See all 6 routes on Kinniconick Creek
Kentucky | Eastern Kentucky
Kinniconick CreekLeatherwood Branch Park Access to Garrison Ramp
Full public Kinniconick Creek route from Leatherwood Branch Park Access to Garrison Ramp. KDFWR documents the exact chained public mileage and explicitly tells paddlers to use the Tygarts Creek gauge as the best current proxy for Kinniconick levels.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
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.
Access map
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.
Road shuttle
Stage the downstream vehicle at Garrison Ramp, then drive back to Leatherwood Branch Park Access near Vanceburg. The road shuttle is manageable, but the route itself is a very long creek commitment and should be started early.
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Access planner
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Leatherwood Branch Park Access to Garrison Ramp is about 31.5 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- KDFWR's Kinniconick bands at the Tygarts proxy are 2.5–3.5 ft and 50–130 cfs. If stage and flow disagree, treat conditions as marginal; expect scrape-prone shoals and check local depth.
- Stay with the named public access points and do not assume side banks, bars, or private-adjacent ground are legal stopping points.
More route and safety guidance
- KDFWR still uses Tygarts Creek as a proxy because Kinniconick has no current direct stream gage, so treat any rising weather as a cue to re-check conditions rather than trusting the broad band blindly.
- Low-water scraping, muddy landings, fresh wood, and private banks become more consequential over thirty-plus miles than they do on the shorter downstream splits.
Plan this paddle
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Conditions
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Gauge source
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Weather
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Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
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Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Tygarts Creek near Greenup, KY. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
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 classifies Leatherwood Branch Park Access as carry-down only, with no constructed ramp; users walk equipment a short distance from the parking area to the creek. The published coordinate is retained as the access-site anchor, not as a surveyed water-entry point.
- 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.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-09USGS 03217000 at 42.6 cfs / 2.83 ft
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- 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.
Other routes nearby
More on Kinniconick Creek
All 6Nearby routes within 75 miles
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