Kayaking the Yellow River - Harpers Ferry, IA - October 2026

Put-in is at the Ion Road bridge; which is also the location for the gauge. There is roadside parking for a few vehicles and a decent path down to the river. There is a nice low bank at the river and the river is shallow enough to step into the river to help get into your boat. Put-in: https://maps.app.goo.gl/qx1TaVjSfsron... Take-out at the Effigy Mounds National Monument - South Unit which is off of Highway 76/Great River Road. The access road crosses over the railroad tracks to the Mississippi river and has a nice gravel turn around area and plenty of parking. On the north side of the parking area, there is a path down to the river which is wide enough for a car; although I don’t think that is the intended purpose of the path. The bank of the Mississippi for this trip was sand and pebbles which make taking out a breeze. Take-out: https://maps.app.goo.gl/WeKDS5hbFDy5k... The trip was about 10 1/4 miles and took us 3 1/4 hours or so. The trip could be shortened to 8 miles by putting in at Mission Road; however, the 2 ¼ miles from Ion Road to Mission Road is a fun splashy paddle. The water level for this trip was 6.3’ or 250 CFS at the Ion Bridge gauge. This was a very nice water level with minimal scraping; no hang-ups and not too high or too fast. USGA gauge level for the Yellow River at Ion Road in Harpers Ferry, IA: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring... Trip report on Miles Paddled: https://milespaddled.com/yellow-river...