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New York | Ulster County / High Falls and Rosendale

Rondout CreekHigh Falls Dam to Rosendale / Wallkill River

A planning-only 6.4-mile Rondout Creek whitewater reach from the High Falls Dam access area to the Rosendale/Wallkill River finish. American Whitewater rates the named section Class II–IV with possible V/V+ features, including an approximately 12-foot Little Falls, a low-head dam, strong eddy lines, holes, and the Eye Ripper. Riverfacts supplies the mapped endpoint anchors; the direct Rosendale gauge is context, not a go signal, and every feature and landing requires same-day inspection.

Route location

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Plan this route

Distance6.4 whitewater river miles
DifficultyHard
Typical timeA full daylight whitewater outing
ShuttleCar shuttle
Rondout Creek near Kingston, New York, used as same-river context for the High Falls Dam to Rosendale whitewater reach.
Route photoRondout Creek near Kingston; High Falls–Rosendale route contextPhoto by Wikimedia Commons

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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 distance6.4 whitewater river milesHigh Falls Dam to Rosendale / Wallkill River
DifficultyhardAmerican Whitewater rates the reach III–V(V+) and describes Little Falls, strong eddy lines, holes, a low-head dam, and the Eye Ripper. The direct gauge does not remove the need for feature-by-feature scouting, rescue readiness, cold-water protection, and a preplanned portage or exit.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the downstream Rosendale/Wallkill access-area vehicle only after confirming current legal parking and a safe landing, then shuttle to the High Falls Dam access. Allow time for a full local gauge and waterline check, feature scouting, a failed-shuttle plan, and a separate extraction option; do not block bridge, utility, or private access.
PermitsCheck posted rulesConfirm current New York boating/PFD and Clean.Drain.Dry rules, municipal/DEC access and parking rules, private-bank and utility boundaries, any hydropower notices, and current landing permissions before departure. No public camping or dam-approach permission is inferred from navigability.
CampingOptions nearbyNearby basecamp or lodging only. Public access and whitewater do not create riverbank camping rights; arrange a separate legal campground, private campground, or lodging and verify current operation. Do not camp at the dam, rapid, bridge, utility property, private bank, or Rosendale landing.
SeasonMar-NovAmerican Whitewater describes a flow-dependent Class II–V reach. Favor a stable spring or post-rain window after checking the Rosendale gauge, local rainfall, hydro diversion conditions, wood, cold water, and the full shuttle/rescue plan; the level changes the character of Little Falls and the downstream holes substantially.

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 6.4-mile Rondout Creek whitewater reach from the High Falls Dam access area to the Rosendale/Wallkill River finish. American Whitewater rates the named section Class II–IV with possible V/V+ features, including an approximately 12-foot Little Falls, a low-head dam, strong eddy lines, holes, and the Eye Ripper. Riverfacts supplies the mapped endpoint anchors; the direct Rosendale gauge is context, not a go signal, and every feature and landing requires same-day inspection.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

High Falls Dam Rondout Creek access area
Open mapDirections to put-in

Riverfacts provides endpoint GPS anchors for the named reach, but neither point is treated as a survey-grade ramp. Confirm legal parking, carry, waterline, landing, signs, and current landowner/manager permission before staging.

Finish

Take-out

Rosendale / Wallkill River Rondout Creek access area
Open mapDirections to take-out

The High Falls access has dam, hydropower, utility, and Little Falls boundary questions. Do not cross barriers or use a nearby bank/roadside pull-off as an alternate launch without current authorization.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • Riverfacts provides endpoint GPS anchors for the named reach, but neither point is treated as a survey-grade ramp. Confirm legal parking, carry, waterline, landing, signs, and current landowner/manager permission before staging.
  • The High Falls access has dam, hydropower, utility, and Little Falls boundary questions. Do not cross barriers or use a nearby bank/roadside pull-off as an alternate launch without current authorization.
  • The Rosendale endpoint is mapped near the Wallkill River and is not interchangeable with the separate DEC Creek Locks Road launch downstream. Confirm the exact take-out and keep the mandatory downstream boundary explicit.

Watch for

  • USGS 01367500 unavailable, rapidly rising/falling, or inconsistent with the High Falls visual; recent rain, snowmelt, hydropower diversion, and local tributary response
  • Little Falls, low-head dam, Spin Cycle eddy line, Blast Hole, Eye Ripper, ledge holes, undercuts, wood, cold water, and limited recovery/rescue margins
  • High Falls parking/carry, utility and private boundaries, Rosendale landing and parking, Wallkill/Sturgeon Pool continuation pressure, and a failed shuttle or extraction plan

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.

Rondout Creek near Kingston, New York, used as same-river context for the High Falls Dam to Rosendale whitewater reach.
Rondout Creek near Kingston; High Falls–Rosendale route contextPhoto by Wikimedia Commons
Same-river context image

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.

  • Named moving-water corridorHigh Falls Dam to Rosendale; 6.4 miles; Class III–V(V+)

    American Whitewater publishes the distinct reach, length, difficulty range, Rosendale gauge, Little Falls, low-head-dam, hole, and Eye Ripper feature context.

    Source

  • Mapped endpoint anchorsHigh Falls Dam 41.82979, -74.1325 to Rosendale/Wallkill River 41.85359, -74.0489

    Riverfacts maps the named High Falls Dam to Wallkill River section and supplies both GPS anchors. Treat them as access-area coordinates requiring current field verification.

    Source

  • Direct gauge contextUSGS 01367500 Rondout Creek at Rosendale

    The live same-creek station supplies stage/discharge trend, but it does not certify upstream features, hydropower diversion, wood, access, or safe runnable conditions.

    Source

  • Route-specific safetyLittle Falls, low-head dam, strong eddy lines, holes, Eye Ripper, and scouting/portage decisions

    American Whitewater’s reach description supplies the feature sequence and flow-dependent difficulty; no numeric cutoff is invented.

    Source

  • Camping postureNearby basecamp or lodging only

    No on-route camping right is claimed from the mapped whitewater access or riverbank; arrange separate legal lodging/camping.

    Source

  • Approved route imageRondout Creek near Kingston used as same-river context

    The Wikimedia Commons image is clearly labeled as same-river context and does not depict the High Falls features, current, access, or take-out.

    Source

  • Direct live gaugeUSGS 01367500, Rondout Creek at Rosendale, NY

    USGS 01367500 is a direct same-creek station at Rosendale, but stage at the gauge does not certify the upstream High Falls launch, hydropower diversion, individual rapids, wood, or safe rescue options. Use the live trend with local visual scouting and current access conditions.

    Source

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

    American Whitewater / Riverfacts Rondout Creek High Falls–Rosendale 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

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Quick answers

Rondout Creek paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the High Falls Dam to Rosendale / Wallkill River route on the Rondout Creek?

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 High Falls Dam to Rosendale / Wallkill River route on the Rondout Creek start and end?

This route starts at High Falls Dam Rondout Creek access area and ends at Rosendale / Wallkill River Rondout Creek access area, 6.4 whitewater river miles on the water.

Is the High Falls Dam to Rosendale / Wallkill River route on the Rondout Creek suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a hard 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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