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New York | St. Lawrence County / Five Mile Conservation Easement

West Branch St. Regis RiverFive Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #4 to Hand Launch Parking Area #1 on the West Branch St. Regis River

A planning-only approximately five-mile high-water West Branch St. Regis River paddle from the current NYSDEC Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #4 to Hand Launch Parking Area #1, with Hand Launches #3 and #2 retained as intermediate access and bailout contexts. NYSDEC identifies four hand launches along the Main Haul Road/Five Mile Road system, permits seasonal paddling on the designated West Branch section, describes mostly flatwater with a few small rapids, and requires portage trails around the Main Camp and Saunders Camp exclusion areas. This is a remote conservation-easement route with seasonal roads, possible logging operations, high-water-only navigation, cold water, and no claimed on-route campground.

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DistanceApproximately 5 planning river miles from Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #4 to Hand Launch Parking Area #1, with #3 and #2 retained as intermediate access or bailout contexts
DifficultyModerate
Typical timeAbout 2–5 hours depending on high-water depth
ShuttleCar shuttle
The West Branch St. Regis River at the USGS monitoring station near Parishville, New York, used as direct same-branch route context for the Five Mile Conservation Easement paddle.
Route photoWest Branch St. Regis River near Parishville; Five Mile route-context imagePhoto by U.S. Geological Survey

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Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
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Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceApproximately 5 planning river miles from Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #4 to Hand Launch Parking Area #1, with #3 and #2 retained as intermediate access or bailout contextsFive Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #4 to Hand Launch Parking Area #1 on the West Branch St. Regis River
DifficultymoderateNYSDEC describes the route as mainly flatwater with a few small rapids, but only during periods of high water. The remote conservation-easement setting adds cold-water, wood, rapid-rise, seasonal-road, logging, camp-exclusion, and limited-rescue consequences; use a stable craft, float plan, and competent self-rescue group.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the downstream vehicle at Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #1, then drive the seasonal road network to #4. Confirm the road is open to public motor vehicles, parking is available, logging traffic is absent or managed, the marked carries are passable, and the high-water window leaves adequate daylight for the shuttle and portages.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is identified, but public use is limited to the designated Five Mile recreation area from May 1 through September 30 and remains subject to current DEC signs, road closures, logging operations, camp leases, portage requirements, Clean.Drain.Dry, state-land rules, and landowner restrictions. Public paddling authorization does not authorize access through closed camps or private lands.
CampingDay tripNo camping is claimed on the West Branch St. Regis river corridor or at the four hand-launch parking areas. Use separately verified nearby lodging or a designated DEC campsite in the wider Raquette Boreal Complex only where the current site rules, access, and distance are independently confirmed; do not camp at camp leases, parking areas, the riverbank, or exclusion-area approaches.
SeasonMay-SepMay through September is the permitted public-use season for the Five Mile Conservation Easement Tract. Access roads are seasonal and may close for wet conditions, logging operations, or land-management reasons; the river is only navigable during periods of high water.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

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Plan

Plan your trip

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

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A planning-only approximately five-mile high-water West Branch St. Regis River paddle from the current NYSDEC Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #4 to Hand Launch Parking Area #1, with Hand Launches #3 and #2 retained as intermediate access and bailout contexts. NYSDEC identifies four hand launches along the Main Haul Road/Five Mile Road system, permits seasonal paddling on the designated West Branch section, describes mostly flatwater with a few small rapids, and requires portage trails around the Main Camp and Saunders Camp exclusion areas. This is a remote conservation-easement route with seasonal roads, possible logging operations, high-water-only navigation, cold water, and no claimed on-route campground.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

NYSDEC Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #4
Open mapDirections to put-in

The four official coordinates identify parking/access-area anchors; confirm the actual waterline, carry path, launch condition, and current signage in the field.

Finish

Take-out

NYSDEC Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #1
Open mapDirections to take-out

Five Mile public use is seasonal, and the main access road may be closed for wet conditions, logging operations, or land-management reasons. A route that is legal on the river may still be inaccessible by vehicle on a given day.

Road shuttle

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Access planner

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On-water distance5.0 miMixed access
On-water timeAbout 2–5 hours depending on high-water depthFull route option
ShuttleCar shuttleChoose a shorter in/out pair for a shorter day.

NYSDEC Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #4 to NYSDEC Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #1 is about 5.0 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.

Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • The four official coordinates identify parking/access-area anchors; confirm the actual waterline, carry path, launch condition, and current signage in the field.
  • Five Mile public use is seasonal, and the main access road may be closed for wet conditions, logging operations, or land-management reasons. A route that is legal on the river may still be inaccessible by vehicle on a given day.
  • The #3 access has a documented 0.4-mile carry; the other listed points still require current carry and water-entry inspection. Do not treat a parking coordinate as permission to launch from every adjacent bank.
  • The route ends at Hand Launch #1 before any unlisted downstream continuation. Do not use Main Camp, Saunders Camp, bridge shoulders, private shore, or an unmarked road pull-off as a substitute take-out or portage.

Watch for

  • USGS 04268800 discharge trend, local high-water depth, recent rain, rapid rise, cold water, daylight, and changing wood/strainers
  • Main Camp and Saunders Camp exclusion areas, signed portage trails, Cooperage Camp boundary, private banks, logging trucks, skidders, gates, and seasonal-road closures
  • Hand Launch #4, #3, #2, and #1 parking/carry/waterline condition, public-use signage, vehicle staging, intermediate bailout feasibility, and the hard downstream boundary

Plan this paddle

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Trip schedule

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Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.

Gauge detail

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Gauge

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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Route gallery

Photos

Check each caption: some photos show the surrounding area rather than this exact trip.

The West Branch St. Regis River at the USGS monitoring station near Parishville, New York, used as direct same-branch route context for the Five Mile Conservation Easement paddle.
West Branch St. Regis River near Parishville; Five Mile route-context imagePhoto by U.S. Geological Survey
USGS public domain; clearly labeled route-context imagery

Sources

Data and sources

Read the access and hazard notes and check the linked guides. We do not issue a daily score for this trip.

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.

  • Current public endpoint chainNYSDEC Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Areas #4, #3, #2, and #1

    Current NYSDEC names all four Five Mile hand-launch parking areas, publishes their coordinates, documents the 0.4-mile river carry at #3, and identifies the designated seasonal public recreation area.

    Source

  • Named moving-water corridorWest Branch St. Regis River Five Mile section; mostly flatwater with a few small rapids; high-water only

    NYSDEC explicitly describes the West Branch as a paddling section accessible from four hand launches and navigable only during periods of high water, with portages around Main Camp and Saunders Camp exclusions.

    Source

  • Direct live gaugeUSGS 04268800 West Branch St. Regis River near Parishville, NY

    USGS provides current same-branch discharge and stage telemetry. Use it as trend context with local depth and field inspection rather than as a universal runnable cutoff.

    Source

  • Route-specific flow and access guidanceHigh-water-only navigation, seasonal May 1–September 30 use, and signed camp-exclusion portages

    The current NYSDEC recreation and management rules provide the route-specific high-water, season, road, public-use-area, and portage controls.

    Source

  • Safety and land-management postureCold water, wood, remote rescue, logging/road closures, camp leases, and mandatory portages

    NYSDEC warns that logging operations may be present, roads may close, and public use is restricted around leased camps and designated exclusion areas.

    Source

  • Camping postureNearby managed or designated camping only; no riverbank or parking-area camping claim

    The route preserves nearby DEC campsite context without treating the four launch parking areas, riverbank, or camp leases as overnight facilities.

    Source

  • Approved same-branch imageUSGS West Branch St. Regis station photograph used as direct branch route context

    The public-domain image is clearly labeled as West Branch context and does not certify the current Five Mile access road, waterline, wood, or camp-exclusion portages.

    Source

  • Direct live gaugeUSGS 04268800, West Branch St. Regis River near Parishville, NY

    USGS 04268800 is a direct West Branch St. Regis River station near Parishville and is the same branch used by this route. Pair its discharge trend with local high-water depth, recent rain, wood, access-road status, and visual inspection; no universal cfs value certifies navigability or safety along the Five Mile reach.

    Source

  • Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch

    NYSDEC Raquette Boreal Complex / USGS and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.

    Source

  • Image decisionApproved same-river context image used for route presentation

    The image is labeled as river-level context when it depicts the named river elsewhere, not this exact reach.

    Source

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New York route guideBrowse every tracked New York route.St. Lawrence County / Five Mile Conservation EasementJump to routes in this region.

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Quick answers

West Branch St. Regis River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #4 to Hand Launch Parking Area #1 on the West Branch St. Regis River route on the West Branch St. Regis River?

This planning route has no live Paddle Today score. Review the linked water-level sources, current access notices and route-specific hazards before travel.

Where does the Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #4 to Hand Launch Parking Area #1 on the West Branch St. Regis River route on the West Branch St. Regis River start and end?

This route starts at NYSDEC Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #4 and ends at NYSDEC Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #1, Approximately 5 planning river miles from Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #4 to Hand Launch Parking Area #1, with #3 and #2 retained as intermediate access or bailout contexts on the water.

Is the Five Mile Hand Launch Parking Area #4 to Hand Launch Parking Area #1 on the West Branch St. Regis River route on the West Branch St. Regis River suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a moderate route. Review the difficulty notes, hazards and current access conditions against your group's skills. No live score assesses this trip.

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