New Jersey | Wharton State Forest / Pine Barrens
Wading River
Hawkin Bridge to Godfrey Bridge
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
Loading the route coverage map.
Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
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.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
A named Wading River water-trail section from Hawkin Bridge to Godfrey Bridge in Wharton State Forest.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Hawkin BridgeThe NJDEP map is the route/access authority; coordinates are bridge-area anchors and require current parking, carry, and wetted-edge confirmation.
Take-out
Godfrey BridgeCampsites are controlled facilities, not general shoreline camping. Reserve and verify before relying on an overnight plan.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The NJDEP map is the route/access authority; coordinates are bridge-area anchors and require current parking, carry, and wetted-edge confirmation.
- Campsites are controlled facilities, not general shoreline camping. Reserve and verify before relying on an overnight plan.
- Do not use an unnamed forest-road crossing as an alternate take-out.
Watch for
- USGS Wading/West Branch station and actual level at Hawkin Bridge and Godfrey Bridge
- shallow bends, underwater obstacles, strainers, cold water, recent rain, and thunderstorms
- forest-road conditions, parking, campground reservations, closures, and daylight
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Data and sources
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 | West Branch Wading River near Jenkins, NJ |
| 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | Not calibrated yet |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | NJDEP Wading River and Oswego River Water Trails guide |
| 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.
- Named moving-water corridorNJDEP Wading River water trail, Hawkin Bridge to Godfrey Bridge
The official NJDEP guide names the marked water trail, access/campground landmarks, canoe/kayak-only posture, and shallow/obstacle warnings.
- Public endpoint postureHawkin Bridge and Godfrey Bridge are named map access boundaries; exact carry and waterline require field confirmation
No private shoreline or bridge shoulder is treated as a fallback.
- Proxy flow guidanceUSGS 01409810 West Branch Wading River near Jenkins, clearly labeled route-context proxy
Use the station and current river levels as context, not as a transferred numeric cutoff.
- Camping postureEndpoint campground option subject to Wharton reservation and closure status
The guide marks campgrounds but does not grant unreserved shoreline camping.
- Live gaugeUSGS 01409810, West Branch Wading River near Jenkins, NJ
Clearly labeled proxy station: use current trend as regional planning context only; it does not establish a route-specific safe-flow cutoff.
- Approved route imageryRights-cleared same-river or same-water-trail context image
Same-water-family Pine Barrens Mullica River context image; it does not represent current Wading River level, access, or hazards.
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
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
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Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
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Quick answers
Wading River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Wading River?
Paddle Today watches West Branch Wading River near Jenkins, NJ and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Wading River route start and end?
This route starts at Hawkin Bridge and ends at Godfrey Bridge, about Approximately 5.5 river miles on the water.
Is this Wading River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.