See all 6 routes on Kinniconick Creek
Kentucky | Eastern Kentucky
Kinniconick Creek
Leatherwood Branch Park Access to Garrison Ramp
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
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
Launch at Leatherwood Branch Park Access and take out about 31.5 miles downstream at Garrison Ramp for the full public Kinniconick Creek chain. KDFWR says to use the Tygarts Creek gauge as the Kinniconick proxy, with a good band of 2.5 to 3.5 ft or 50 to 130 cfs.
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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
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Put-in
Leatherwood Branch Park AccessLeatherwood Branch and Garrison are both public KDFWR accesses, but neither is documented as a campground or overnight facility.
Take-out
Garrison RampMcDowells Creek and Mill Pond Creek are the only intermediate public split points late in the route. Have them marked before launching rather than treating the day as one blind push.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Leatherwood Branch and Garrison are both public KDFWR accesses, but neither is documented as a campground or overnight facility.
- McDowells Creek and Mill Pond Creek are the only intermediate public split points late in the route. Have them marked before launching rather than treating the day as one blind push.
- The proxy gauge stage sat inside the official good band during this run, but the same official reading showed discharge below the cfs floor, so expect scrape-prone riffles and a longer day than the map mileage alone suggests.
- Stay with the named public access points and do not assume side banks, bars, or private-adjacent ground are legal stopping points.
Watch for
- Low water below 2.5 ft or 50 cfs, when shallow riffles, rock bars, and dragging become more likely over a very long day.
- High water above 3.5 ft or 130 cfs, when rain-driven rises, wood, and muddy landings make the creek less forgiving.
- Wood, strainers, fatigue, and private banks outside the access sites on the longest Kinniconick chain now in the tree.
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
Data and sources
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 | Tygarts Creek near Greenup, 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 | 2.50 ft to 3.50 ft |
| Low threshold | 2.50 ft |
| High threshold | 3.50 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | KDFWR Kinniconick Creek proxy gauge 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 proxy level band2.5-3.5 ft or 50-130 cfs good
KDFWR says no current stream gage is available for Kinniconick Creek and that Tygarts Creek should be used in lieu of Kinniconick because it closely mimics levels there. The same page rates Kinniconick low below 2.5 ft or 50 cfs, good from 2.5 to 3.5 ft or 50 to 130 cfs, and high above that.
- Chained public route segmentLeatherwood Branch Park Access to Garrison Ramp, 31.5 miles
KDFWR lists Leatherwood Branch Park Access to Puncheon / Pipe Lick at 13.1 miles, Puncheon / Pipe Lick to McDowells Creek Park Access at 14.1 miles, McDowells Creek Park Access to Mill Pond Creek Access at 1.6 miles, and Mill Pond Creek Access to Garrison Ramp at 2.7 miles, supporting a 31.5-mile public full-chain float.
- Put-in accessLeatherwood Branch Park Access, 38.5105, -83.3274
KDFWR access detail identifies Leatherwood Branch Park Access as a public park launch with a paved parking area and no listed camping support.
- Take-out accessGarrison Ramp, 38.6083, -83.1637
KDFWR access detail identifies Garrison Ramp as a public paved ramp with parking and no listed camping support.
- Live proxy-gauge supportUSGS 03217000 at 42.6 cfs / 2.83 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day values at 2026-07-09 07:45 EDT for Tygarts Creek near Greenup during this run. The stage sits inside KDFWRs published Kinniconick good band even though discharge remains below the cfs floor.
- Camping postureNo public camping documented at either endpoint
Current KDFWR access-detail pages list Camping as None for both Leatherwood Branch Park Access and Garrison Ramp.
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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More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
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Quick answers
Kinniconick Creek paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Kinniconick Creek?
Paddle Today watches Tygarts Creek near Greenup, KY and treats 2.50 ft to 3.50 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Kinniconick Creek route start and end?
This route starts at Leatherwood Branch Park Access and ends at Garrison Ramp, about About 31.5 mi on the water.
Is this Kinniconick Creek route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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