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West Virginia | Upper Cheat River Water Trail
Cheat River
Hannahsville Ford to Riverview Lounge
Check current paddling conditions for this Cheat River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
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
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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
Approximately 12.78-mile Upper Cheat day route from a WVDNR-listed public boat access to the privately owned Riverview Lounge water-trail access; current parking and check-in rules apply.
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
Hannahsville Ford public accessAt Hannahsville Ford, verify ford approach, carry, parking, and wetted-edge entry after rain or high water.
Take-out
Riverview Lounge water-trail accessAt Riverview Lounge, use only the currently directed south gravel lot across the street, stop by after the paddle if requested, and confirm current business/access rules before launch.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- At Hannahsville Ford, verify ford approach, carry, parking, and wetted-edge entry after rain or high water.
- At Riverview Lounge, use only the currently directed south gravel lot across the street, stop by after the paddle if requested, and confirm current business/access rules before launch.
- No camping is allowed at Upper Cheat water-trail access sites; do not trespass on private banks.
Watch for
- USGS discharge outside 500–8,000 cfs or a rapidly rising trend.
- Rocks, holes, currents, waves, cold water, wood, remote stretches, and private-bank boundaries.
- Hannahsville has limited services/cell coverage; keep an emergency communication plan.
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
Why this score
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 | Cheat River at Parsons, 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 | 600 cfs to 5,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 500 cfs |
| High threshold | 8,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Upper Cheat reach 11739 discharge range 500–8,000 cfs |
| 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 corridorHannahsville Ford to Riverview Lounge; approximately 12.78 mi; Class I-II
American Whitewater lists Hannahsville Ford at mile 16.24 and Riverview at mile 29.02 on the Upper Cheat reach, establishing the distinct lower section and distance.
- Endpoint access and coordinatesHannahsville Ford 39.245, -79.708; Riverview Lounge 39.320, -79.684
The WVDNR District 1 access guide lists both sites as Cheat River lot/boat-access locations; Friends of Cheat identifies Riverview as private, and current access guidance directs paddlers to the south gravel lot across the street and to check in after the paddle.
- Camping postureNo water-trail access camping
Friends of Cheat states that none of the Upper Cheat water-trail access points allow camping; plan this as a day route with separate lodging or basecamp.
- GaugeUSGS 03069500 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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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Cheat River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Cheat River?
Paddle Today watches Cheat River at Parsons, WV and treats 600 cfs to 5,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Cheat River route start and end?
This route starts at Hannahsville Ford public access and ends at Riverview Lounge water-trail access, about 12.78 mi on the water.
Is this Cheat 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.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.