See all 2 routes on Little Miami River
Ohio | Southwest Ohio
Little Miami River
Kelley Nature Preserve to Jim Terrell Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Little Miami 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 Kelley Nature Preserve and take out at Jim Terrell Park. This follows the AW Kelley-to-Milford reach and the ODNR Little Miami Scenic River access sequence.
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
Kelley Nature Preserve canoe/kayak accessKelley Nature Preserve is an official park access with a canoe/kayak launch, but parking can fill on busy warm weekends.
Take-out
Jim Terrell Park canoe launchJim Terrell Park is the planned take-out; continuing below Milford changes the route and adds more access planning.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Kelley Nature Preserve is an official park access with a canoe/kayak launch, but parking can fill on busy warm weekends.
- Jim Terrell Park is the planned take-out; continuing below Milford changes the route and adds more access planning.
- The app score is calibrated to AW Class I-II feature levels, not to minimum-depth commercial tubing or livery-style floating.
Watch for
- Boathouse Rapid, old low-head-dam remnants, shallow ledges, small holes, and possible rebar/manmade-structure hazards.
- Low-water walking in shallows below the AW floor and washed-out, pushier conditions above the preferred range.
- Strainers, floating debris after rain, and cold-water risk outside warm months.
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 Miami River at Milford, OH |
| 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 | 5.50 ft to 7.50 ft |
| Low threshold | 4.60 ft |
| High threshold | 9.00 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Little Miami Kelley-to-Milford 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.
- Route and difficulty4.9 miles, Class I-II
American Whitewater lists Kelley Nature Preserve to Milford / Jim Terrell Park as a 4.9-mile Little Miami reach with Class I-II difficulty.
- Gauge ladder4.6 to 9.0 ft runnable range
AW ties the reach to the Little Miami River at Milford gauge and publishes a 4.60-to-9.00 ft range, with 5.50-to-7.50 ft described as the best boatable play level and around 6.5 ft prime.
- Low-water floor4.6 ft
AW says below 4.6 ft is way too low and that 4.6-to-5.5 ft is low water with little play and possible walking in the shallows.
- High-water ceiling9 ft
AW treats 9-to-15 ft as sketchy and possibly flooding, with features washed out and other streams running.
- Boathouse Rapid accident historyNear-drowning at 6.34 ft
AW accident records include an August 2021 near-drowning at Boathouse Rapid / the old low-head-dam hydraulic, with no PFD and inexperience cited as factors.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 03245500
USGS operates the Little Miami River at Milford, OH monitoring location, which AW uses for this reach.
- Official put-in coordinatesKelley Nature Preserve: 39.20997, -84.30608
ODNR Little Miami Scenic River map lists Kelley Nature Preserve, Clermont County Park District, as a river-left access with coordinates.
- Official take-out coordinatesJim Terrell Park: 39.17041, -84.29856
ODNR Little Miami Scenic River map lists the canoe launch at Jim Terrell Park in Milford as river-right access with coordinates.
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
Little Miami River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Little Miami River?
Paddle Today watches Little Miami River at Milford, OH and treats 5.50 ft to 7.50 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Little Miami River route start and end?
This route starts at Kelley Nature Preserve canoe/kayak access and ends at Jim Terrell Park canoe launch, about 4.9 mi on the water.
Is this Little Miami River 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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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.