Staying Home Sucks, home
Goshen-indiana-courthouse
Goshen, the nearest town, 8 km away. Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Elkhart River

Kayak spot · United States

Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river

Is it worth the trip?

85Good out of 100 for your dates

Home sucks

Best on Fri 6: Wind 6 kn gusting 13, Air 14 °C

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 82 out of 100

Wind
11 kn
Gusts
23kn
Air
22°C
Rain
0 mm

Wed 4 · 78 out of 100

Wind
10 kn
Gusts
27kn
Air
20°C
Rain
10.5 mm

Thu 5 · 83 out of 100

Wind
8 kn
Gusts
23kn
Air
16°C
Rain
0 mm

Fri 6 · 89 out of 100

Wind
6 kn
Gusts
13kn
Air
14°C
Rain
1.2 mm

Sat 7 · 85 out of 100

Wind
0 kn
Gusts
8kn
Air
13°C
Rain
0 mm

Sun 8 · 82 out of 100

Wind
6 kn
Gusts
12kn
Air
13°C
Rain
1.2 mm

Mon 9 · 87 out of 100

Wind
5 kn
Gusts
11kn
Air
12°C
Rain
0 mm

Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 289, good
  2. Tue 382, good
  3. Wed 478, good
  4. Thu 583, good
  5. Fri 689, good
  6. Sat 785, good
  7. Sun 882, good
  8. Mon 987, good
  9. Tue 1062, good
  10. Wed 1172, good

The spot in one fact

  • Flat waterthe water

Full forecast

every day, every number

The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.

Wind and weather forecast and score for each day at Elkhart River
DayScoreWindGustsAirRain
Mon 2Nov89, good7 kn18kn16°C0 mm
Tue 3Nov82, good11 kn23kn22°C0 mm
Wed 4Nov78, good10 kn27kn20°C10.5 mm
Thu 5Nov83, good8 kn23kn16°C0 mm
Fri 6Nov89, good6 kn13kn14°C1.2 mm
Sat 7Nov85, good0 kn8kn13°C0 mm
Sun 8Nov82, good6 kn12kn13°C1.2 mm
Mon 9Nov87, good5 kn11kn12°C0 mm
Tue 10Nov62, good10 kn21kn8°C7.5 mm
Wed 11Nov72, good9 kn24kn12°C0 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).

  1. Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
  2. Feb5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
  3. Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
  4. Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
  5. May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
  6. Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
  7. Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
  8. Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
  9. Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
  10. Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
  11. Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
  12. Dec5of 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

the spot and its town

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

3 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Elkhart River

A launch on the Elkhart River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 13 km away. The town to stay in is Goshen.

  • River Elkhart River
  • Grade No grade is stated.
  • Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
  • Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
  • Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 13 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$911–US$1,630 each

about US$911–US$1,630 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: fuel, 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 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Fuelabout 365 km there and back, sharedabout US$20–US$33
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$348–US$583
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$636
Kayak hire5 days, or bring your ownabout US$201–US$375
Totalabout US$911–US$1,630

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: Goshen

Closest

Goshen

13 min by car · 4 places to stay

about US$134/nightcountry average

See 4 places to stay in Goshen · Booking.com

About Goshen its beds, food and every spot near it

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 2h 20m

About 2h 20m door to door from Chicago

Drive: Drive, about 2h 20m

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.

On the water

River level

River level at ELKHART RIVER AT GOSHEN, IN: 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

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