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West Virginia | Southern West Virginia / Big Coal Water Trail
Big Coal River
Sproul Road Launch to Alum Creek Lions Club Park
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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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.
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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
Full Big Coal B-5 beginner reach from the Sproul pull-off to Alum Creek Lions Club Park, with Lock 4 as a shorter decision point and an upstream Ashford gauge proxy.
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
Sproul Road / Brier Creek public pull-offSproul is listed as a pull-off rather than a developed ramp; confirm the carry path, shoulder parking, and shoreline before leaving a vehicle.
Take-out
Alum Creek Lions Club Park public boat accessThe brochure includes a 4-mile Lock 4 Launch option. This card deliberately selects the 6-mile Alum Creek endpoint; do not drift into the lower mainstem or assume a lock-site landing is open without a current visual check.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Sproul is listed as a pull-off rather than a developed ramp; confirm the carry path, shoulder parking, and shoreline before leaving a vehicle.
- The brochure includes a 4-mile Lock 4 Launch option. This card deliberately selects the 6-mile Alum Creek endpoint; do not drift into the lower mainstem or assume a lock-site landing is open without a current visual check.
- Alum Creek Lions Club Park is a named public access anchor, not blanket permission to use club facilities or adjacent private banks. Confirm signage, hours, and event/maintenance closures day-of.
Watch for
- USGS 03198500 discharge outside the 400–4,000 cfs route-family screen, a sharp rise, or a mismatch between upstream telemetry and local conditions.
- Lock 4/low-head structure context, Forks of Coal current, shallow riffles, strainers, submerged debris, private banks, cold water, and limited cell service.
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.
No approved route photos yet
Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.
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 | Big Coal River at Ashford, WV |
| 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 |
| Target band | 700 cfs to 2,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 400 cfs |
| High threshold | 4,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Conservative Big Coal route-family screen reused from American Whitewater reach 10525: 400 cfs low runnable, 700 cfs medium, 2,000 cfs high, 4,000 cfs upper end |
| 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 route corridorSproul to Alum Creek Lions Club Park; 6 mi full B-5 variant
The current Coal River Water Trail brochure describes B-5 as 4 or 6 miles, with Lock 4 as the short option and Alum Creek Lions Club Park as the full option. The full variant preserves a distinct named public take-out.
- Public access endpointsSproul 38.2411,-81.7741 to Alum Creek Lions Club Park 38.2994,-81.8108
WVDNR District 5 lists Sproul (Brier Creek) as a Big Coal pull-off and Alum Creek Lions Club Park as a public access. Confirm current parking, carry path, ramp condition, and any park/club closure before staging.
- GaugeUSGS 03198500 discharge telemetry
Official same-river gauge used for the route planning screen; verify current value and trend before launch.
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.
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Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Big Coal River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Big Coal River?
Paddle Today watches Big Coal River at Ashford, WV and treats 700 cfs to 2,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Big Coal River route start and end?
This route starts at Sproul Road / Brier Creek public pull-off and ends at Alum Creek Lions Club Park public boat access, about 6 mi on the water.
Is this Big Coal 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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