See all 3 routes on Coal River
West Virginia | Kanawha County / Walhonde Water Trail
Coal River
Meadowood Park to Lower Falls
Check current paddling conditions for this Coal 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
Six-mile Coal C-2 flatwater/shoal reach from Meadowood Park below Upper Falls Dam to the Lower Falls pull-off, supported by the nearby Tornado gauge.
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
Meadowood Park public access (below Upper Falls Dam)Meadowood is an unimproved walk-down trail below Upper Falls Dam. Never paddle upstream toward the dam and do not assume a portage exists around it.
Take-out
Lower Falls public pull-offLower Falls is listed as a pull-off rather than a developed ramp; confirm the shoreline, shoulder parking, and safe egress before launch.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Meadowood is an unimproved walk-down trail below Upper Falls Dam. Never paddle upstream toward the dam and do not assume a portage exists around it.
- Lower Falls is listed as a pull-off rather than a developed ramp; confirm the shoreline, shoulder parking, and safe egress before launch.
- This card ends at the upper shoals/Lower Falls boundary. Do not continue downstream into C-3 or land at private banks without a separately verified access plan.
Watch for
- USGS 03200500 discharge outside the 200–5,000 cfs conservative screen, a sharp rise, or a mismatch between Tornado telemetry and the lower reach.
- Upper Falls Dam boundary upstream, Lower Falls shoals, shallow riffles, strainers, submerged debris, private banks, cold water, traffic/rail crossings, 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
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 | Coal River at Tornado, 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 | 400 cfs to 2,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | 5,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Initial conservative Coal C-2 screen from USGS 03200500 April–October daily means (2010–2026): roughly 200 cfs low, 400 cfs planning floor, 2,000 cfs upper planning band, and 5,000 cfs high-water stop; no official C-2 runnable range published |
| 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 corridorMeadowood Park to Lower Falls; 6 mi C-2
The current Coal River Water Trail brochure names C-2 as a 6-mile trip from the Meadowood public access to the upper shoals of the Lower Falls area; WVDNR independently lists the same endpoints and distance.
- Public access endpointsMeadowood Park 38.3393,-81.8402 to Lower Falls 38.3775,-81.8567
WVDNR District 5 lists Meadowood as a Coal River lot and Lower Falls as a pull-off. Meadowood is below Upper Falls Dam and uses an unimproved walk-down; confirm carry path, parking, and take-out shoulder conditions before staging.
- GaugeUSGS 03200500 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
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Quick answers
Coal River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Coal River?
Paddle Today watches Coal River at Tornado, WV and treats 400 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 Coal River route start and end?
This route starts at Meadowood Park public access (below Upper Falls Dam) and ends at Lower Falls public pull-off, about 6 mi on the water.
Is this 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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