See all 10 routes on Upper Cumberland River
Kentucky | Daniel Boone Country
Upper Cumberland RiverVarilla Ramp to Artemus Rock Access
Long Upper Cumberland corridor from Varilla Ramp to Artemus Rock Access above Barbourville. KDFWR lists the public chain as Varilla to 4 Mile at 13.8 miles plus 4 Mile to Artemus at 9.8 miles, supporting this about 23.6-mile combination on the official Williamsburg gauge ladder.
Checking current river conditions…
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Varilla Ramp and finish at Artemus Rock Access for a long Upper Cumberland corridor route built from the official Varilla-to-4-Mile and 4-Mile-to-Artemus segments. Use the Williamsburg gauge and plan conservatively whenever the river is outside the 300 to 700 cfs good band.
Access map
Put-in
Varilla RampThis is a long committed route with sparse services and few realistic legal stop options away from the named accesses.
Take-out
Artemus Rock AccessArtemus is a rough gravel-bar take-out that may be muddy or awkward. Do not assume the finish will be easy to improvise at the end of a tiring day.
Road shuttle
Leave the downstream vehicle at Artemus Rock Access, then drive back to Varilla Ramp. This is a real upper-river commitment with a long day on the water rather than a casual split float.
Additional access notes
- Low water can turn this route into a much longer grind, while high water can make the long downstream push feel more consequential than the mild rapids suggest.
More route and safety guidance
- Artemus is a rough gravel-bar finish that may be muddy or unsuitable for some vehicles, so shuttle scouting matters before you launch at Varilla.
- Services are sparse and most banks are private, so treat this as a genuine point-to-point commitment rather than a route with casual midstream exits.
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.
Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.
Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.
Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.
Conditions
Check how the river is changing and what weather to expect.
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampDetailed weather
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Cumberland River at Williamsburg, KY. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Share a recent access update, hazard observation or photo.
Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
- Checking data sources and update times.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Cumberland River at Williamsburg, KY |
| 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 |
| Preferred range | 300 cfs to 700 cfs |
| Low threshold | 300 cfs |
| High threshold | 700 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | KDFWR Upper Cumberland recommended Williamsburg flow band |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official route chainVarilla -> 4 Mile 13.8 mi plus 4 Mile -> Artemus 9.8 mi
KDFWR lists both public site-to-site mileages on the Upper Cumberland corridor page, supporting this about 23.6-mile combination.
- Official level band300-700 cfs or 3.0-3.8 ft good
KDFWR rates the Williamsburg gauge as Low below 300 cfs or 3.0 ft, Good from 300 to 700 cfs or 3.0 to 3.8 ft, and High above that.
- Put-in accessVarilla Ramp, 36.7447, -83.6103
KDFWR access detail confirms a public concrete ramp with small gravel parking east of Pineville.
- Take-out accessArtemus Rock Access, 36.8240, -83.8440
KDFWR access detail confirms the rough gravel-bar access south of Artemus and warns that muddy conditions can affect launch or recovery.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-03USGS 03404000 at 1010 cfs / 4.20 ft
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Camping postureNo documented public camping at Varilla, 4 Mile, or Artemus
KDFWR access detail lists camping as None at Varilla and 4 Mile, and Artemus is documented as a rough access rather than an overnight facility.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Upper Cumberland River
All 10Nearby routes within 75 miles
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.