See all 5 routes on Big Coal River
West Virginia | Southern West Virginia / Big Coal Water Trail
Big Coal River
Whitesville Public Access to JM Protan Community Center / Orgas
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.
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
Beginner-friendly Big Coal Water Trail reach with a route-specific American Whitewater flow screen and a downstream 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
Whitesville Public Access / water intakeThe brochure describes the Whitesville put-in as behind a funeral home/water intake; treat the coordinate as an access anchor, not permission to use private parking. Confirm current public signage and carry path.
Take-out
JM Protan Community Center / Orgas accessThe JM Protan Community Center endpoint is a community access; confirm hours, parking, and any event conflicts before staging. Do not substitute an unverified roadside bank.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The brochure describes the Whitesville put-in as behind a funeral home/water intake; treat the coordinate as an access anchor, not permission to use private parking. Confirm current public signage and carry path.
- The JM Protan Community Center endpoint is a community access; confirm hours, parking, and any event conflicts before staging. Do not substitute an unverified roadside bank.
Watch for
- USGS 03198500 discharge outside the 400–4,000 cfs screen, a sharp rise after rain, or a mismatch between Ashford telemetry and local conditions upstream.
- Shallow riffles, strainers, submerged debris, coal-truck traffic on access roads, private banks, cold water, and no 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 | American Whitewater Big Coal reach 10525 flow bands: 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 corridorWhitesville to JM Protan Community Center / Orgas; 9.22 mi; Class I
American Whitewater documents the route, mileage, Class I difficulty, and four flow bands; the Coal River brochure independently lists the Whitesville-to-Orgas trip as B-1.
- Public access endpointsWhitesville 37.9696,-81.5302 to Orgas 38.063838,-81.574858
American Whitewater publishes endpoint coordinates and the Coal River brochure names the Whitesville water-intake and JM Protan Community Center access context. Confirm parking and signage before unloading.
- 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.
Share your trip
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 Whitesville Public Access / water intake and ends at JM Protan Community Center / Orgas access, about 9.22 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.