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Pennsylvania | North Branch Susquehanna
Susquehanna River
North Branch: Ulster Bridge to Towanda Riverfront Park
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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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
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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 Towanda Riverfront Park for a shorter Towanda-corridor Susquehanna day. Use the direct Towanda stage gauge, keep the easiest planning days around 2 to 4 feet there, and keep the strainer and bridge-current sequence on the same-day checklist.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Ulster Bridge accessPFBC Section 1 publishes both Ulster Bridge and Towanda Riverfront Park coordinates directly in the official access table.
Take-out
Towanda Riverfront Park rampHornbrook County Park is a legal support point on the corridor, but the slug itself still starts at Ulster and ends at Towanda Riverfront Park.
Plan this segment
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Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- PFBC Section 1 publishes both Ulster Bridge and Towanda Riverfront Park coordinates directly in the official access table.
- Hornbrook County Park is a legal support point on the corridor, but the slug itself still starts at Ulster and ends at Towanda Riverfront Park.
- Towanda is a stronger town landing than Ulster, but the current toward structure and the busier riverfront setting still require finish discipline.
- Stay within the named public accesses and do not assume islands, bars, or private banks are legitimate substitutes.
Watch for
- Fast riffles at mile 277, the strainer-prone mile-274 area, current under bridge arches at mile 272, and more quick water before the bridge at mile 270 flagged by PFBC.
- Towanda stages below about 1 foot, when the shallow riffle lines get scratchier and more technical even on a broad channel.
- Towanda stages above about 4 feet, when current speeds up noticeably; PFBC says novice paddlers should stay off above about 5 feet.
- Headwind, thunderstorms, floating wood, private shorelines, and drifting past the obvious Towanda finish because the river feels easy early.
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 Towanda Riverfront Park, about 8.8 mi
The PFBC North Branch Section 1 guide places Ulster Bridge at river mile 279 and Towanda Riverfront Park at river mile 270.
- Endpoint coordinatesPFBC access-site coordinates
The PFBC Section 1 access table publishes Ulster Bridge at 41 51 09 / -76 29 50 and Towanda Riverfront Park at 41 46 07 / -76 26 19.
- Direct gaugeUSGS 01531500 at Towanda
USGS Water Services returned same-day July 15, 2026 values of 1,690 cfs and 0.43 ft at 2026-07-15 15:45 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 riffles near miles 277, 274, 272, and 270
The PFBC Section 1 caution list flags the mile-274 strainer area, the bridge-arch current near mile 272, and the quick-water sequence before Towanda inside this route.
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 Towanda Riverfront Park ramp, about About 8.8 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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