See all 6 routes on North Fork Maquoketa River
Iowa | Northeast Iowa
North Fork Maquoketa RiverCascade Historic Limestone Silo to Ozark Bridge / 21st Ave
Long North Fork Maquoketa wilderness day from Cascade to Ozark Bridge, with remote Driftless bluffs, boulders, light rapids, and a direct Fulton gauge on a corridor that has few intermediate exits.
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 Cascade and stay on the North Fork all the way to Ozark Bridge for the long wilderness continuation. This route strings together the scenic Cascade reach and the bluff-heavy Whitewater-to-Ozark corridor with very few practical public exits in between.
Access map
Put-in
Cascade Historic Limestone Silo / Cascade landingUse the public ramp below the Cascade dam, not an improvised launch in the dam zone or above the structure.
Take-out
Ozark Bridge / 21st Ave access areaOnce you pass the Whitewater Creek mouth, public bailout options become scarce until Ozark Bridge. Do not launch late or with a group that is uncertain about covering the mileage.
Road shuttle
Set the Ozark vehicle first and treat this as a committed full-day shuttle. The road return is long and hilly enough that a bike shuttle is unrealistic for most groups.
Additional access notes
- Ozark Bridge is an undeveloped bridge access. Expect a basic roadside pull-off and a carry path rather than a polished county ramp.
More route and safety guidance
- There are very few practical public exits between Cascade and the Jackson County bridge accesses. Have a conservative daylight, shuttle, and bail-out plan before launching.
- Fast rises, wood, outside-bend boulders, undeveloped landings, and 24-plus miles of exposure make this an advanced planning route even though the normal-level rapids are mostly Class I.
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
North Fork Maquoketa River near Fulton, 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 | North Fork Maquoketa River near Fulton, 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 | 231 cfs to 400 cfs |
| Low threshold | 150 cfs |
| High threshold | 701 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips North Fork Maquoketa Fulton gauge ladder |
| 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.
- Public launch supportCascade Historic Limestone Silo / Cascade landing
The City of Cascade says the Riverview Park corridor has a nearby landing and parking area for canoers and kayakers floating south of town, and WRT describes the practical concrete-ramp launch by the historic limestone silo below the dam.
- Official long-corridor supportCascade to Ozark / Caven wilderness stretch, about 18 mi
Jones County describes about 18 miles between Cascade and the Jackson County Ozark Bridge or Caven Bridge take-outs through a long, largely inaccessible wilderness corridor.
- Published continuation mileageCascade to D61 plus Whitewater Creek mouth to 21st Ave, about 19.9 mi
Wisconsin River Trips documents Cascade Historic Limestone Silo to D61 at 7.8 miles and Whitewater Creek Mouth to 21st Ave / Ozark Bridge at 12.1 miles, supporting the long Cascade-to-Ozark continuation.
- Public take-outOzark Bridge / 21st Ave access area
Jackson County Conservation lists Ozark Bridge on the North Fork water-trail access table, and the existing Ozark-to-Caven route in this corridor uses those published access-area coordinates.
- Gauge ladder231 to 400 cfs broad target
Wisconsin River Trips uses the same Fulton gauge ladder for the scenic upper North Fork corridor, with less than 150 cfs flagged as too shallow and 701+ cfs pushed into the advanced-only range.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-06USGS 05418400 at 943 cfs / 5.04 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.
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 North Fork Maquoketa River
All 6Nearby 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.