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New York | Tompkins County / Lansing and Ludlowville

Salmon CreekLudlowville Falls to Cayuga Lake / Myers Park

A planning-only 1.6-mile Salmon Creek moving-water reach from the public Ludlowville Falls/Ludlowville Park area to the Town of Lansing Myers Park launch area on Cayuga Lake. American Whitewater describes Class I–II water with small surf features, a mandatory portage around Ludlowville Falls, and a public-park lake endpoint. USGS 0423401815 is a current same-creek station near Ludlowville; the stream can be low or dry and responds rapidly to rain, so the live number never replaces a local shallow-water, wood, and landing check.

Route location

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Plan this route

Distance1.6 planning river miles (American Whitewater title lists 1.3 miles)
DifficultyModerate
Typical timeShort daylight outing
ShuttleCar shuttle
Salmon Creek from Ludlowville Falls to Cayuga Lake in New York, shown in American Whitewater route context.
Route photoSalmon Creek Ludlowville Falls to Cayuga Lake; route-specific contextPhoto by American Whitewater

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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 distance1.6 planning river miles (American Whitewater title lists 1.3 miles)Ludlowville Falls to Cayuga Lake / Myers Park
DifficultymoderateAmerican Whitewater rates the route Class I–II with small surf features and a mandatory portage around the falls. Shallow rock, slippery carries, fast rain response, small retentive holes, wood, bridge hydraulics, cold water, and the open-lake finish require more judgment than the short mileage suggests.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the downstream vehicle only at confirmed Myers Park parking/access under current Town of Lansing rules, then drive to Ludlowville Park. Allow daylight for the falls carry, shallow-water scouting, park admission/hours, lake wind, and a conservative extraction plan; do not block park, bridge, fishing, or residential access.
PermitsCheck posted rulesConfirm current Town of Lansing Myers Park admission, hours, camping and paddle-launch rules, Ludlowville Park restrictions, NYSDEC boating/PFD and waterway guidance, private-bank limits, fishing activity, and any temporary closure before departure. NYSDEC PFR access is for fishing only and is not used as a substitute for launch permission.
CampingOptions nearbyMyers Park publishes camping in designated areas, but camping is subject to current Town of Lansing reservation, admission, and seasonal rules. No on-route creek-bank camping is claimed; use a confirmed Myers Park site or separate legal basecamp and do not camp at Ludlowville Falls, the PFR corridor, private banks, bridges, or the creek mouth.
SeasonMar-NovAmerican Whitewater describes a short Class I–II reach that is usually low or dry but can rise quickly after substantial rain. Favor a stable daylight window after checking the current Salmon Creek gauge, recent rainfall, shallow rocks, the Ludlowville Falls portage, and the Myers Park schedule/launch rules.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

TomorrowChecking

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WeekendChecking

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A planning-only 1.6-mile Salmon Creek moving-water reach from the public Ludlowville Falls/Ludlowville Park area to the Town of Lansing Myers Park launch area on Cayuga Lake. American Whitewater describes Class I–II water with small surf features, a mandatory portage around Ludlowville Falls, and a public-park lake endpoint. USGS 0423401815 is a current same-creek station near Ludlowville; the stream can be low or dry and responds rapidly to rain, so the live number never replaces a local shallow-water, wood, and landing check.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

Ludlowville Falls / Ludlowville Park access
Open mapDirections to put-in

The Ludlowville point is a park/access-area anchor near the falls, not a surveyed boat ramp. The water entry requires a current legal and safe carry below the falls; do not enter the falls pool or cross private shoreline.

