See all 32 routes on Green River
Kentucky | Mammoth Cave
Green River
Dennison Ferry to Houchins Ferry
Check current paddling conditions for this Green River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
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
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Launch at Dennison Ferry and continue all the way to Houchins Ferry for a long Mammoth Cave Green River day. The direct Mammoth Cave gauge anchors the route, but the current July 1 reading sits just below the park's 20-foot launch closure, so same-day judgment matters more than the mileage table.
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.
Put-in
Dennison FerryOpen mapDennison Ferry is day-use only with a carry-down launch. Do not plan to camp or leave gear spread across the access.
Take-out
Houchins FerryOpen mapThe route passes the Green River Ferry crossing midway. NPS says paddlers must stay back, wait for eye contact from the operator, and use the canoe/kayak access on the south side if stopping there.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Dennison Ferry is day-use only with a carry-down launch. Do not plan to camp or leave gear spread across the access.
- The route passes the Green River Ferry crossing midway. NPS says paddlers must stay back, wait for eye contact from the operator, and use the canoe/kayak access on the south side if stopping there.
- On-route camping requires a valid riverside permit and is flow-dependent. Use only legal gravel-bar or low-bank sites allowed by park rules.
- Houchins Ferry has the best endpoint support in this route family, but the campground and ramp still operate inside a managed park setting with posted quiet-hour and facility rules.
Watch for
- Current levels near 20 ft, when the route is still open but much more consequential than the park's broad beginner-friendly band.
- Swift current, submerged trees, logjams, drifting debris, gravel-bar shifts, back channels, and muddy or slick access surfaces.
- Ferry traffic at Green River Ferry, limited cell service, exposed sun, and fewer nearby bailout options than the shorter park segments.
- Camping mistakes: rising overnight water, unsecured boats, and unauthorized stops without a valid permit.
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.
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Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Green River at Mammoth Cave, KY |
| 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 15.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 9.00 ft |
| High threshold | 20.00 ft |
| Data confidence behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Mammoth Cave NPS Green River skill-level stage guidance |
| 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.
- Official route segmentDennison Ferry to Houchins Ferry, about 19.8-20.0 mi
KDFWR lists Dennison Ferry to Green River Ferry as 7.5 miles and Green River Ferry to Houchins Ferry as 12.3 miles, supporting a combined public route of about 19.8 miles. NPS separately publishes the lower leg as 12.4 miles.
- Official stage model9-15 ft broad audience, >=20 ft closed
NPS says park launching is prohibited when river levels are at or exceed 20 feet and keeps 9 to 15 feet as the broad beginner-friendly Green River window.
- Put-in accessDennison Ferry, 37.2174, -86.0493
KDFWR identifies Dennison Ferry as a free day-use-only carry-down access with steps to the water, gravel parking, and no camping.
- Take-out accessHouchins Ferry, 37.2024, -86.2376
KDFWR identifies Houchins Ferry as a free paved park ramp with year-round camping, restrooms, picnic facilities, and ferry-side launch rules.
- Live-gauge supportUSGS 03309000 at 6100 cfs / 19.16 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day July 1, 2026 discharge and stage values for Green River at Mammoth Cave during this run. That stage is below the NPS 20-foot closure but well above the park's broad beginner-friendly 9 to 15-foot band.
- Current park access postureFerry reopened March 5, 2026; check hotline for same-day status
Mammoth Cave says Green River Ferry resumed daily operation on March 5, 2026 after repairs, but current conditions still say road and ferry status can change without advance notice and should be checked before shuttling.
- Camping contextPermitted riverside camping plus Houchins campground
NPS says lower-water gravel bars and low riverbanks can support paddler camping with a valid riverside permit on the Green River Ferry-to-Houchin leg, and KDFWR says Houchins Ferry has a riverside campground.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Green River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Green River?
Paddle Today watches Green River at Mammoth Cave, KY and treats 9.00 ft to 15.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Green River route start and end?
This route starts at Dennison Ferry and ends at Houchins Ferry, about About 19.8 mi on the water.
Is this Green 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
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.