Ohio | North Central Ohio
Vermilion RiverMill Hollow to South Street Boat Ramp
Lower Vermilion split from the shale-rimmed Mill Hollow corridor into downtown Vermilion, with easy current, a flatter final approach, and direct same-river gauge guidance.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch from Mill Hollow in Vermilion River Reservation and take out at the South Street Municipal Public Boat Ramp. This follows the AW lower Vermilion reach and keeps the run inside the official public river-access pair.
Access map
Put-in
Mill Hollow / Vermilion River Reservation accessMill Hollow is an official metro-park river access, but river-edge conditions can change after floods.
Take-out
South Street Municipal Public Boat RampThe South Street ramp is a formal city facility with kayak/canoe launching and parking; check current local fees or event restrictions before staging.
Road shuttle
Use a short two-car shuttle between Mill Hollow and the South Street public boat ramp in Vermilion. The take-out is easy to identify, but downtown/event traffic can slow pickup logistics on busy summer weekends.
Additional access notes
- Do not drift past the planned take-out into the Lake Erie mouth unless open-water conditions and your shuttle plan both support it.
More route and safety guidance
- The final miles flatten and pick up more boat traffic near town; stay alert for wakes and changing wind near the mouth.
- Do not continue into Lake Erie unless open-water conditions, landing options, and group skill all support it.
Plan this paddle
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Conditions
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Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Weather
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Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
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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
Vermilion River near Vermilion, OH. 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.
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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.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Vermilion River near Vermilion, OH |
| 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 |
| Preferred range | 3.00 ft to 4.25 ft |
| Low threshold | 2.60 ft |
| High threshold | 6.00 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Vermilion lower reach gauge guidance |
| 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.
- Route and difficulty5.3 miles, Class I
American Whitewater lists Mill Hollow Park to Vermilion Boat Ramp as a 5.3-mile lower Vermilion reach with Class I difficulty.
- Published AW range2.6 to 6.0 ft
American Whitewater ties the reach to USGS 04199500 and labels 2.6 to 6.0 ft as barely runnable through high runnable.
- Guarded app target3.0 to 4.25 ft
The app keeps the preferred window above the bare AW floor because low-end conditions can get scrapier upstream and the flatter lower miles are more worthwhile once the river has some depth.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 04199500
USGS operates the Vermilion River near Vermilion, OH monitoring location used by American Whitewater for this reach.
- Official put-in supportMill Hollow / Vermilion River Reservation access
Lorain County Metro Parks lists Vermilion River Reservation at Mill Hollow and names a kayak and canoe river access point there.
- Official take-out supportSouth Street Municipal Public Boat Ramp: 41.42019, -82.35665
The City of Vermilion says the South Street Municipal Public Boat Ramp is on the west side of the Vermilion River and includes an ADA kayak and canoe roller launch facility.
- HazardsLog jams, bridge abutments, motorboat traffic near town
ODNR water-trail materials warn about a log jam and Route 2 bridge abutments during high water, while the lower city stretch adds marinas, docks, and active boat traffic near the mouth.
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
Nearby routes within 75 miles
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