See all 3 routes on Little Coal River
West Virginia | Southern West Virginia / Little Coal Water Trail
Little Coal River
Madison City Park to Donald R. Kuhn Juvenile Center
Check current paddling conditions for this Little 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
A public 9.5-mile beginner Little Coal Water Trail reach from Madison to the Donald Kuhn access, supported by the nearby Danville 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
Madison City Park public accessMadison City Park and Donald Kuhn are public access anchors, not permission to use adjacent private or railroad property; confirm current lot access and carry path.
Take-out
Donald R. Kuhn Juvenile Center public accessThe brochure includes a shorter Danville City Launch variant; this card intentionally uses the full Madison-to-Kuhn pair to preserve distinct public coverage.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Madison City Park and Donald Kuhn are public access anchors, not permission to use adjacent private or railroad property; confirm current lot access and carry path.
- The brochure includes a shorter Danville City Launch variant; this card intentionally uses the full Madison-to-Kuhn pair to preserve distinct public coverage.
- Carry water, food, spare layers, and a repair kit for the long float; arrange the shuttle before launch because upper Little Coal cell service is unreliable.
Watch for
- USGS 03199000 discharge outside the 80–1,100 cfs conservative screen, a sharp rise after rain, or a mismatch between gauge telemetry and local conditions.
- Shallow riffles, natural-rock restoration structures, strainers, submerged debris, coal-truck traffic, private banks, cold water, 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 | Little Coal River at Danville, 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 | 125 cfs to 400 cfs |
| Low threshold | 80 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,100 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Initial conservative Little Coal screen from USGS 03199000 seasonal statistics: about 80 cfs lower bound, 126 cfs median, 419 cfs 75th percentile, and 1,110 cfs recent maximum |
| 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 corridorMadison City Park to Donald R. Kuhn Juvenile Center; 9.5 mi; L-1
The current Coal River Water Trail brochure names the route and 9.5-mile distance; the WVDNR route table reports the same pair as 9.0 miles, so the product preserves the newer brochure distance and documents the discrepancy.
- Public access endpointsMadison City Park 38.0595,-81.8247 to Donald Kuhn 38.1375,-81.8365
WVDNR District 5 lists both as Little Coal River public access lots. Confirm parking, signage, and current surface conditions before unloading.
- GaugeUSGS 03199000 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
Little Coal River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Little Coal River?
Paddle Today watches Little Coal River at Danville, WV and treats 125 cfs to 400 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Little Coal River route start and end?
This route starts at Madison City Park public access and ends at Donald R. Kuhn Juvenile Center public access, about 9.5 mi on the water.
Is this Little 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
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.