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Pennsylvania | North Branch Susquehanna

Susquehanna RiverNorth Branch: Laceyville to West Falls

Wyoming County North Branch Susquehanna corridor from Laceyville Borough to PFBC West Falls. Use the access planner for shorter trips through Meshoppen, Tunkhannock, and White's Ferry; the Meshoppen gauge is the section reference with a published stage relationship to the other North Branch gauges.

Route location

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Plan this route

DistanceAbout 33 mi for the full corridor; choose a shorter segment in the access planner
DifficultyEasy
Typical timeFull corridor is a multi-day or staged-series route. Common day choices include Laceyville to Meshoppen
ShuttleCar shuttle
The Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania.
Route photoSusquehanna River in Pennsylvania; card-safe regional contextPhoto by The Mebane Greeting Card Co. via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

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 33 mi for the full corridor; choose a shorter segment in the access plannerNorth Branch: Laceyville to West Falls
DifficultyeasyShort planner-selected sections are approachable in the conservative band, while the full corridor can become a long exposed big-river day.
ShuttleCar shuttlePick a put-in and take-out from the access planner, stage the downstream vehicle first, then inspect both landings before launching. Do not assume private banks, islands, or bars are legal backup exits.
PermitsCheck posted rulesPFBC says unpowered boats using PFBC or Pennsylvania State Parks and Forests access areas need boat registration, a PFBC launch permit, or a DCNR State Parks launch permit. Follow current PFBC, municipal, campground, boating, and PFD rules.
CampingOptions nearbyTreat this as a staged day-trip corridor unless you have current legal campground or overnight arrangements. Do not treat islands or private banks as open camping.
SeasonApr-OctThe North Branch usually has runnable windows from spring through fall, but thunderstorms, headwind, cold water, and floating wood can change a broad-river day quickly.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan

Plan your trip

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

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

Use this as the Wyoming County North Branch access-planner corridor. The default full corridor runs from Laceyville to West Falls, but most users should choose a shorter access pair around Meshoppen or Tunkhannock.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

Laceyville Borough access
Open mapDirections to put-in

Use the access planner to choose a legal public or managed access pair before driving.

Finish

Take-out

PFBC West Falls access
Open mapDirections to take-out

The full corridor is a planning envelope, not necessarily the recommended one-day trip.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Choose a shorter tripOptional

Access planner

Choose your launch and take-out

This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.

On-water distance33.0 miCreek-focused
On-water timeFull corridor is a multi-day or staged-series route. Common day choices include Laceyville to MeshoppenFull route option
ShuttleCar shuttleChoose a shorter in/out pair for a shorter day.

Laceyville Borough access to PFBC West Falls access is about 33.0 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.

Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • Use the access planner to choose a legal public or managed access pair before driving.
  • The full corridor is a planning envelope, not necessarily the recommended one-day trip.
  • Confirm same-day parking, launch, landing, and permit rules at the selected endpoints.
  • Stay with named accesses and do not improvise on private banks or islands.

Watch for

  • Boulder fields and fast riffles around the Tunkhannock-to-West-Falls section.
  • Meshoppen readings near the low edge, when shallow lines and exposed rocks become more consequential.
  • Meshoppen readings around 12 ft and up, when this model turns conservative for novice paddlers.
  • Broad-river wind, thunderstorms, floating wood, muddy landings, and overlong segment choices.

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.

Trip schedule

Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.

Browser plans

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Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.

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

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

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Route gallery

Photos

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

The Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania.
Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania; card-safe regional contextPhoto by The Mebane Greeting Card Co. via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: Public domain

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.

  • Official corridorLaceyville to West Falls, with intermediate public access choices

    PFBC Section 2 publishes the Laceyville, Meshoppen, Tunkhannock, White's Ferry, and West Falls access sequence.

    Source

  • Same-section gauge proxyUSGS 01533400 at Meshoppen

    PFBC publishes the Meshoppen stage relationship that V2 uses for Section 2 route planning.

    Source

  • Planner modelMultiple access points on one corridor page

    This route replaces overlapping Section 2 route cards with one Rice Creek-style access planner corridor.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Reports

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

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Photos

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Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or explore different rivers within 75 straight-line miles.

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Pennsylvania route guideBrowse every tracked Pennsylvania route.North Branch SusquehannaJump to routes in this region.

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Quick answers

Susquehanna River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the North Branch: Laceyville to West Falls route on the Susquehanna River?

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 North Branch: Laceyville to West Falls route on the Susquehanna River start and end?

This route starts at Laceyville Borough access and ends at PFBC West Falls access, about 33 mi for the full corridor; choose a shorter segment in the access planner on the water.

Is the North Branch: Laceyville to West Falls route on the Susquehanna River suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a easy 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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