Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
86Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: Wind 2 kn gusting 6, Air 18 °C
Mon 2 · 94 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 3 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 1.1 mm
Wed 4 · 89 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 16kntoo gusty
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 23.7 mm
Fri 6 · 86 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Sat 7 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 190, good
- Mon 294, good
- Tue 393, good
- Wed 489, good
- Thu 556, fair
- Fri 686, good
- Sat 775, good
- Sun 880, good
- Mon 971, good
- Tue 1059, fair
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- Best Jun–Sep7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 90, good | 2 kn | 8kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 94, good | 2 kn | 6kn | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 93, good | 2 kn | 6kn | 17°C | 1.1 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 89, good | 4 kn | 9kn | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 56, fair | 8 kn | 16kntoo gusty | 20°C | 23.7 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 86, good | 4 kn | 9kn | 16°C | 0.3 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 75, good | 4 kn | 14kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 80, good | 2 kn | 6kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 71, good | 7 kn | 17kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 59, fair | 6 kn | 15kntoo gusty | 7°C | 13.8 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. 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
best Jun–Sep
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 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
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov4of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec3of 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
Erie Canal 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.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Erie Canal
A launch on the Erie Canal. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. None within 10 km, the nearest 25 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Cold Springs.
- River Erie Canal
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 25 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$1,070–US$1,950 each
about US$1,070–US$1,950 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 SYR, estimated from distance and season, 4 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$147–US$308 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$27–US$47 |
| 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$1,070–US$1,950 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Cold Springs
1 min by car
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Cold Springs 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 4h 25m
About 4h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SYR, direct, then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → SYR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Cold Springs · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Cold Springs · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits