80-100
Great
Strong candidate for a float.
How we score
A simple score with clear safety overrides.
The Float Score is a 0–100 guide that weighs river conditions, weather, water comfort, crowd estimate, access, and data confidence. Serious alerts, official closures, and unsafe flow ranges override the score.
Planning aid, not a safety guarantee
A high score does not replace posted signs, official alerts, local rules, or your own judgment.
Bands
Public score bands
65-79
Good
Likely fine, read the notes.
45-64
Use Caution
Check conditions closely.
0-44
Not Recommended
Choose another river or another day.
Override
Closed
Official closure or serious safety gate.
What the score actually weighs
- River conditions and route-specific usable flow ranges
- Weather during the main float window
- Water comfort and temperature context
- Crowd estimate based on timing, season, and popularity
- Access reliability including parking and shuttle context
- Data confidence and freshness
What can cap or override the score
- Official route or river closures
- Flood warnings, flash flood risk, or severe weather during the float window
- Unsafe flow ranges for the specific route
- Stale or missing gauge data that weakens confidence
Public pages stay plain-language on purpose. The exact internal weighting can evolve, but safety gates stay strict.
Sources
Source overview
River gauges
USGS river and gauge readings provide flow, stage, and water context when available.
Weather
National Weather Service forecasts and alerts help shape the usable float window.
Local route context
Access notes, route difficulty, rule reminders, and manual closures round out the planning picture.
