New York | Richmond County / Staten Island
Old Place Creek
Gulf Avenue hand launch to the Arthur Kill connection and same-launch return
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
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
Checking weather.
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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
A planning-only approximately 4-mile tidal Old Place Creek out-and-back from the current NYSDEC Gulf Avenue hand boat launch toward the Arthur Kill connection and back. NYSDEC describes the 70-acre tidal/subtidal wetland, accessible hand launch, and roughly 2-mile creek connection to the Arthur Kill. This card uses the public launch as both start and finish, turns around before committing to the main Arthur Kill, and does not claim a second take-out, open-water crossing, private shoreline, or overnight use.
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
NYSDEC Old Place Creek Gulf Avenue hand launchNYSDEC currently lists the Old Place Creek hand launch as accessible and provides the 40.627251, -74.182371 coordinate. Treat it as the authoritative launch-area anchor, then verify the actual carry, waterline, parking, signs, and any day-of closure.
Take-out
NYSDEC Old Place Creek Gulf Avenue hand launch — same-launch returnThe DEC page says the creek connects to Arthur Kill in about 2 miles but does not establish a second public take-out or authorize entry into the main Arthur Kill channel. This card therefore returns to Gulf Avenue and keeps the mouth as a turnaround boundary.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- NYSDEC currently lists the Old Place Creek hand launch as accessible and provides the 40.627251, -74.182371 coordinate. Treat it as the authoritative launch-area anchor, then verify the actual carry, waterline, parking, signs, and any day-of closure.
- The DEC page says the creek connects to Arthur Kill in about 2 miles but does not establish a second public take-out or authorize entry into the main Arthur Kill channel. This card therefore returns to Gulf Avenue and keeps the mouth as a turnaround boundary.
- Do not use the Gulf Avenue road edge, bridge, industrial shoreline, private docks, marsh platforms, or Arthur Kill shore as alternate launch, landing, camping, or emergency access without current authorization.
Watch for
- NOAA Port Ivory tide/current prediction, USGS 01396060 connected-estuary proxy, local depth, wind, visibility, recent weather, water quality, and daylight return margin
- shallow mud, vegetation, strainers/debris, bridge approaches, limited legal exits, industrial/rail/utility boundaries, and cold-water immersion
- Gulf Avenue parking and hand carry, accessible launch condition, Arthur Kill commercial traffic, main-channel boundary, private shoreline, and no-camping rule
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
Data and sources
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 | Arthur Kill at Perth Amboy, NJ |
| 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | Not calibrated yet |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | No fixed flow cutoff is appropriate. Use NOAA Port Ivory tide predictions with local water depth, current, wind, visibility, marine traffic, recent weather, and a conservative same-launch return window; do not treat the tidal proxy as a safety certification. |
| 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.
- Named tidal wetland corridorOld Place Creek hand launch toward the Arthur Kill connection; about 2 miles one way per NYSDEC, retained as approximately 4 miles round trip
NYSDEC describes Old Place Creek as a 70-acre tidal/subtidal wetland and says the creek connects to Arthur Kill in about 2 miles. The route is intentionally bounded as a same-launch return rather than an open-water Arthur Kill trip.
- Current public water accessNYSDEC Old Place Creek hand launch, 40.627251, -74.182371; accessible hand launch
The current Richmond County launch directory lists the Old Place Creek hand launch and its coordinate. Verify the exact waterline, Gulf Avenue parking, carry, signs, and operating conditions on site.
- Route-specific tidal guidanceNo numeric cutoff; plan NOAA Port Ivory tide/current with local depth, wind, visibility, traffic, and a same-launch return
Old Place Creek is tidal and connects to the Arthur Kill; NOAA provides nearby Port Ivory tide predictions, but neither the prediction nor the connected-estuary gauge replaces local inspection or a conservative return window.
- Connected-estuary proxyUSGS 01396060 Arthur Kill at Perth Amboy, NJ
The current station supplies tidal-elevation context in the connected Arthur Kill estuary. It is not a local Old Place Creek gauge and cannot certify wetland depth, access, traffic, or safe conditions.
- Camping postureNo camping; day use only
NYSDEC’s Old Place Creek rules identify the property as carry-in/carry-out day-use state land and prohibit camping.
- Approved route imageOld Place Creek and Arthur Kill bridge context
Jim.henderson’s Wikimedia Commons photograph is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 and depicts the Old Place Creek mouth/Arthur Kill bridge context; it does not certify current tide, launch operation, traffic, or safe conditions.
- Same-river proxy gaugeUSGS 01396060, Arthur Kill at Perth Amboy, NJ
USGS 01396060 is a current Arthur Kill estuary station in New Jersey with tidal-elevation and water-temperature data. It is retained as broad connected-estuary context only; it does not measure Old Place Creek, local wetland depth, the launch, the bridge, commercial traffic, or a safe turnaround.
- Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch
NYSDEC Old Place Creek / Richmond County Boat Launch Sites / NOAA and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.
- Image decisionApproved watershed/proxy-gauge context image used for route presentation
The image is clearly labeled as watershed/proxy-gauge context and does not claim to depict this exact reach.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- NYSDEC Old Place Creek / Richmond County Boat Launch Sites / NOAA route record
- NYSDEC Richmond County launch directory and Old Place Creek access map
- USGS 01396060 Arthur Kill at Perth Amboy tidal-elevation proxy conditions
- NYSDEC Old Place Creek paddling, access, and state-land safety guidance
- USGS 01396060 monitoring location
- USGS 01396060 current conditions
- Old Place Creek context image
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
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Quick answers
Old Place Creek paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Old Place Creek?
Paddle Today watches Arthur Kill at Perth Amboy, NJ and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Old Place Creek route start and end?
This route starts at NYSDEC Old Place Creek Gulf Avenue hand launch and ends at NYSDEC Old Place Creek Gulf Avenue hand launch — same-launch return, about Approximately 4 round-trip planning miles from the Gulf Avenue hand launch to the Arthur Kill connection and back; DEC describes the one-way creek connection as about 2 miles on the water.
Is this Old Place Creek 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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