See all 5 routes on Saline River
Arkansas | Central Arkansas
Saline River
Lyle Park Access to Saline Crossing Access
Check current paddling conditions for this Saline 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
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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 Lyle Park and take out at Saline Crossing for the lower Benton Saline split. This route includes the Benton spillway / low-dam and low-water-bridge hazard package, so scout, portage conservatively, and do not treat it like a casual downstream float.
Prepare this trip
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Put-in
Lyle Park AccessCherry Demuth Access is currently closed, so do not depend on it as a planned mid-route bailout or shuttle point.
Take-out
Saline Crossing AccessAGFC says the Benton Water Purification Plant spillway or low dam about 1.6 miles below Lyle Park can be hazardous and should be portaged when the river is below 4 ft.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Cherry Demuth Access is currently closed, so do not depend on it as a planned mid-route bailout or shuttle point.
- AGFC says the Benton Water Purification Plant spillway or low dam about 1.6 miles below Lyle Park can be hazardous and should be portaged when the river is below 4 ft.
- AGFC also warns the downstream low-water bridge loses clearance as the river rises; at 6 ft there is not enough air space to pass under it and portage becomes mandatory.
- Stay with the named public access points and avoid private banks, fences, signs, and purple-painted property lines along the corridor.
Watch for
- Low water around and below 3.5 ft, when dragging, slower shoals, and a more awkward spillway portage become more likely.
- Higher water above about 5.0 ft, when AGFC says the lower route becomes experienced-only and bridge / current consequences increase.
- Fast chutes, riffles, strainers, fresh flood wood, muddy exits, and pushier current after thunderstorms.
- The spillway / low-dam portage, downstream bridge clearance, private banks, and late-day decision fatigue on a short but hazard-heavy lower segment.
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
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 | Saline River at Benton, AR |
| 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 | 3.60 ft to 5.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 3.50 ft |
| High threshold | 5.00 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Arkansas Game and Fish Saline River Water Trail gauge bands |
| 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.
- Official route segmentLyle Park to Saline Crossing, 4.2 miles
AGFC identifies Lyle Park to Saline Crossing as a reviewed lower Saline route with 2 to 3 hour timing in the typical and optimum bands.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 07363000
USGS Water Services returned same-day Saline River at Benton values of 329 cfs and 4.00 ft at 2026-07-06 13:30 CDT during this run, inside AGFC's typical-to-optimum lower-route window.
- Stage model3.5 / 3.6-5.0 / 5.0 ft
AGFC labels 3.5 ft and below as low, 3.6-4.0 ft as typical, 4.1-5.0 ft as optimum, and 5.1-5.5 ft as high experienced-only water. Paddle Today uses 3.6-5.0 ft as the broad audience band and treats water above 5.0 ft as outside the general recommendation.
- Endpoint coordinatesLyle Park Access 34.5873, -92.6051; Saline Crossing Access 34.54106, -92.60718
AGFC publishes both public lower-route accesses as named map-linked Saline River Water Trail points.
- Lower-route hazard rulesSpillway portage below 4 ft; low bridge mandatory at 6 ft
AGFC says the Benton Water Purification Plant spillway or low dam is hazardous and should be portaged when the river is below 4 ft, and that the downstream low-water bridge has insufficient clearance at 6 ft.
- Camping classificationnone
The reviewed AGFC route materials did not identify legal route camping for Lyle Park or Saline Crossing, and nearby banks should be treated as private.
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
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Quick answers
Saline River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Saline River?
Paddle Today watches Saline River at Benton, AR and treats 3.60 ft to 5.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Saline River route start and end?
This route starts at Lyle Park Access and ends at Saline Crossing Access, about About 4.2 mi on the water.
Is this Saline 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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