See all 36 routes on Susquehanna River
New York | Broome County
Susquehanna River
Kirkwood Veterans River Park to Sandy Beach Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Susquehanna River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
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
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
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 wide, easy Susquehanna float from the Kirkwood Veterans River Park ramp through Sullivan Park to Sandy Beach Park. The water-trail itinerary documents the island sequence, gravel-bank access, bridge hazards, and a mandatory downstream stop before Rock Bottom Dam.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
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
Kirkwood Veterans River ParkKirkwood has a paved ramp but the usable gravel landing shifts during low water; allow extra carry distance and inspect the shoreline.
Take-out
Sandy Beach ParkSullivan Park is an intermediate exit, not a permission slip to continue toward the Rock Bottom Dam. Use Sandy Beach as the planned take-out.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Kirkwood has a paved ramp but the usable gravel landing shifts during low water; allow extra carry distance and inspect the shoreline.
- Sullivan Park is an intermediate exit, not a permission slip to continue toward the Rock Bottom Dam. Use Sandy Beach as the planned take-out.
- Sandy Beach has only about five parking spaces according to the water-trail guide. Coordinate the shuttle and avoid blocking access for other boaters.
Watch for
- USGS 01503000 below 500 cfs, above 10,000 cfs, rising quickly, unavailable, or inconsistent with the launch visual
- Berkalew and Moore islands, narrow gravel-bar channels, the pipeline crossing, Conklin Kirkwood Bridge, and floating debris
- Rock Bottom Dam downstream of Sullivan Park, cold water, thunderstorms, muddy access, and a failed shuttle
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.
No approved route photos yet
Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.
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 | Susquehanna River at Conklin, 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 |
| Target band | 500 cfs to 10,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 500 cfs |
| High threshold | 10,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | CanWePaddle Conklin to Binghamton estimated runnable range: 500–10,000 cfs |
| 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.
- Named New York corridorKirkwood Veterans River Park to Sandy Beach Park; 4–7 miles; easy
The NY Susquehanna Basin Water Trail publishes the endpoint sequence, mileage, difficulty, and bridge hazard.
- Public water accessKirkwood Veterans River Park, Sullivan Park, and Sandy Beach Park
The itinerary gives named map pins, river sides, launch types, parking context, and access-specific cautions.
- Flow guidance500–10,000 cfs estimated runnable range at USGS 01503000
CanWePaddle explicitly labels this range as conservative and informational; it is not a go/no-go authority.
- Dam restrictionRock Bottom Dam is downstream from Sullivan Park; planned take-out is Sandy Beach
The water-trail guide calls out the dam, portage, bridge sequence, and experience requirement for continuing farther downstream.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 01503000, Susquehanna River at Conklin, NY
USGS provides continuous stage and discharge telemetry for the route corridor.
- Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch
NY Susquehanna Basin Water Trail 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.
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.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
More in New York
All 296 routesMore on Susquehanna River
All 36Nearby routes by distance
Quick answers
Susquehanna River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Susquehanna River?
Paddle Today watches Susquehanna River at Conklin, NY and treats 500 cfs to 10,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Susquehanna River route start and end?
This route starts at Kirkwood Veterans River Park and ends at Sandy Beach Park, about 7 river miles on the water.
Is this Susquehanna River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.