See all 9 routes on Maquoketa River
Iowa | Northeast Iowa
Maquoketa RiverDundee Access to Manchester Whitewater Park
Upper Maquoketa water-trail day from the unimproved Dundee access to downtown Manchester, with riffles, downed-tree exposure, a Quaker Mill dam-breach/portage decision, and a direct Manchester gauge range.
Checking current river conditions…
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at the Dundee access and paddle the Delaware County Maquoketa water trail to Manchester. This longer moving-water day uses the direct Manchester USGS gauge and includes riffles, wood, the Quaker Mill dam-remnant decision, and the whitewater-park finish.
Access map
Put-in
Dundee Access / Dundee Wildlife AreaDundee is the clean upstream public access for this route. Do not substitute dam-adjacent Backbone launches unless separately scouting that shorter segment.
Take-out
Manchester Whitewater Park / Tirrill Park finishDelaware County describes Lindsey Bridge and Tirrill Park as intermediate public accesses, making them practical bailout or shortened-trip options if level, weather, or time deteriorates.
Road shuttle
Use a two-car shuttle between Dundee and the Manchester Whitewater Park / Tirrill Park finish. Scout the Manchester finish and the Quaker Mill dam-remnant area before launching if the Manchester gauge is rising or outside the normal recreational band.
Additional access notes
- The Quaker Mill dam has a breached/passable route at some levels, but local guidance still calls for scouting and a south-bank portage option when conditions or skill make the line inappropriate.
- The finish enters the Manchester whitewater-park corridor. Beginners should decide in advance whether to take out before features or run only the features that match their skill.
More route and safety guidance
- The Quaker Mill dam site between Lindsey Bridge and Tirrill Park has a breach that may be passable by watercraft, but Delaware County Tourism still describes a short south-bank portage option.
- Finish discipline matters in Manchester. The downtown whitewater park is a public feature, but tired day-trip paddlers should decide before launch whether they are taking out above, scouting, or running the course.
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.
Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.
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
Check how the river is changing and what weather to expect.
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampDetailed weather
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
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
Maquoketa River at Manchester, IA. 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.
Share a recent access update, hazard observation or photo.
Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
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.
- Checking data sources and update times.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Maquoketa River at Manchester, IA |
| 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 |
| Preferred range | 120 cfs to 1,500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 120 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,500 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | CanWePaddle Maquoketa River Dundee-to-Manchester estimated range |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
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 route reachDundee Access to Manchester Whitewater Park, 11.8 miles
Iowa DNR documents the Dundee Access to Manchester Whitewater Park reach as 11.8 miles and says riffles and downed trees make it most appropriate for at least intermediate paddlers.
- Local access sequenceDundee to Lindsey Bridge to Tirrill Park to whitewater park
Delaware County Tourism breaks the route into Dundee-to-Lindsey Bridge, Lindsey Bridge-to-Tirrill Park, and Tirrill Park-to-Manchester Whitewater Park segments and notes a Quaker Mill dam breach with possible watercraft passage or south-bank portage.
- Published range120 to 1,500 cfs
CanWePaddle publishes a route-specific estimated runnable range of 120 to 1,500 cfs for Dundee to Manchester using the Maquoketa River at Manchester gauge.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-22463 cfs / 5.35 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.
- Put-in supportDundee Access / Dundee Wildlife Area
Iowa DNR describes Dundee Access on the northwest edge of Dundee as the access for this reach, and Delaware County/MyCountyParks identifies Dundee Wildlife Area on the west edge of Dundee as public county conservation land.
- Finish supportManchester Whitewater Park
The City of Manchester says the whitewater park is open year-round, and Delaware County Tourism lists the park at 208 East Main Street with public parking nearby.
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 Maquoketa River
All 9Nearby routes within 75 miles
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.