West Virginia | North-central West Virginia / Valley Falls
Tygart Valley River
Valley Falls State Park to Hammond / Twist and Shout take-out
Check current paddling conditions for this Tygart Valley 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
Very short, high-consequence Tygart whitewater section with a live Colfax stage gauge and a park-controlled put-in.
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
Valley Falls State Park river-right put-in / superintendent officeSign in with Valley Falls State Park personnel and confirm current permission, parking, and river-right carry path.
Take-out
Twist and Shout take-out under the railroad bridgeInspect the railroad-bridge take-out before launching; never use the active rail line for the return shuttle.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Sign in with Valley Falls State Park personnel and confirm current permission, parking, and river-right carry path.
- Inspect the railroad-bridge take-out before launching; never use the active rail line for the return shuttle.
Watch for
- USGS Colfax stage outside the conservative 3.5–5.5 ft screen or a rapidly rising trend.
- Valley Falls, Hamburger Helper, Twist and Shout, pinning hazards, cold water, and railroad infrastructure.
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 | Tygart Valley River at Colfax, 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 | 4.00 ft to 4.90 ft |
| Low threshold | 3.50 ft |
| High threshold | 5.50 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Valley Falls guidance: medium runnable near 4.4 ft; community reports warn that consequence rises sharply above about 4.9 ft |
| 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 corridorValley Falls State Park to Hammond; 1.2 mi; Class II-IV
American Whitewater documents the gauge, river-right put-in, named hazards, and Twist and Shout take-out.
- Access and camping contextValley Falls State Park access; nearby Tygart Lake camping
State-park and campground sources support the access check and nearby-basecamp classification.
- GaugeUSGS 03057000 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
Tygart Valley River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Tygart Valley River?
Paddle Today watches Tygart Valley River at Colfax, WV and treats 4.00 ft to 4.90 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Tygart Valley River route start and end?
This route starts at Valley Falls State Park river-right put-in / superintendent office and ends at Twist and Shout take-out under the railroad bridge, about 1.2 mi on the water.
Is this Tygart Valley River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.