Finish

Take-out

Myers Park / Salmon Creek mouth at Cayuga Lake
Open mapDirections to take-out

Myers Park is a public municipal park with lake launch facilities and dedicated paddle-launch context, but the stored point is the Salmon Creek mouth/park anchor rather than a surveyed creek landing. Confirm the exact creek exit, fee, hours, and launch rules before relying on it.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • The Ludlowville point is a park/access-area anchor near the falls, not a surveyed boat ramp. The water entry requires a current legal and safe carry below the falls; do not enter the falls pool or cross private shoreline.
  • Myers Park is a public municipal park with lake launch facilities and dedicated paddle-launch context, but the stored point is the Salmon Creek mouth/park anchor rather than a surveyed creek landing. Confirm the exact creek exit, fee, hours, and launch rules before relying on it.
  • NYSDEC’s Salmon Creek PFR map establishes fishing easements and warns that they are for fishing only. It does not authorize walking private banks for loading, camping, scouting, or bailout; use only confirmed public park/path access.
  • The route ends before any unreviewed Cayuga Lake crossing or downstream shoreline continuation. Wind, waves, motorboats, and an exposed lake mouth can make the final section materially different from the creek.

Watch for

  • USGS 0423401815 unavailable, below the locally runnable depth, rapidly rising after rain, or inconsistent with the Ludlowville and Myers Park visual conditions
  • Ludlowville Falls edge and carry, shallow entrance rocks, spin holes, small surf waves, Ludlowville Road bridge, Gas Saver, wood/strainers, cold water, and slippery gorge banks
  • Ludlowville Park carry/path and parking, Myers Park hours/admission/paddle-launch rules, creek-side exit, anglers, Cayuga Lake wind/waves, and motorboat traffic

Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

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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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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Route gallery

Photos

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

Salmon Creek from Ludlowville Falls to Cayuga Lake in New York, shown in American Whitewater route context.
Salmon Creek Ludlowville Falls to Cayuga Lake; route-specific contextPhoto by American Whitewater
American Whitewater route 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 corridorLudlowville Falls to Cayuga Lake; approximately 1.3–1.6 miles; Class I–II

    American Whitewater publishes the distinct route, feature sequence, rain response, mandatory falls portage, and endpoint names; its title distance differs from the detailed 1.6-mile feature progression.

    Source

  • Public endpoint contextLudlowville Park/falls access to Town of Lansing Myers Park

    The Town of Lansing publishes Myers Park lake frontage, ramps, and paddle-craft facilities; route guidance identifies the Ludlowville park carry and Myers endpoint. Confirm creek-side water entry/exit and current park rules.

    Source

  • NYSDEC lower-creek contextSalmon Creek PFR map, Ludlowville Park, and lower-creek public-fishing-rights corridor

    NYSDEC confirms the lower Salmon Creek/Ludlowville context but explicitly limits PFR to fishing; it is not treated as blanket paddling access.

    Source

  • Direct live gaugeUSGS 0423401815 Salmon Creek near Ludlowville

    The same-creek station has current discharge and gage-height records near Ludlowville; use as direct local context with actual depth, rain, wood, and lake checks.

    Source

  • Route-specific flow guidanceUsually low/dry; substantial rain can raise the creek from around 20 cfs toward 300 cfs

    American Whitewater reports rapid rain response and small Class I–II surf features; these are planning observations, not a fixed runnable threshold.

    Source

  • Route imageAmerican Whitewater Salmon Creek image used as route-specific feature context

    The image is sourced from the named reach and presented as route context; it does not certify current flow, wood, access, or a runnable line.

    Source

  • Direct live gaugeUSGS 0423401815, Salmon Creek near Ludlowville, NY

    USGS 0423401815 is a direct same-creek station near Ludlowville, 0.1 mile below the Dug Street bridge and about 1.6 miles above the mouth. Use current discharge/stage and trend with recent rainfall and the actual reach; the gauge does not certify depth at the falls portage, local wood, lake conditions, or a safe line.

    Source

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

    American Whitewater / Town of Lansing and NYSDEC Salmon Creek access context 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

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Keep exploring

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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.Tompkins County / Lansing and LudlowvilleJump to routes in this region.

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Quick answers

Salmon Creek paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Ludlowville Falls to Cayuga Lake / Myers Park route on the Salmon 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 Ludlowville Falls to Cayuga Lake / Myers Park route on the Salmon Creek start and end?

This route starts at Ludlowville Falls / Ludlowville Park access and ends at Myers Park / Salmon Creek mouth at Cayuga Lake, 1.6 planning river miles (American Whitewater title lists 1.3 miles) on the water.

Is the Ludlowville Falls to Cayuga Lake / Myers Park route on the Salmon Creek 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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