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New York | Suffolk County / Calverton and Riverhead

Peconic RiverForge Pond / South River Road to Peconic River Canoe Launch / Upper Mills

A planning-only lower-freshwater Peconic River route from the accessible NYSDEC Forge Pond/South River Road launch to the Suffolk County Peconic River Canoe Launch at Upper Mills. NYSDEC confirms the Forge Pond and Lower/Upper Mills public access chain, Suffolk County confirms direct canoe/kayak access at the county launch, and the Peconic River Blueway map identifies both points within the mapped launch sequence. The route stops at Upper Mills rather than claiming an unverified continuation through downstream dam, culvert, and estuary conditions.

Route location

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Plan this route

DistanceAbout 3.0 paddling miles from Forge Pond/South River Road to the Peconic River Canoe Launch at Upper Mills
DifficultyModerate
Typical timeAbout 2–4 hours depending on water level
ShuttleCar shuttle
Peconic River at Riverhead, New York, used as same-river context for the Forge Pond to Upper Mills lower freshwater route.
Route photoForge Pond to Upper Mills Peconic River lower-freshwater contextPhoto by U.S. Geological Survey

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
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Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceAbout 3.0 paddling miles from Forge Pond/South River Road to the Peconic River Canoe Launch at Upper MillsForge Pond / South River Road to Peconic River Canoe Launch / Upper Mills
DifficultymoderateThe short lower-freshwater reach has public launches and a direct gauge, but submerged vegetation, shallow water, debris, dams/weirs, limited legal exits, and a mandatory take-out before the more complex downstream corridor require conservative planning.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the downstream vehicle at the confirmed Peconic River Canoe Launch/Upper Mills, then drive to Forge Pond/South River Road. Keep the shuttle road-based and retain a turnaround plan if the gauge, water depth, vegetation, or structures do not match expectations.
PermitsCheck posted rulesConfirm current NYSDEC Managed Land Access Permit and parking rules for Forge Pond, Suffolk County launch fee/seasonal rules at the canoe launch, electric-motor restrictions, Clean-Drain-Dry requirements, and all posted dam, water-quality, and access notices before departure.
CampingDay tripNo on-route camping is documented. The named launches are day-use access areas; Indian Island County Park offers separate camping near the Peconic estuary, but it is not on this bounded route and requires current reservation and park-rule confirmation.
SeasonApr-NovThis lower freshwater reach is seasonal and sensitive to water level, shallow shoals, aquatic vegetation, dams/weirs, culverts, debris, urban shoreline, and changing launch conditions. Confirm the current gauge, route boundary, access rules, and weather before departure.

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 planning-only lower-freshwater Peconic River route from the accessible NYSDEC Forge Pond/South River Road launch to the Suffolk County Peconic River Canoe Launch at Upper Mills. NYSDEC confirms the Forge Pond and Lower/Upper Mills public access chain, Suffolk County confirms direct canoe/kayak access at the county launch, and the Peconic River Blueway map identifies both points within the mapped launch sequence. The route stops at Upper Mills rather than claiming an unverified continuation through downstream dam, culvert, and estuary conditions.

Access map

Skip map

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Start

Put-in

Forge Pond / South River Road hand launch
Open mapDirections to put-in

The stored coordinates follow current NYSDEC and Suffolk County public-launch records; they identify the access area, not a guarantee that the ramp, dock, carry, parking, or waterline is open on the day of travel.

Finish

Take-out

Peconic River Canoe Launch / Upper Mills
Open mapDirections to take-out

The route ends at Upper Mills. The Blueway map shows additional launches downstream, but those reaches require separate confirmation of dams, portages, culverts, tide, water quality, and legal take-outs.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • The stored coordinates follow current NYSDEC and Suffolk County public-launch records; they identify the access area, not a guarantee that the ramp, dock, carry, parking, or waterline is open on the day of travel.
  • The route ends at Upper Mills. The Blueway map shows additional launches downstream, but those reaches require separate confirmation of dams, portages, culverts, tide, water quality, and legal take-outs.
  • Forge Pond is a named Peconic River launch with accessible features, but access may still be subject to DEC permit and parking rules; verify current posted restrictions before unloading.
  • Do not use a short distance or apparent open channel to infer permission to land on private banks or portage around an obstruction.

Watch for

  • USGS 01304500 unavailable, rapidly changing, or inconsistent with observed Forge Pond/Peconic River level
  • shallow water, aquatic vegetation, debris, dams, weirs, culverts, bridge structures, private banks, and urban-water-quality advisories
  • Forge Pond ramp/dock, Upper Mills 50-yard carry, county fee/seasonal operation, DEC permit, electric-motor restriction, and current access notices

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

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Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.

Gauge detail

Water-level history and forecastDetailed view

Gauge

Recent trend

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Checking trend.

