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New York | Montgomery County / Mohawk Valley

Schoharie CreekBurtonsville Schoharie Creek hand launch to Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site and return boundary at Fort Hunter

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.

Route location

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Plan this route

DistanceAbout 14 river miles from the Burtonsville launch to the Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing launch near Fort Hunter
DifficultyModerate
Typical timeAbout 5–8 hours depending on flow
ShuttleCar shuttle
Schoharie Creek flowing through Burtonsville, New York, used as same-river context for the Burtonsville to Fort Hunter route.
Route photoSchoharie Creek at Burtonsville; Burtonsville to Fort Hunter route contextPhoto by National Weather Service Northeast River Forecast Center

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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 distanceAbout 14 river miles from the Burtonsville launch to the Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing launch near Fort HunterBurtonsville Schoharie Creek hand launch to Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site and return boundary at Fort Hunter
DifficultymoderateThe lower section is not a casual float: American Whitewater reports easy Class II, ledges, wave trains, changing channels, rock gardens, and a strainer below Mill Point. Flow, debris, cold water, bridge structures, and the long shuttle require a competent moving-water group and a conservative exit plan.
ShuttleCar shuttleA full downstream shuttle is required between the Burtonsville Road/Route 160 hand launch and the Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing launch. Stage only in the listed public areas, confirm the five-car Burtonsville limit and Dufel site hours/parking, and leave a daylight margin for scouting, wood, and a mandatory take-out before the confluence.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is identified for the two public launch areas. Follow current New York boating and PFD requirements, NYSDEC/NYS Parks parking and launch rules, Schoharie Crossing sunrise-to-sunset and event restrictions, posted historic-site regulations, and any closure or construction notice. Public water entry does not grant shoreline, bridge, portage, or camping rights.
CampingDay tripNo on-route camping is claimed. Burtonsville access and Schoharie Crossing are day-use launch contexts; arrange separate legal lodging or a managed campground and do not camp on private banks, bridge approaches, the creek corridor, or the historic site launch area.
SeasonApr-OctApril through October is the practical planning season, but this reach responds to rain and reservoir operations, and spring cold water, rising stage, ledges, strainers, bridge debris, shallow sections, and the lower confluence can change the trip quickly. Treat the live Burtonsville gauge as context at the upstream boundary, not a substitute for a same-day scout.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

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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.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

Burtonsville NYSDEC Schoharie Creek hand launch
Open mapDirections to put-in

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.

Finish

Take-out

Schoharie Crossing Dufel Road Schoharie Creek launch, Fort Hunter
Open mapDirections to take-out

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.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

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

Plan this paddle

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Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.

Gauge detail

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Gauge

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Weather

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Route gallery

Photos

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Schoharie Creek flowing through Burtonsville, New York, used as same-river context for the Burtonsville to Fort Hunter route.
Schoharie Creek at Burtonsville; Burtonsville to Fort Hunter route contextPhoto by National Weather Service Northeast River Forecast Center
U.S. government public domain; same-river context

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.

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    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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Reports

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Keep exploring

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Nearby routes within 75 miles

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Quick answers

Schoharie Creek paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Burtonsville Schoharie Creek hand launch to Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site and return boundary at Fort Hunter route on the Schoharie 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 Burtonsville Schoharie Creek hand launch to Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site and return boundary at Fort Hunter route on the Schoharie Creek 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 14 river miles from the Burtonsville launch to the Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing launch near Fort Hunter on the water.

Is the Burtonsville Schoharie Creek hand launch to Dufel Road / Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site and return boundary at Fort Hunter route on the Schoharie 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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