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New York | Essex and Hamilton Counties
Hudson River
Town of Newcomb Boat Launch on Harris Lake to Hudson River access above the Indian River confluence
Check current paddling conditions for this Hudson 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 nearly 12-mile upper Hudson River wilderness route from the public Town of Newcomb launch on Harris Lake to the Hudson River access just above the Indian River confluence. NYSDEC documents the route, Polaris Bridge intermediate hand launch, low-water portage screen, designated water-only campsites, and the mandatory boundary before the Hudson Gorge.
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.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Town of Newcomb Boat Launch, Harris LakeThe Harris Lake launch and Polaris hand launch are public DEC access points, but carry distances, seasonal roads, parking, and landing conditions can change. Verify current DEC notices before travel.
Take-out
Hudson River access above Indian River confluence / Outer Gooley carryThe Outer Gooley coordinate is the DEC parking/carry anchor, not a surveyed waterline coordinate. Follow the marked 0.1-mile carry to the river and confirm the landing before launching or taking out.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The Harris Lake launch and Polaris hand launch are public DEC access points, but carry distances, seasonal roads, parking, and landing conditions can change. Verify current DEC notices before travel.
- The Outer Gooley coordinate is the DEC parking/carry anchor, not a surveyed waterline coordinate. Follow the marked 0.1-mile carry to the river and confirm the landing before launching or taking out.
- The Hudson River is surrounded by public and private lands. Use only designated access and campsites; do not land, camp, or scout from private banks or assume a navigability right grants a launch.
Watch for
- USGS 01315500 below 4 ft, rapidly rising, unavailable, or inconsistent with the Harris/Polaris/Outer Gooley visual conditions
- Long Rapids, Ord Falls, shallow rocky water, strainers, cold water, bridge approaches, remote portages, and limited bailout options
- seasonal road closures, 0.3-mile Polaris carry, 0.1-mile Outer Gooley carry, designated-site availability, and the no-continuation Hudson Gorge 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.
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 | Hudson River at North Creek, 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 4.00 ft |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | NYSDEC low-water screen: below 4 ft at the North Creek gauge requires considerable portaging, dragging, and lining |
| 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 New York corridorHarris Lake/Newcomb to Hudson access above Indian River confluence; nearly 12 miles; moving water with Class I–III features
NYSDEC publishes the route length, access sequence, rapids, low-water behavior, and downstream gorge boundary.
- Public water accessTown of Newcomb launch, Polaris Bridge hand launch, and Outer Gooley river take-out
NYSDEC publishes the named access points, coordinates for the launch/parking anchors, and the carry distances to the river landings.
- Direct stage screenBelow 4 ft at USGS 01315500 requires considerable portaging, dragging, and lining
This is a DEC low-water planning screen, not a safety certification or a complete runnable range.
- Water-only campingDesignated primitive tent sites along the Hudson River, including Polaris Bridge and Cedar River
NYSDEC lists designated water-access-only sites and requires compliance with state-land camping rules.
- Image decisionApproved Hudson River USGS context image used for route presentation
The image is labeled as same-river gauge context rather than a claim that it depicts the exact wilderness reach.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 01315500, Hudson River at North Creek, NY
USGS provides continuous stage and discharge telemetry for the route corridor.
- Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch
NYSDEC Hudson Gorge Wilderness / American Whitewater / CanWePaddle 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.
- NYSDEC Hudson Gorge Wilderness / American Whitewater / CanWePaddle route record
- NYSDEC Hudson Gorge Wilderness access and camping map
- CanWePaddle Hudson Newcomb conditions
- NYSDEC Hudson Gorge paddling, access, camping, and safety guidance
- USGS 01315500 monitoring location
- USGS 01315500 current conditions
- Hudson 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
Hudson River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Hudson River?
Paddle Today watches Hudson River at North Creek, NY and uses 4.00 ft as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Hudson River route start and end?
This route starts at Town of Newcomb Boat Launch, Harris Lake and ends at Hudson River access above Indian River confluence / Outer Gooley carry, about Nearly 12 river miles on the water.
Is this Hudson 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.