West Branch Mahoning River
Kayak spot · United States
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
74Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Mon 2 · 73 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 3 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 77 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 23kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 1.2 mm
Fri 6 · 69 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 22kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 60 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 178, good
- Mon 273, good
- Tue 380, good
- Wed 480, good
- Thu 577, good
- Fri 669, good
- Sat 756, fair
- Sun 860, good
- Mon 962, good
- Tue 1060, good
The spot in four facts
- Grade IIat its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
- 4.7 kmthe section
- 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 | 78, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 73, good | 7 kn | 14kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 80, good | 8 kn | 18kn | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 80, good | 9 kn | 19kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 77, good | 11 kn | 23kn | 19°C | 1.2 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 69, good | 8 kn | 18kn | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 56, fair | 9 kn | 22kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 60, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 62, good | 7 kn | 15kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 60, good | 7 kn | 19kn | 11°C | 0 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
best Jun–Sep
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for expert paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 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
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec1of 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
West Branch Mahoning River 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
2 places
- Newton Falls Upstream Paddling Access 1.4 km away
- Mahoning River Waterway Trail - Foster Park Ingress 6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About West Branch Mahoning River
A river section on the West Branch Mahoning River, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade II, on the international scale. It runs 4.7 km along the river. Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. For expert paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Newton Falls. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.
- River West Branch Mahoning River
- Grade Grade II, on the international scale.
- Length 4.7 km along the river.
- Who it suits Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map.
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 CAK, 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: Newton Falls
1 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Newton Falls 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 30m
About 4h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → CAK, direct, then 1h 10m by road
Flights ORD → CAK on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Newton Falls · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Newton Falls · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at West Branch Mahoning River at Wayland OH, 15 km upstream: 1.1 m³/s, normal for November (updated 3 h ago). Running.
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
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits