Belle Ayr to Arena

The run starts slow with some Class 2, but after the first drop is a series of Class 3/4 ledges.  The gem of the run is a gorged in Class 4/5 section.  Be sure to get out and scout when you see the walls starting to rise up, especially if it is icy. You may need to put a marker at the takeout.  Be careful to avoid the game club. Use the Map, Flows, and Directions tabs for more info \\*\\*\\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Locals have ran this from 350cfs to 1400cfs. The beta here is a product of our conversations. We thought that 300 would be a scrapy reasonable minimum flow and 2000 cfs would be high but runnable, if you know the lines. I believe that the old flow range of 150-500 cfs was imputed from Dennis Squires book, and it is likey that things have shifted over the years. The Mill Brook is quite flashy and with these updated numbers only runs at proper flows a handful of days a year, althought the gauge is reliable. Please be aware: there are significant issues with law enforcement on this run due to the zealousness of the Tuscarora Club. They have been described as the Adirondak League Club of the Catskills. One group got seen boating by a patron and they arrived at their legally parked car to find a ticket for trespassing. The car's owner had to go to court in Margaretville to successfully fight it. Moreover, the local police called their personal phone and told them to stay away from the clubs property. Even though there are legal putins and take outs and you can park exclusively on public land while running it, it is likely wise to attempt boat on weekdays out of trout/deer season. In addition to access issues, the Mill Brook has significant hazards. The Tuscarora Club has built over a dozen low head dams, ostensibly for trout habitat. Although they are fun and spice things up, you need a sharp boof to get over them, as the boil extends at least a boat length's out. In the main gorge there are two ~25ft waterfalls adjacent to must make eddies. In the last minigorge, there is a large pothole at the end of a shallow slide with recirculating currents. Finally, the last rapid is a 'narrows' section, there the river twists through a long cleft, edged by undercuts. One of my paddling partners got stuck in an undercut and we had to rope him out whole he clung to the ledge. His boat was stuck there too and we had to haul it out as well. Because the run is mostly clean, channelized bedrock, lost gear can go miles out to the Peptacon reservior. As such both of these swims resulted in lost paddles. Although the road is always close, this run should be treatred as a class 5 expedition. Long portages and lenghty scouting can get you caught by the game warden, who isn't caring of navigability laws. Weak groups hiking back to their car because they lost a boat or forgot a breakdown paddle will jeopardize a local favorite and likely result also in court dates for them. Also note that at high flows the gorge can get continuous. You will have time to roll between rapids, but swimmers could easily get swept over the waterfalls where most of the flow lands on rock. Hazards and access issues aside, this is an incredible run, arguably the best in Southern NY. It is easily a classic. The shuttle is quick and easy, the scenery is incredible (imagine splashing through a fun class 3 rapid through clefted bedrock as you go underneath a covered bridge), and the rapids are high quality and unique. After the 1.5 mile warmup you are never bored and a horizon line, if not visible, is just around the bend. Boofs, slides, waterfalls/cascades, and voluminous constrictions are the norm. I'd estimate there are about four class 5s, eight to twelve class 4s,  numerous enjoyable class 2-3s, and at least a dozen low-head dams that provide fun skipouts. If you run it high it you can experience high volume creeking that is truly world class. As a bonus the game club often cuts out wood to allow their patrons to cast unobstructed. If you feel up to the challenge know that everything has been run and the entire 5 miles is portage-free, water permitting. it has been scouted it at 2500cfs. There were no longer eddies above the 30fters and the low head dams became giant river wide holes with distant boil lines. See also Grant Mills to Arena. Catskills Area Reaches Basic Creek Batavia Kill Bear Kill Beaver Kill (Delaware Trib) Beaver Kill (Hudson Trib) Beer Kill Beer Kill, W. Branch Bowery Creek Bush Kill Callicoon Creek, E. Branch Callicoon Creek, N. Branch Catskill Creek (1.) Catskill Creek (2.) Catskill Creek (4.) Claverack Creek Coxing Kill Delaware Delaware, E. Branch Delaware, W. Branch Little Delaware Dry Brook East Kill Esopus Creek (1) Esopus Creek (2) Esopus Creek (3) Esopus Creek (4) Esopus Creek (5) Hannacrois Creek Kaaterskill Creek (1.) Kaaterskill Creek (2.) Kinderhook Creek  (3.) Kiskatom Creek Mombaccus Creek Mill Brook Neversink (1.) Neversink, E. Branch Neversink, W. Branch Peters Kill Platte Kill Plattekill Creek Potic Creek Roeliff Jansen Kill (1) Roeliff Jansen Kill (2) Rochester Creek Rondout Creek (1) Rondout Creek (2) Rondout Creek (3) Sandburg Creek Saw Kill (1) Saw Kill (2) Saw Kill (3) Schoharie Creek (1.) Schoharie Creek (2.) Shingle Kill Creek Squirmer Creek Stony Clove Creek Ten Mile Creek Thorp Creek Tremper Kill Wallkill West Kill Woodland Creek Vly Creek Google Map of New York Whitewater New York Whitewater Paddlers Facebook Group