Pennsylvania | North Branch Susquehanna

Susquehanna River

North Branch: Wysox Township Park 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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DistanceAbout 13.6 mi
DifficultyEasy
Typical timeAbout 4 hr to 6.5 hr in ordinary conditions
ShuttleCar shuttle
An aerial view shows the Susquehanna River bending through the Laceyville corridor with wooded banks and open Pennsylvania valley farmland.
River contextSusquehanna River near Laceyville river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Bjoertvedt via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
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Gauge history and hourly forecast

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Recent trend

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Quick facts and what's next

Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.

DifficultyeasyThe route stays in the broad-audience day-trip bucket when Towanda is in the conservative band, but the 13.6-mile length, fast-riffle miles, and wide-channel weather exposure still require real same-day judgment.
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, township-park, boating, and PFD rules.
CampingOptions nearbyRiverside Acres Campground and the French Azilum Historical Site overnight stop are both listed on this official corridor. Treat that as on-route camping support only and not as permission to camp on broad gravel bars, islands, or private banks.
SeasonApr-OctPFBC says the North Branch in this section can stay paddleable through warmer low-water periods, but open-river wind and post-rain current still change the trip quickly.

Upcoming outlook

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Plan your trip

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

Access and shuttle

Launch at Wysox Township Park and take out at Terrytown PFBC for a lower Section 1 Susquehanna day with clean public endpoints. Use the direct Towanda stage gauge, keep the easiest planning days around 2 to 4 feet there, and watch the mile-267, mile-261, and mile-258 fast-water zones carefully.

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Start

Put-in

Wysox Township Park access
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PFBC and the North Branch guide family publish both Wysox Township Park and Terrytown PFBC coordinates directly in the official access tables.

Finish

Take-out

Terrytown PFBC ramp
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This is a public-access route, but French Azilum and Riverside Acres remain support points rather than the planned take-out. Stay committed to the Terrytown PFBC finish unless you have made a deliberate legal overnight plan.

Plan this segment

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Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • PFBC and the North Branch guide family publish both Wysox Township Park and Terrytown PFBC coordinates directly in the official access tables.
  • This is a public-access route, but French Azilum and Riverside Acres remain support points rather than the planned take-out. Stay committed to the Terrytown PFBC finish unless you have made a deliberate legal overnight plan.
  • Terrytown is a gravel PFBC landing rather than a big municipal ramp. Confirm same-day footing, parking, and any local closure or maintenance issues before leaving the shuttle.
  • The broad river still has private banks and islands away from the named accesses. Stay within the obvious public launch, campground, and finish zones only.

Watch for

  • A long fast-riffle section at mile 267, plus more fast riffles at miles 261 and 258 flagged by PFBC.
  • Towanda stages below about 1 foot, when lower-riverbed shallows can create class I to II style wave trains and more exposed rocks.
  • Towanda stages above about 4 feet, when current speeds up and the route stops feeling as forgiving; PFBC says novice paddlers should stay off above about 5 feet.
  • Headwind, thunderstorms, floating wood, private shorelines, and drifting past the Terrytown PFBC finish after settling into the long lower-corridor rhythm.

Why this score

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
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Today'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.

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Gauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteSusquehanna River at Towanda, PA
Gauge heightChecking
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Rain last 24hChecking
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Target band2.00 ft to 4.00 ft
Low threshold-0.50 ft
High threshold5.00 ft
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial data source
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Main source behind this scorePFBC North Branch Susquehanna Section 1 Towanda stage guidance
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What 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 segmentWysox Township Park to Terrytown PFBC, about 13.6 mi

    The official North Branch access tables place Wysox Township Park at river mile 267.5 and Terrytown PFBC at river mile 253.9, which defines this public access-to-access segment.

    Source

  • Endpoint coordinatesPFBC access-site coordinates

    The PFBC Section 1 access table publishes Wysox Township Park at 41 46 15 / -76 23 52 and Terrytown PFBC at 41 42 51 / -76 16 54.

    Source

  • 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 22:45 EDT for Susquehanna River at Towanda, PA.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • Primary cautionsFast riffles near miles 267, 261, and 258

    The PFBC Section 1 caution list flags a long fast-riffle section at mile 267 plus more fast riffles at miles 261 and 258 inside this route.

    Source

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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 Wysox Township Park access and ends at Terrytown PFBC ramp, about About 13.6 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.