See all 17 routes on Guyandotte River
West Virginia | Lincoln County / lower Guyandotte Water Trail
Guyandotte River
Branchland public access to West Hamlin public access
Check current paddling conditions for this Guyandotte 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
Low-gradient 5.7-mile lower-Guyandotte water-trail float with a public Branchland start, a West Hamlin concrete-ramp finish, and a direct Branchland stage 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
Branchland WVDNR public accessBranchland is a WVDNR boat-slide access; confirm the carry, parking, and launch-side road exposure before unloading.
Take-out
West Hamlin public concrete rampWest Hamlin’s concrete ramp is behind the town fire and police departments; follow the water-trail directions, keep emergency access clear, and verify current parking or event restrictions.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Branchland is a WVDNR boat-slide access; confirm the carry, parking, and launch-side road exposure before unloading.
- West Hamlin’s concrete ramp is behind the town fire and police departments; follow the water-trail directions, keep emergency access clear, and verify current parking or event restrictions.
- Do not substitute private river frontage or bridge shoulders for either named access, and do not assume camping or overnight vehicle storage at the lots.
Watch for
- USGS 03204000 stage outside the conservative 3.5–16 ft screen, a sharp rise, or a mismatch between Branchland telemetry and local conditions.
- Low-water scraping, strainers, submerged debris, cold water, private banks, changing water quality, and urban/town access traffic.
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.
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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 | Guyandotte River at Branchland, WV |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 | 4.10 ft to 8.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 3.50 ft |
| High threshold | 16.00 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Conservative local planning screen from USGS 03204000 Branchland gage-height history (2012–2026: about 3.15 ft minimum, 4.10 ft 25th percentile, 5.03 ft median, 7.07 ft 75th percentile, 10.96 ft 90th percentile, 33.59 ft maximum); the water-trail guide reports less than 2 ft/mile and no significant rapids |
| 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 corridorBranchland to West Hamlin; Trip 18; 5.7 mi; no significant rapids
Guyandotte Water Trail Map 5 publishes the exact trip length, public endpoint names, coordinates, low gradient, and take-out directions behind the West Hamlin fire and police departments.
- Public access and gauge relationshipWVDNR Branchland access at 38.2212,-82.2028; USGS 03204000 at Branchland; West Hamlin concrete ramp at 38.287,-82.196
WVDNR District 5 independently lists Branchland as a Guyandotte lot with a boat slide, while the Branchland USGS station is co-located with the put-in area. The route uses the station as a direct stage reference and retains the West Hamlin access directions from the water-trail map.
- GaugeUSGS 03204000 stage 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
Guyandotte River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Guyandotte River?
Paddle Today watches Guyandotte River at Branchland, WV and treats 4.10 ft to 8.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Guyandotte River route start and end?
This route starts at Branchland WVDNR public access and ends at West Hamlin public concrete ramp, about 5.7 mi on the water.
Is this Guyandotte 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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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.