry, scouting, portages, wood inspection, and a conservative failed-shuttle extraction plan.
PermitsCheck posted rulesConfirm current NYSDEC Grass River Complex and Downerville State Forest rules, seasonal roads and gates, conservation-easement closures, camping/site status, parking, boating/PFD requirements, and all posted private-property restrictions before departure.
CampingOptions nearbyNYSDEC documents designated primitive tent sites in the Grass River Wild Forest, including sites near Lampson Falls and Harpers Falls, and Downerville State Forest documents designated sites along Downerville Road and the River PFAR. Use only a confirmed designated or legal primitive site under current DEC rules; do not camp at the access path, riverbank, private easement, or leased property.
SeasonApr-OctAmerican Whitewater describes this as a high-consequence seasonal reach, while the current DEC complex page identifies the surrounding access and portage context. Favor informed spring or post-rain windows only after checking local water, wood, access, and daylight; late-summer low water can make the reach rocky and scraping-prone.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

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

An advanced planning-only 4.1-mile Grass River section from the public Lampson Falls Waterway Access Site to the Downerville State Forest access at the North Branch confluence. American Whitewater identifies the seasonal Class IV+ reach, named rapid sequence, and public Downerville take-out path; NYSDEC documents the Lampson Falls carry, Downerville public forest access, nearby designated camping, and the river corridor’s changing road and access conditions.

Access map

Skip map

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

End of map
Start

Put-in

Lampson Falls Trailhead / Waterway Access Site
Open mapDirections to put-in

The Lampson coordinate is a DEC trailhead/access-area anchor with a documented 0.4-mile carry; the Downerville coordinate is the DEC River PFAR parking/kiosk anchor reached by a path from the confluence. Neither is presented as a surveyed dock or exact waterline point.

Finish

Take-out

Downerville State Forest River PFAR Parking Area and Kiosk
Open mapDirections to take-out

The route ends at the Downerville access before the separate Downerville-to-Russell reach. Continuing downstream requires a separate review of the public take-out, route boundary, gauge posture, and access chain.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • The Lampson coordinate is a DEC trailhead/access-area anchor with a documented 0.4-mile carry; the Downerville coordinate is the DEC River PFAR parking/kiosk anchor reached by a path from the confluence. Neither is presented as a surveyed dock or exact waterline point.
  • The route ends at the Downerville access before the separate Downerville-to-Russell reach. Continuing downstream requires a separate review of the public take-out, route boundary, gauge posture, and access chain.
  • NYSDEC says roads, conservation-easement access, and forest-management restrictions can change. Obey gates and signs, stay on designated roads/trails, and never infer private-bank or leased-camp permission from navigability or a map coordinate.

Watch for

  • USGS 04265432 unavailable, rapidly changing, below the local runnable character, or inconsistent with the Lampson/Downerville visual
  • Lampson Falls and the 0.4-mile carry, current wood/strainers, Old Bridge, Thanks/No Thanks, Dan’s Hole, S-Turn, Snot Rocket, The Slots, North Country Boof, shallow rock, cold water, and limited egress
  • Downerville road/ford/path/landing, parking, North Branch confluence, private boundaries, seasonal closures, and the mandatory downstream boundary before Russell

Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.

Trip schedule

Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.

Browser plans

Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.

Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.

Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.

Gauge detail

Water-level history and 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 gallery

Photos

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

The Grass River at the USGS Chase Mills monitoring station in New York.
Grass River at Chase Mills; same-river proxy context river-level context — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by U.S. Geological Survey
USGS public domain

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 moving-water corridorLampson Falls to Downerville; 4.1 miles; Class IV+

    American Whitewater publishes this exact reach, its seasonal character, feature sequence, and downstream take-out description.

    Source

  • Public access and carriesDEC Lampson Falls trailhead/waterway access carry and Downerville State Forest River PFAR parking/kiosk

    NYSDEC lists the 0.4-mile Lampson Falls carry and the Downerville public forest parking/frontage; American Whitewater identifies the path from the North Branch confluence to the take-out.

