Paddle TodayFind the best paddle near you today

Live score, water level, and weather.

See all 5 routes on Locust Fork

Alabama | Blount County

Locust ForkFive Points Road public put-in to Taylor Ford Road public take-out

A short 3-mile Locust Fork float from the documented Five Points Road access to the public Taylor Ford Road take-out, useful for a lower-commitment day on the upper section.

Route location

Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.

Open access map

Plan this route

DistanceAbout 3 river miles
DifficultyEasy
Typical timeAllow 2–3 hours with access checks and shuttle
ShuttleCar shuttle
The Locust Fork River flows through a wooded corridor in Blount County, Alabama.
River contextLocust Fork River in Alabama; same-river context, not a route-conditions photograph river-level context — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Maria Brindle via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
Pulling the latest gauge and weather. This usually takes a few seconds.
View Primary Source
Embed this route

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceAbout 3 river milesFive Points Road public put-in to Taylor Ford Road public take-out
DifficultyeasyThe Friends of the Locust Fork map describes the Five Points/Camp Branch to Taylor Ford segment as approximately 3 miles with public put-in/take-out access; expect easy moving water and small shoals, with normal river hazards.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage at Taylor Ford Road, then shuttle to Five Points Road. Keep vehicles at the named public sites.
PermitsCheck posted rulesConfirm current Blount County park rules, road access and parking before launch. Do not use private map markers without permission.
CampingOptions nearbyThis is a day-use route. No on-route overnight campsite is documented; use established lodging or campgrounds separately.
SeasonJan-DecThe Locust Fork responds quickly to rainfall. Low stages expose shoals; rising water increases current, bridge and strainer hazards.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A short public-access upper Locust Fork float for a lower-commitment outing.

Access map

Skip map

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

End of map
Start

Put-in

Five Points Road public put-in
Open mapDirections to put-in

Five Points Road is a dirt access and may be muddy after rain.

Finish

Take-out

Taylor Ford Road public take-out
Open mapDirections to take-out

Confirm Taylor Ford Road parking and water entry; do not substitute private map markers.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • Five Points Road is a dirt access and may be muddy after rain.
  • Confirm Taylor Ford Road parking and water entry; do not substitute private map markers.
  • The longer downstream reach and waterfall are outside this short route.

Watch for

  • USGS 02455000 stage and rapid rises
  • Cornelius Falls and the two Class II rapids
  • Strainers, bridge debris and low-water scraping
  • Private banks and closed or unmarked access points

Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.

Trip schedule

Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.

Browser plans

Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.

Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.

Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check how the river is changing and what weather to expect.

Gauge detail

Water-level history and forecastDetailed view

Gauge

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------

Weather

Hourly forecast

Checking weather.

Loading today's forecast.

Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

Route gallery

Photos

Check each caption: some photos show the surrounding area rather than this exact trip.

The Locust Fork River flows through a wooded corridor in Blount County, Alabama.
Locust Fork River in Alabama; same-river context, not a route-conditions photograph river-level context — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Maria Brindle via Wikimedia Commons
CC BY-SA 4.0

Score & sources

Why this score

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today’s call.

Data status
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

Why this scoreData reliability: checking

This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.

Why
  • Checking data sources and update times.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times

These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.

Gauge siteLocust Fork near Cleveland, AL
Gauge heightChecking
DischargeChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Preferred range1.80 ft to 2.40 ft
Low threshold1.40 ft
High threshold3.00 ft
Evidence strength behind the rangeLocal route guidance
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreFriends of the Locust Fork River section guide
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
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.

  • Named reach and distanceFive Points Road to Taylor Ford Road; approximately 3 miles

    The Friends of the Locust Fork linked section map labels both public access points and the 3-mile Cold Branch/Five Points to Taylor Ford segment.

    Source

  • Scoring band1.5 ft minimum; about 2 ft easy float; 1.8–2.4 ft preferred planning band

    The source publishes the minimum and easy-float cues for the connected section; preferred bounds are conservative product planning guards.

    Source

  • Direct gaugeUSGS 02455000 Locust Fork near Cleveland

    USGS provides direct stage telemetry for the selected corridor.

    Source

  • Public endpoint verificationFive Points Road and Taylor Ford Road

    The linked Friends of the Locust Fork map marks both as public put-in/take-out points.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Reports

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

Share your trip

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or explore different rivers within 75 straight-line miles.

More in Alabama

All 50 routes
Alabama route guideBrowse every tracked Alabama route.Blount CountyJump to routes in this region.

More on Locust Fork

All 5
County Highway 14 public put-in to Cold Branch Road public take-outBlount CountyEasy · About 10 river milesFive Points Road public put-in to Kings Bend Scenic Overlook Park at Highway 79Blount CountyModerate · About 10.2 river milesSwann Covered Bridge public put-in to Covered Bridge Road near Nectar public take-outBlount CountyModerate · About 4.1 river milesTaylor Ford Road public put-in to Kings Bend Scenic Overlook Park at Highway 79 public take-outBlount CountyModerate · About 7 river miles

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Mulberry ForkBlountville Road access to County Road 10 access · about 9 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 12.5 river milesMulberry ForkBlountville Road access to Garden City River Park · about 9 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 19 river milesMulberry ForkCounty Road 10 access to Garden City River Park / Old U.S. Highway 31 · about 12 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 6.5 river milesCahaba RiverMoon River access to Grants Mill access · about 35 straight-line mi awayModerate · About 5.1 river miles

Quick answers

Locust Fork paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Five Points Road public put-in to Taylor Ford Road public take-out route on the Locust Fork?

Paddle Today watches Locust Fork near Cleveland, AL and treats 1.80 ft to 2.40 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.

Where does the Five Points Road public put-in to Taylor Ford Road public take-out route on the Locust Fork start and end?

This route starts at Five Points Road public put-in and ends at Taylor Ford Road public take-out, about 3 river miles on the water.

Is the Five Points Road public put-in to Taylor Ford Road public take-out route on the Locust Fork suitable 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.

Flag a change

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.

Report a changeEmail update