Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
92Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: Wind 6 kn gusting 13, Air 24 °C
Tue 3 · 97 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 24°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 8.9 mm
Thu 5 · 90 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 92 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 90 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 91 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 3.9 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 297, good
- Tue 397, good
- Wed 485, good
- Thu 590, good
- Fri 692, good
- Sat 790, good
- Sun 893, good
- Mon 991, good
- Tue 1075, good
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 6.6 kmthe section
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 97, good | 6 kn | 16kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 97, good | 6 kn | 13kn | 24°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 85, good | 9 kn | 18kn | 21°C | 8.9 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 90, good | 7 kn | 15kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 92, good | 6 kn | 17kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 90, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 93, good | 6 kn | 15kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 91, good | 5 kn | 13kn | 16°C | 3.9 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 75, good | 6 kn | 11kn | 9°C | 1.2 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. The river's level is under In the water. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov7of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Dahl-Rainey Road Access on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
1 place
- Blue Water Trails Buck Creek 3.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Dahl-Rainey Road Access
A river section on the Buck Creek, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 6.6 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 3.8 km away. The town to stay in is Science Hill. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots.
- River Buck Creek
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 6.6 km along the river.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 3.8 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,170–US$2,100 each
about US$1,170–US$2,100 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to LEX, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$121–US$255 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$348–US$583 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$1,170–US$2,100 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Science Hill
28 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Science Hill its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest town: Science Hill, 16 km. We have not checked places to stay in Science Hill yet. The nearest beds we have counted are in Somerset, 16 km away (about 30 min by car). Search before you plan on staying there.
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 5h 15m
About 5h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LEX, direct, then 2h by road
Flights ORD → LEX on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Science Hill · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Science Hill · GetYourGuide
River level
River level at BUCK CREEK NEAR SHOPVILLE, KY: its gauge has sent no reading in the last day, so check it before you go.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River levels in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). Credits
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Blue Water Trails Buck Creek 3.8 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits