See all 7 routes on South Skunk River
Iowa | Central Iowa
South Skunk RiverSleepy Hollow to River Valley Park
Short Story County water-trail run through the north Ames corridor, starting at the W Riverside Road gauge and finishing at River Valley Park near the 13th Street rock-riffle / mitigated-dam feature.
Checking current river conditions…
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Sleepy Hollow beside the South Skunk near Ames gauge and finish at River Valley Park. This is a compact north Ames water-trail segment with enough riffle and dam-mitigation context to deserve a same-day gauge and hazard check.
Access map
Put-in
Sleepy Hollow access / W Riverside RoadSleepy Hollow is listed as a public water-trail access at W Riverside Road, and the saved coordinate is anchored to the adjacent USGS gauge / bridge corridor.
Take-out
River Valley Park access, AmesRiver Valley Park is an official City of Ames park with boat access, but the saved take-out point is an access-area coordinate from named park and map context rather than a published ramp GIS point.
Road shuttle
Use a short two-car shuttle between Sleepy Hollow on W Riverside Road and River Valley Park on 13th Street. The road shuttle is simple, but parking can compete with park and ballfield use.
Additional access notes
- The South Skunk is non-meandered through this corridor; use public accesses and confirmed public parkland rather than assuming banks are public.
More route and safety guidance
- Fresh wood, sweepers, muddy banks, and shallow rock riffles can change after storms.
- The South Skunk is non-meandered through this corridor; use public accesses and confirmed public parkland rather than assuming banks are public.
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.
Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.
Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.
Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.
Conditions
Check how the river is changing and what weather to expect.
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampDetailed weather
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
South Skunk River near Ames, IA. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Share a recent access update, hazard observation or photo.
Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
- Checking data sources and update times.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | South Skunk River near Ames, IA |
| 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 |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 125 cfs |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Skunk River Paddlers South Skunk Water Trail flow guidance |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official water trailSleepy Hollow #230 to River Valley Park #227
Story County lists Sleepy Hollow at river mile 230 and River Valley Park at river mile 227 among the public South Skunk River Water Trail access points.
- Direct gaugeUSGS 05470000
USGS operates South Skunk River near Ames on the left bank just downstream from the West Riverside Road bridge, matching the Sleepy Hollow access and route put-in corridor.
- Minimum flowAbout 125 cfs
Skunk River Paddlers says most paddlers consider the minimum recommended flow above Ames and Ioway Creek to be somewhere near 125 cfs, while lower flows may require stepping out in riffles.
- Route distanceAbout 2.9 river miles
The Story County South Skunk water-trail map places Sleepy Hollow and River Valley Park three river miles apart in the official access sequence.
- River Valley featureMitigated 13th Street dam
American Whitewater documents the 13th Street feature at North River Valley Park and notes that Iowa DNR mitigation converted the former low-head dam into fish and paddler passages.
- Access and shore-use caveatPublic water, private banks
Story County and Skunk River Paddlers both warn that the South Skunk is non-meandered and much adjoining land is private, so use only public accesses and confirmed public parkland for stops.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on South Skunk River
All 7Nearby routes within 75 miles
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.