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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

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Route gallery

Photos

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

Peconic River at Riverhead, New York, used as same-river context for the Forge Pond to Upper Mills lower freshwater route.
Forge Pond to Upper Mills Peconic River lower-freshwater contextPhoto by U.S. Geological Survey
USGS station photograph; same-river context

Sources

Data and sources

Read the access and hazard notes and check the linked guides. We do not issue a daily score for this trip.

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.

  • Current public launchesForge Pond/South River Road and Peconic River (Lower) Upper Mills

    NYSDEC lists the Forge Pond and Upper Mills access points with current coordinates, launch types, parking, carry, and electric-motor restrictions.

    Source

  • County canoe launchRoute 25 Peconic River Canoe Launch provides direct canoe/kayak access

    Suffolk County independently confirms the municipal canoe/kayak launch used as the bounded take-out.

    Source

  • Blueway corridorForge Pond and Upper Mills are part of the mapped Peconic River Blueway launch sequence

    The Peconic Estuary Partnership map identifies the broader 9.5-mile paddling trail and the named launches; this route deliberately stops at Upper Mills pending a separate downstream review.

    Source

  • Direct live gaugeUSGS 01304500 Peconic River at Riverhead

    The station supplies direct same-river current stage/discharge context for the lower reach; local depth and structure inspection remain decisive.

    Source

  • Camping contextIndian Island County Park has public self-launch boating and camping at the estuarine mouth

    The county park is retained as nearby-basecamp context only and is not asserted as an endpoint for this bounded route.

    Source

  • Route imageUSGS Peconic River station photograph used as clearly labeled same-river context

    The presentation image is same-river context and does not claim to depict the full Forge Pond-to-Upper Mills reach.

    Source

  • Direct live gaugeUSGS 01304500, Peconic River at Riverhead, NY

    USGS 01304500 is a direct Peconic River station in Riverhead and is the best available current trend source for this lower reach. It does not replace local inspection of Forge Pond level, aquatic vegetation, debris, structures, water quality, or the county launch.

    Source

  • Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch

    NYSDEC Suffolk County launch directory / Suffolk County Parks / Peconic River Blueway map and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.

    Source

  • Image decisionApproved same-river context image used for route presentation

    The image is labeled as river-level context when it depicts the named river elsewhere, not this exact reach.

    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

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Keep exploring

More routes to check next

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

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New York route guideBrowse every tracked New York route.Suffolk County / Calverton and RiverheadJump to routes in this region.

More on Peconic River

All 4
River Road East/West to Edwards Avenue and Mill RoadSuffolk County / Calverton and Manorville Pine BarrensEasy · About 2.0 paddling miles from the River Road access area to the Edwards Avenue/Mill Road access and dam boundaryUpper Mills to Weeping Willow ParkSuffolk County / RiverheadEasy · About 1.5 planning miles from the Upper Mills canoe launch to Weeping Willow ParkWeeping Willow Park / Riverhead to Indian Island County Park / Flanders BaySuffolk County / Riverhead and Flanders BayModerate · About 3.0 tidal paddling miles from Weeping Willow Park to the Indian Island County Park estuarine mouth

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Carmans RiverCarmans River DEC access off Montauk Highway to Beaver Dam Road kayak launch · about 11 straight-line mi awayModerate · About 2 tidal river miles from the Montauk Highway access to Beaver Dam RoadMattituck CreekMattituck Creek Waterway Access Site to Route 48 / Love Lane head of Mattituck Inlet · about 12 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 2.8 planning water miles from the DEC Mattituck Creek Waterway Access Site to the Route 48 / Love Lane head-of-inlet rampNissequogue RiverPaul T. Given County Park / Smithtown to Nissequogue River State Park / Kings Park · about 25 straight-line mi awayModerate · About 5.5 tidal river miles from Paul T. Given County Park to Nissequogue River State ParkBronx RiverShoelace Park 219th Street kayak launch to Soundview Park Kayak/Canoe Launch · about 59 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 7 river miles from the 219th Street launch to the Soundview Park launch; planning estimate for the Blueway section

Quick answers

Peconic River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Forge Pond / South River Road to Peconic River Canoe Launch / Upper Mills route on the Peconic River?

This planning route has no live Paddle Today score. Review the linked water-level sources, current access notices and route-specific hazards before travel.

Where does the Forge Pond / South River Road to Peconic River Canoe Launch / Upper Mills route on the Peconic River start and end?

This route starts at Forge Pond / South River Road hand launch and ends at Peconic River Canoe Launch / Upper Mills, about 3.0 paddling miles from Forge Pond/South River Road to the Peconic River Canoe Launch at Upper Mills on the water.

Is the Forge Pond / South River Road to Peconic River Canoe Launch / Upper Mills route on the Peconic River suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a moderate route. Review the difficulty notes, hazards and current access conditions against your group's skills. No live score assesses this trip.

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