See all 3 routes on Little Beaver Creek
Ohio | East Liverpool / Ohio-Pennsylvania border
Little Beaver Creek
Pioneer Village Launch to Lock 57 Park Launch
Check current paddling conditions for this Little Beaver Creek 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
Launch at Pioneer Village in Beaver Creek State Park and continue all the way to Lock 57 Park for the full Little Beaver day. The official guide uses 300 cfs as the minimum, but this longer route includes both the upper rapids and Eagle Rapid downstream, so it is a conservative whitewater day rather than a casual scenic float.
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
Pioneer Village LaunchPioneer Village is the cleanest staging area in this family, but this route is long enough that a borderline gauge or late start can become a real problem by the lower section.
Take-out
Lock 57 Park LaunchSprucevale is a mid-route bailout if the group decides not to continue into the lower Eagle-Rapid section, but the planned route assumes the full mouth finish at Lock 57 Park.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Pioneer Village is the cleanest staging area in this family, but this route is long enough that a borderline gauge or late start can become a real problem by the lower section.
- Sprucevale is a mid-route bailout if the group decides not to continue into the lower Eagle-Rapid section, but the planned route assumes the full mouth finish at Lock 57 Park.
- Lock 57 Park is the mandatory planned exit. Do not continue into the Ohio River without a separate open-water and shuttle plan.
Watch for
- Lock Ledge, Piano Rapid, Eagle Rapid, and any fresh downed wood on blind bends.
- Fast post-rain rises, cold water, and the cumulative fatigue of a 14-mile whitewater day.
- Private-bank limits, limited legal stops away from the named launches, and busier water near the Ohio River mouth.
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 | Little Beaver Creek near East Liverpool, OH |
| 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 | 300 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Ohio River Water Trail / Little Beaver Creek minimum-flow 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 route shapeAbout 14.1 river miles
The Ohio River Water Trail map places Pioneer Village Launch at river mile 14.3 and Lock 57 Park Launch at river mile 0.2, supporting a 14.1-mile full Little Beaver day.
- Official minimum flow300 cfs or 1.0 ft on the wooden gauge
The official guide says Little Beaver should have at least 1 foot on the state-park wooden gauge or 300 cfs on the Grimms Bridge USGS gauge before paddling.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 03109500 at 383 cfs / 3.53 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day June 26, 2026 values for Little Beaver Creek near East Liverpool at 3:00 PM EDT.
- Public launch coordinatesPioneer Village 40.727423, -80.611394; Lock 57 Park 40.645913, -80.512518
The official map prints both endpoint names, coordinates, and river-mile positions for the full Little Beaver day route.
- Camping supportBeaver Creek State Park Campground at the put-in
The official guide lists Beaver Creek State Park for camping on this corridor, and the current Ohio DNR campground page describes family camping and Sherman cabins above Little Beaver Creek.
- Main hazardsPiano Rapid, Lock Ledge, Eagle Rapid, Ohio River mouth
The official guide highlights the upper rapids, then says Eagle Rapid on the lower section approaches Class III at high water before the creek reaches Lock 57 at the Ohio River mouth.
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
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Quick answers
Little Beaver Creek paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Little Beaver Creek?
Paddle Today watches Little Beaver Creek near East Liverpool, OH and uses 300 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Little Beaver Creek route start and end?
This route starts at Pioneer Village Launch and ends at Lock 57 Park Launch, about About 14.1 mi on the water.
Is this Little Beaver Creek 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.