See all 4 routes on Iowa River
Iowa | Iowa City Area
Iowa River
Hills Access to River Junction Access
Check current paddling conditions for this Iowa 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 Hills Access and paddle the official Johnson County Iowa River Water Trail segment to River Junction Access. This is a wooded, sinuous bottomland reach with campground endpoints, a direct upstream gauge, and closure-prone floodplain logistics.
Put-in
Hills Access & CampgroundOpen mapHills Access is a Johnson County boat-ramp and campground access on the Iowa River; use the signed ramp and public parkland for staging.
Take-out
River Junction Access & CampgroundOpen mapRiver Junction Access has a county-published coordinate, boat ramp, primitive campsites, and restrooms, but it can close to vehicle traffic when the Iowa and English Rivers rise.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Hills Access is a Johnson County boat-ramp and campground access on the Iowa River; use the signed ramp and public parkland for staging.
- River Junction Access has a county-published coordinate, boat ramp, primitive campsites, and restrooms, but it can close to vehicle traffic when the Iowa and English Rivers rise.
- The Iowa River Water Trail continues downstream, but this card ends at River Junction. Do not drift into the remote Tri-County Bridge / River Forks gap without a separate long-route plan.
Watch for
- Fresh strainers, floating debris, and soft or muddy landings after storms.
- Sinuous bottomland bends with fewer simple exits than the upstream Iowa City segment.
- High or rising water that can flood River Junction access roads and campground areas.
- Private banks and farm edges away from public access sites.
Route gallery
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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 | Iowa River at Iowa City, IA |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | 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 | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Data confidence behind the range | Partial source data |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Johnson County Iowa River Clean Up history for the Sturgis-to-Hills reach |
| 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 routeHills Access to River Junction Access, 9.8 mi
Johnson County lists Hills Access to River Junction Access as the second Johnson County Iowa River Water Trail segment and describes a highly sinuous reach with bottomland forest and Pechman Creek Delta context.
- Endpoint access and campingBoat ramps and campgrounds at both ends
Johnson County park guides describe Hills as a popular launch/end point with ramp, latrine, playground, and electric/non-electric camping; River Junction has a ramp, parking, non-electric camping, and restrooms.
- River Junction coordinate41.4912969, -91.5017984
Johnson County camping information publishes River Junction map coordinates and notes boat-ramp access to the Iowa River.
- Current gauge check2,200 cfs / 11.77 ft at 2026-07-23 14:00 CDT
USGS Water Services returned current Iowa River at Iowa City discharge and stage during this run.
- Closure caveatRiver Junction closed during June 2026 rising water
Johnson County announced a River Junction vehicle closure on June 17, 2026 because rising Iowa and English River levels were expected to put the area out of bank.
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.
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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
Iowa River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Iowa River?
Paddle Today watches Iowa River at Iowa City, IA and uses 200 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Iowa River route start and end?
This route starts at Hills Access & Campground and ends at River Junction Access & Campground, about About 9.8 mi on the water.
Is this Iowa River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.