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Pennsylvania | North Branch Susquehanna
Susquehanna River
North Branch: Ulster Bridge to Terrytown PFBC
Check current paddling conditions for this Susquehanna River 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
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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
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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.
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Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
Launch at Ulster Bridge and take out at Terrytown PFBC for a long Section 1 Susquehanna continuation. Use the direct Towanda stage gauge, keep the easiest planning days around 2 to 4 feet there, and treat wind plus the repeated fast-water zones as real long-day factors.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Ulster Bridge accessPFBC Section 1 publishes both Ulster Bridge and Terrytown PFBC coordinates directly in the official access table.
Take-out
Terrytown PFBC rampThis route includes the Towanda bridge area and its current lines, so do not relax just because the river looks broad and mostly open.
Plan this segment
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Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- PFBC Section 1 publishes both Ulster Bridge and Terrytown PFBC coordinates directly in the official access table.
- This route includes the Towanda bridge area and its current lines, so do not relax just because the river looks broad and mostly open.
- Hornbrook County Park and Riverside Acres are helpful legal overnight supports, but the route still starts at Ulster Bridge and should finish at the Terrytown PFBC landing unless you have made a deliberate legal stop plan.
- Stay within the named public accesses, campgrounds, and support points rather than treating islands or private banks as casual options.
Watch for
- The mile-274 strainer area, current under bridge arches at mile 272, the Towanda bridge sequence, and the lower-section fast-water miles 267, 261, and 258 flagged by PFBC.
- Towanda stages below about 1 foot, when shallower lower-riverbed spots can create class I to II style wave trains and expose more rocks.
- Towanda stages above about 4 feet, when the current moves faster and small errors cost more energy late in the day; PFBC says novice paddlers should stay off above about 5 feet.
- Headwind, thunderstorms, floating wood, fatigue, private shorelines, and drifting past the Terrytown PFBC finish after settling into the long lower-corridor rhythm.
Route gallery
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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 Towanda, PA |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 | 2.00 ft to 4.00 ft |
| Low threshold | -0.50 ft |
| High threshold | 5.00 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | PFBC North Branch Susquehanna Section 1 Towanda stage guidance |
| 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.
- Official route segmentUlster Bridge to Terrytown PFBC, about 24.9 mi
The PFBC North Branch guide family places Ulster Bridge at river mile 278.8 and Terrytown PFBC at river mile 253.9.
- Endpoint coordinatesPFBC access-site coordinates
The PFBC Section 1 access table publishes Ulster Bridge at 41 51 09 / -76 29 50 and Terrytown PFBC at 41 42 51 / -76 16 54.
- Direct gaugeUSGS 01531500 at Towanda
USGS Water Services returned same-day July 13, 2026 values of 1,960 cfs and 0.55 ft at 2026-07-13 20:45 EDT for Susquehanna River at Towanda, PA.
- Official stage guidanceTowanda -0.5 ft low runnable, 2 ft safe base, 5 ft novice ceiling
PFBC says the river can be paddled with Towanda as low as about -0.5 ft, uses 2 ft as the safe paddle base level, and says novice paddlers should not paddle when Towanda is over 5 ft.
- Primary cautionsFast water near miles 274, 272, 270, 269, 268, 267, 261, and 258
The PFBC Section 1 caution list flags the strainer-prone upper riffle, the Towanda bridge sequence, and the lower Section 1 fast-water stretches that remain relevant all the way to Terrytown.
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
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Susquehanna River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Susquehanna River?
Paddle Today watches Susquehanna River at Towanda, PA and treats 2.00 ft to 4.00 ft 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 Ulster Bridge access and ends at Terrytown PFBC ramp, about About 24.9 mi 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.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.