See all 2 routes on Rappahannock River
Virginia | Fauquier and Culpeper counties / Remington–Kelly’s Ford
Rappahannock River
Rector Tract to Kelly's Ford
Check current paddling conditions for this Rappahannock 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
A short public-access self-shuttle with direct Remington stage telemetry, pastoral moving water, and two Class II+ rapids near Kelly's Ford.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
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
Rector Tract Canoe/Kayak LaunchRector Tract is open dawn to dusk. Verify current county notices, parking, launch condition, and daylight before unloading.
Take-out
Kelly's Ford DWR boat accessKelly's Ford is a DWR-owned and maintained hand launch/boat slide within C.F. Phelps WMA. Verify the current access-permit rule, hunting-season conditions, parking, ramp status, and closures.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Rector Tract is open dawn to dusk. Verify current county notices, parking, launch condition, and daylight before unloading.
- Kelly's Ford is a DWR-owned and maintained hand launch/boat slide within C.F. Phelps WMA. Verify the current access-permit rule, hunting-season conditions, parking, ramp status, and closures.
- Sandy Beach is posted no trespassing. Private banks and informal roadside pull-offs are not substitute accesses; obtain permission before leaving the navigable channel anywhere other than the named public endpoints.
Watch for
- USGS 01664000 below 3.5 ft, above 6.5 ft, rapidly rising, unavailable, or inconsistent with the launch visual
- Sandy Beach and Piggly Wiggly rapids, wood, shallow rock, cold water, thunderstorms, or poor downstream visibility
- a closed endpoint, unmet WMA access requirement, insufficient daylight, separated paddlers, or a failed shuttle
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.
No approved route photos yet
Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.
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 | Rappahannock River at Remington, VA |
| 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 |
| Target band | 3.80 ft to 5.50 ft |
| Low threshold | 3.50 ft |
| High threshold | 6.50 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Remington–Kelly’s Ford correlation: 3.5–6.5 ft at USGS 01664000 |
| 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 public corridorRector Tract to Kelly's Ford; 4.6 miles
Fauquier County names the public launch, address, daily hours, exact downstream takeout, and distance.
- Direct live gauge and thresholdUSGS 01664000; American Whitewater runnable range 3.5–6.5 ft
American Whitewater ties the exact reach to the Remington gauge and documents both Class II+ rapids; USGS supplies current stage.
- Public takeout and WMA rulesDWR-owned Kelly's Ford hand launch/boat slide
Virginia DWR’s access inventory and C.F. Phelps map establish the public takeout; current WMA rules establish access-permit and camping constraints.
- Camping logisticsNo on-route camping assumed; separate regional state-park basecamp
Rector Tract is day use and WMA rules prohibit camping within 300 feet of boat ramps. Any separate state-park stay requires current availability and rules.
- Rights-clean image decisionUse the approved PaddleToday route-photo fallback
No image is copied from Fauquier County, Virginia DWR, American Whitewater, USGS, or Virginia State Parks. Add a route-specific photo only after reuse rights are verified.
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.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
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Quick answers
Rappahannock River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Rappahannock River?
Paddle Today watches Rappahannock River at Remington, VA and treats 3.80 ft to 5.50 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Rappahannock River route start and end?
This route starts at Rector Tract Canoe/Kayak Launch and ends at Kelly's Ford DWR boat access, about 4.6 river miles on the water.
Is this Rappahannock 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.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.