See all 5 routes on Schoharie Creek
New York | Montgomery County / Mohawk Valley
Schoharie Creek
Burtonsville Schoharie Creek hand launch to Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site and return boundary at Fort Hunter
Check current paddling conditions for this Schoharie Creek 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 bounded approximately 14-mile downstream Schoharie Creek moving-water section from the current Burtonsville hand launch to the current Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing launch near Fort Hunter. Montgomery County describes the larger Esperance-to-Fort Hunter run as about 21 miles, while the existing PaddleToday card already covers Esperance to Burtonsville; this card isolates the remaining downstream section so the sequence is complete without duplicating the upper reach. American Whitewater reports Class I–II water, ledges and wave trains near Burtonsville, changing channels, a strainer hazard below Mill Point, and the Fort Hunter finish.
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
Burtonsville NYSDEC Schoharie Creek hand launchThe current Burtonsville hand launch has limited parking and a bridge-area carry; verify the exact water entry, road visibility, landing, and current signs before unloading.
Take-out
Schoharie Crossing Dufel Road Schoharie Creek launch, Fort HunterDufel Road / Schoharie Crossing is the documented public lower finish. The stored coordinate is the launch-area anchor from the current launch/site map context, not a mid-channel point; verify the actual water-side carry and site hours on the day of the shuttle.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The current Burtonsville hand launch has limited parking and a bridge-area carry; verify the exact water entry, road visibility, landing, and current signs before unloading.
- Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing is the documented public lower finish. The stored coordinate is the launch-area anchor from the current launch/site map context, not a mid-channel point; verify the actual water-side carry and site hours on the day of the shuttle.
- This route begins at the existing Esperance–Burtonsville finish and ends at the Dufel Road launch near Fort Hunter, so it is intentionally separate from the upper Schoharie card and from the Erie Canal/Mohawk route that uses the same lower launch area.
- Do not use the old bridge, private shore, Mohawk confluence, or an unlisted road shoulder as a substitute take-out. Stop at Dufel before the confluence unless a separate current route review establishes the continuation.
Watch for
- USGS 01351500 rising rapidly, recent rain, cold water, debris, changing channels, ledges, wave trains, rock gardens, and the strainer reported below Mill Point
- Burtonsville five-car parking, bridge traffic, carry/landing conditions, private banks, and the full daylight shuttle margin
- Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing sunrise-to-sunset hours, events, parking, historic-site rules, the hard downstream boundary at the Mohawk confluence, and the mandatory take-out
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 | Schoharie Creek at Burtonsville, NY |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | Not calibrated yet |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | No current numeric cutoff published for the Burtonsville-to-Fort Hunter segment; use the direct Burtonsville gauge with recent rainfall, trend, debris, local scouting, and rescue judgment |
| 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.
- Distinct downstream corridorBurtonsville to Fort Hunter / Dufel Road; approximately 14 miles as the downstream portion of the 21-mile Esperance-to-Fort Hunter run
Montgomery County identifies the larger 21-mile Schoharie Creek run and endpoints; the existing PaddleToday Esperance-to-Burtonsville card covers the upper seven-mile segment, so this card preserves the remaining downstream section as its own bounded reach.
- Route-specific moving-water hazardsClass I–II water, ledges, wave trains, rock gardens, changing channels, and a reported strainer below Mill Point
American Whitewater trip reports describe the Burtonsville-to-Fort Hunter portion and its feature-level hazards, including the Fort Hunter finish near the lower launch.
- Official upstream water entryBurtonsville Road / Route 160 Schoharie Creek hand launch; approximately five cars
The current NYS Parks/NYSDEC launch directory identifies the Burtonsville hand launch and parking limit.
- Official downstream water entryDufel Road / Schoharie Crossing Schoharie Creek launch; 30 cars and trailers
The current state launch directory lists the hard-surface Dufel Road launch; the current Schoharie Crossing site confirms the Aqueduct Picnic Area and Boat Launch is available to kayakers and canoers from sunrise to sunset.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 01351500 Schoharie Creek at Burtonsville, NY
The live station is at the upstream boundary and provides direct discharge/stage context; it does not replace local downstream scouting or a fixed runnable threshold.
- Gauge and flow guidanceNo fixed numeric cutoff asserted; use live Burtonsville telemetry, trend, rainfall, debris, and visual scouting together
The route package retains the direct gauge while refusing to convert changing Class I–II features, wood, and access conditions into a universal number.
- Camping postureNo on-route camping; nearby legal basecamp only
The launch and historic-site materials document day-use access and do not authorize overnight camping along the creek.
- Approved same-river imageSchoharie Creek at Burtonsville public-domain river/gauge context image
The National Weather Service image is same-river context and does not certify current flow, wood, landing, or downstream channel conditions.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 01351500, Schoharie Creek at Burtonsville, NY
USGS 01351500 is a direct same-river discharge and stage station at the Burtonsville boundary. Downstream rainfall, tributary inflow, channel changes, wood, and local landing conditions can diverge from the reading, so use current telemetry with recent weather, trend, and visual scouting; no fixed numeric cutoff is asserted for this segment.
- Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch
American Whitewater Schoharie Creek reports / NYS Parks and NYSDEC launch directory and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.
- 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.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- American Whitewater Schoharie Creek reports / NYS Parks and NYSDEC launch directory route record
- Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site launch and trail map
- USGS 01351500 Schoharie Creek at Burtonsville live conditions
- American Whitewater Schoharie Creek trip reports and hazard notes
- USGS 01351500 monitoring location
- USGS 01351500 current conditions
- Schoharie Creek context image
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.
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Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
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Quick answers
Schoharie Creek paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Schoharie Creek?
Paddle Today watches Schoharie Creek at Burtonsville, NY and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Schoharie Creek route start and end?
This route starts at Burtonsville NYSDEC Schoharie Creek hand launch and ends at Schoharie Crossing Dufel Road Schoharie Creek launch, Fort Hunter, about About 14 river miles from the Burtonsville launch to the Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing launch near Fort Hunter on the water.
Is this Schoharie Creek 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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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.