See all 17 routes on Guyandotte River
West Virginia | Cabell County / lower Guyandotte Water Trail
Guyandotte River
Salt Rock public access to Barboursville Park public access
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
Loading the route coverage map.
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
Long 16.8-mile lower-Guyandotte water-trail endurance route from Salt Rock to Barboursville Park, with a steep take-out carry and an upstream Branchland stage 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
Salt Rock WVDNR public accessSalt Rock is a WVDNR-listed public access; confirm the carry, parking, signage, and current condition before launching.
Take-out
Barboursville Park public accessThe Barboursville Park take-out is described as a steep, slippery carry with improvements expected; inspect the route from the water and confirm current park access before committing.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Salt Rock is a WVDNR-listed public access; confirm the carry, parking, signage, and current condition before launching.
- The Barboursville Park take-out is described as a steep, slippery carry with improvements expected; inspect the route from the water and confirm current park access before committing.
- 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 proxy 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, fatigue, changing water quality, and the steep Barboursville carry.
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 | 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 using upstream 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); Map 5 describes a 16.8-mile hard-paddling day and a steep, slippery Barboursville carry |
| 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 corridorSalt Rock to Barboursville Park; Trip 20; 16.8 mi; long hard-paddling day
Guyandotte Water Trail Map 5 publishes the exact trip length, endpoint names, road approach, and a warning that the Barboursville take-out is currently a steep, slippery carry.
- Public access and gauge relationshipSalt Rock WVDNR access 38.3107,-82.2213 to Barboursville Park 38.393,-82.320; Branchland gauge is an upstream proxy
WVDNR District 5 lists Salt Rock as a Guyandotte lot, while the water-trail map documents the Barboursville Park endpoint. USGS 03204000 at Branchland is retained as an upstream same-river proxy and must be paired with local visual conditions.
- 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 Salt Rock WVDNR public access and ends at Barboursville Park public access, about 16.8 mi on the water.
Is this Guyandotte 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.