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 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
Checking the next several hours.
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
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.
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
Hills Access & CampgroundHills 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 & CampgroundRiver 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.
Plan this segment
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
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 | 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 |
| Evidence strength 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
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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Keep exploring
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.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.