    Source

  • Feature and flow postureSeasonal high-consequence reach; no numeric threshold accepted

    American Whitewater reports the feature-level hazard sequence and uses a West Branch Oswegatchie gauge with flows marked below recommended; the current route uses the live Chase Mills Grass River station only as a same-river downstream proxy and requires local inspection.

    Source

  • Camping postureNearby designated DEC primitive sites; no riverbank camping claimed

    NYSDEC documents designated sites near Lampson/Harpers Falls and Downerville access sites while requiring current state-land rules and site checks.

    Source

  • Proxy flow contextUSGS 04265432 Grass River at Chase Mills

    This is downstream same-river telemetry, not a local threshold for the upper reach; branch inflow, rain, wood, and feature conditions control.

    Source

  • Route imageUSGS Grass River station photograph used as clearly labeled same-river context

    The presentation image is river context and does not claim to depict the Lampson Falls rapids, portages, or Downerville landing.

    Source

  • Same-river proxy gaugeUSGS 04265432, Grass River at Chase Mills, NY

    USGS 04265432 at Chase Mills is a downstream same-river proxy for this upper Grass reach. Local tributary inflow, rainfall, wood, water temperature, bedrock, and portage conditions can diverge materially; no numeric threshold is asserted.

    Source

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

    American Whitewater / NYSDEC Grass River Complex and Downerville State Forest and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.

    Source

  • Image decisionApproved watershed/proxy-gauge context image used for route presentation

    The image is clearly labeled as watershed/proxy-gauge context and does not claim to depict 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 explore different rivers within 75 straight-line miles.

More in New York

All 282 routes
New York route guideBrowse every tracked New York route.St. Lawrence County / Clare and RussellJump to routes in this region.

More on Grass River

All 8
Clare Road / North Branch public access to Downerville State Forest confluence accessSt. Lawrence County / Clare and RussellHard · 4.7 planning river milesDeGrasse State Forest hand launch through the South Branch/main Grass River corridor to the Pyrites Route 21 kayak/canoe launchSt. Lawrence County / DeGrasse, Pyrites, and Grass River corridorHard · Approximately 17.5 planning miles from the DeGrasse hand launch through the South Branch/main Grass River corridor to the Pyrites Route 21 launchDownerville State Forest / North Branch confluence access to Russell Route 24 bridge accessSt. Lawrence County / RussellModerate · 2.7 moving-water river milesMiddle Branch Hand Launch to Lampson Falls Waterway Access SiteSt. Lawrence County / ClareModerate · About 4 planning river miles from Middle Branch Hand Launch to the Lampson Falls access boundary

Nearby routes within 75 miles

East Branch Oswegatchie RiverFlat Rock / Fine area to South Edwards / Edwards public hand launches · about 11 straight-line mi awayHard · 15.4 American Whitewater miles for Flat Rock to Edwards; the recommended bridge-in-Fine to bridge-in-South-Edwards line and exact route mileage require field confirmationRaquette RiverHelenbrooks Hole / Stowe Lane to Cold Brook Drive · about 11 straight-line mi awayModerate · 0.29 whitewater river milesJordan RiverLassiter Main Haul Road bridge to Carry Falls Reservoir canoe carry · about 18 straight-line mi awayHard · About 3.1 river miles from the Jordan River canoe-carry landing below the Lassiter bridge to the Carry Falls Reservoir canoe-carry landing, plus a 1.5-mile access carryLittle RiverYoungs Road Hand Launch to Streeter Lake Road Hand Launch · about 18 straight-line mi awayModerate · Nearly 7 river miles from the Youngs Road Hand Launch to the Streeter Lake Road Hand Launch

Quick answers

Grass River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Lampson Falls Waterway Access Site to Downerville State Forest / Grass River confluence access route on the Grass 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 Lampson Falls Waterway Access Site to Downerville State Forest / Grass River confluence access route on the Grass River start and end?

This route starts at Lampson Falls Trailhead / Waterway Access Site and ends at Downerville State Forest River PFAR Parking Area and Kiosk, 4.1 whitewater river miles on the water.

Is the Lampson Falls Waterway Access Site to Downerville State Forest / Grass River confluence access route on the Grass 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.

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