Tennessee · Kingston Springs, TN
Harpeth River float season
Gauge 03434500 on the Narrows of the Harpeth loop at Harpeth River State Park. The Narrows loop lets Nashville paddlers float five river miles and walk 200 yards back to the car, past a hand-cut 1819 mill tunnel.
Right now at this gauge
loading CFS
Checking the live gauge…
Well above typical for this date
Live reading from the USGS gauge page for Harpeth River. Provisional data — subject to revision.
The year on this river
In a typical year at the Kingston Springs gauge, the Harpeth River runs fullest Jan–Mar and leanest Aug–Oct. Where today's reading falls inside that rhythm matters more than the raw number — the same flow that feels thin in spring can be the summer norm. Half of all past March days at this gauge ran above 1,240 CFS; the September median is 104 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,030 | |
| February | 1,210 | |
| March | 1,240 | |
| April | 944 | |
| May | 500 | |
| June | 231 | |
| July | 173 | |
| August | 130 | |
| September | 104 | |
| October | 110 | |
| November | 218 | |
| December | 636 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 1925 — 101 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 55,000 CFS, in May 2010. Rivers do that sometimes; it's why the safety panel above isn't decoration.
Planning dates? The trip-window checker shows what flows have historically looked like on any week you pick for this river, or see what a CFS actually looks like.
More Tennessee float rivers
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Caney Fork River
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Duck River
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Elk River
Tims Ford Dam tailwater through Kelso toward Fayetteville
Fullest: Dec–Feb
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Nolichucky River
Nolichucky Gorge, Poplar NC to Erwin TN
Fullest: Feb–Apr
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Pigeon River
Walters powerhouse releases through the Hartford rafting stretch
Fullest: Feb–Apr
Common questions
When is the Harpeth River usually at its fullest?
At the Kingston Springs gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Jan–Mar, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 1,240 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.
What is a typical summer flow on the Harpeth River?
The July median at this gauge is about 173 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Late summer is this river's lean season, so expect readings to drift down as the season goes on.
Is the Harpeth River safe to float right now?
No flow number can answer that, and this site never labels a river safe. What the data can tell you is how today's reading compares with 101 years of this date's history — well above typical means pushier, colder, faster water. Pair that context with a PFD, a look at the river from the bank, and a call to a local outfitter before you commit.
Which USGS gauge does this page use?
USGS gauge 03434500 (HARPETH RIVER NEAR KINGSTON SPRINGS, TN), chosen because it best represents the Narrows of the Harpeth loop at Harpeth River State Park. Daily records here reach back to 1925.
Data: USGS gauge 03434500, approved daily records 1925–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.