Utah | Ogden / Wasatch Front
Ogden River
Lorin Farr Park to Crystal Wave Kayak Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Ogden 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 Lorin Farr Park and take out at Crystal Wave for the short Ogden River town section. Use the Gibson Avenue gauge, favor 150-520 cfs, and scout bridges, wood, surf features, and the finish before committing.
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
Lorin Farr Park / Ogden River put-inAmerican Whitewater provides the implementation coordinates for the put-in and take-out, while Ogden City and Weber State corroborate the public Lorin Farr-to-Crystal-Wave corridor.
Take-out
Crystal Wave Kayak Park take-outThe put-in coordinate is an AW river/access anchor for the Lorin Farr town-section start, not a surveyed ramp edge. Use the obvious legal parkway/river access path and current signs on arrival.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- American Whitewater provides the implementation coordinates for the put-in and take-out, while Ogden City and Weber State corroborate the public Lorin Farr-to-Crystal-Wave corridor.
- The put-in coordinate is an AW river/access anchor for the Lorin Farr town-section start, not a surveyed ramp edge. Use the obvious legal parkway/river access path and current signs on arrival.
- The take-out coordinate is an AW Crystal Wave access anchor near the 20th Street / Wall Avenue corridor. Identify the actual landing and carry path before launching so the group does not drift into the woodier downstream reach.
- AW says driving is no longer allowed along the river near the area just below Crystal Wave. Plan the carry to the legal parking area instead of trying to drive to the water.
- Private and business-adjacent land, parkway users, anglers, and city maintenance can all affect practical access on a given day.
Watch for
- Class II+ waves and ledges, including the Crystal Wave feature and other urban surf spots.
- Lincoln Avenue bridge clearance. AW says levels over about 520 cfs make Lincoln a portage issue and notes about two feet of clearance around 550 cfs.
- Fishhooks, bushes, bridge debris, strainers, and the riverwide wood AW reports a few hundred yards below Crystal Wave.
- The normal route ends at Crystal Wave. Continuing downstream requires separate scouting for brushy meanders, sweepers, the Weber confluence, and a large diversion dam farther downstream.
- Urban runoff/water-quality concerns, thunderstorms, fast changes after rain or dam/irrigation operations, and busy trail/park users around both endpoints.
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.
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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 | Ogden River NR Gibson Avenue at Ogden, UT |
| 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 |
| Target band | 150 cfs to 520 cfs |
| Low threshold | 150 cfs |
| High threshold | 650 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Ogden River Lorin Farr-to-Crystal Wave gauge band |
| 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.
- Live gaugeUSGS 10140700 at 326 cfs / 7.26 ft
USGS Water Services returned Ogden River near Gibson Avenue discharge and gage height at 01:45 MDT on 2026-08-09.
- Route shapeLorin Farr to Crystal Wave, 1.3 miles
American Whitewater names the town-section reach, rates it Class II+, and describes Crystal Wave as the normal end of the section.
- Endpoint coordinates41.23600, -111.96000 to 41.23300, -111.98200
American Whitewater publishes exact access-point coordinates for the put-in and take-out; Ogden City separately confirms Lorin Farr Park and the Crystal Wave Kayak Park corridor.
- Threshold posture150-520 cfs preferred; 650 cfs high cutoff
AW embeds a 150-650 cfs runnable band for the direct Gibson Avenue gauge. Paddle Today caps the preferred range at 520 cfs because AW warns the Lincoln Avenue bridge becomes a portage issue above that level.
- CampingNo route camping
Ogden City code prohibits camping on public property outside approved campgrounds, and this short urban route is framed as a same-day parkway run.
- Image decisionNo route-gallery image selected
Bounded Ogden City, AW, Weber State, Commons, and same-route web review found route context but no clearly rights-clean exact Lorin-Farr-to-Crystal-Wave paddling asset selected for local reuse.
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
Ogden River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Ogden River?
Paddle Today watches Ogden River NR Gibson Avenue at Ogden, UT and treats 150 cfs to 520 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Ogden River route start and end?
This route starts at Lorin Farr Park / Ogden River put-in and ends at Crystal Wave Kayak Park take-out, about About 1.3 mi on the water.
Is this Ogden 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.