| Difficulty | IV+ |
| Length | 1.1 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 165 fpm |
| Gauge | New Haven River @ Brooksville, Nr Middlebury, Vt |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 82 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | July 14, 2026 |
The New Haven 'Ledges' is a classic Vermont creek run, featuring almost every type of rapid you could ask for. It may be short, but there are plenty of great rapids and drops in that distance. Multiple runs are the norm, and it's a great place for an after-work run. The river never strays too far from the road, making it easy to scout, portage, or walk off if necessary.
Putting in at Eagle Park be sure to use the path and not walk through the garden. The painted gauge is located on a rock at the downstream end of the fishermans platform. 1'6' is considered an ideal medium flow.
The first rapid is a fun boulder garden with multiple routes. Next up is 'Chute by the Road' which is a good place to put in if the water is on the low side. A short pool leads to 'Secret Compartment.' This rapid seems to change often during high water events so if in doubt give it a scout. As of 2026, the sieve on river left seems to have filled, though more water pushes to the left and has resulted in ankle injuries from pitons. The river bends and pinches to a narrow slot that drops five feet up against a boulder on the right. The typical line is to be in the middle of the drop and keep your boat angle downstream. As the flow rises a hole develops in the right pocket.
Some good boogie follows into S-Turn and into the start of the ledges. Beware of a pin rock known locally as 'Vickers Rock' at the end of S-turn in the middle of the river. It's easy to get complacent here and decide too late to be left or right but once you know its there its easy to miss. The 'Ledges' (slides) have multiple routes and are incredibly fun. As the flow increases the center hole and right side hole have dished up some beatdowns. Once through the ledges the river pinches into 'Oh By The Way' a rapid that finishes with a boof on the right. The flow splits on the final boof and most try to stay high and to the right to avoid the left side 'Schott Slot' that can be tricky to stay
...This is a nice warmup for the rest of the run, with some good read-and-run to navigate. There tends to be more water down the left side through a series of slots. If this feels like a challenge, consider the Lower New Haven or one of the other easier rivers nearby.

This narrow chute is a good alternative put-in when the level is low. The river constricts and drops about 5 feet through a bouncy chute.
Secret Compartment starts with a moderate boulder garden lead in, with a few last chance eddies on river right. The river bends to the left and funnels over a 5 foot ledge, with a piton on the left and a hole that is stickiest on the right. This rapid changes frequently, with a sieve on river left that, as of 2026 seems to be filled. It's worth scouting your first handful of times down the Ledges.
This long boulder garden can be run a variety of ways, dodging holes and snaking between boulders. About halfway through, 'Vickers Rock' creates a pinning hazard in the center of the river, so be on the lookout and ready to dodge left or right.
The namesake rapid of the run, The Ledges, involves a pourover at the start, followed by an often circuitous route through a series of slots and slides. The route changes depending on the water level, so take a moment to scout carefully. The center of the second slide is commonly avoided due to piton concerns and the last ledge features a stout hole. It's easy to get swept into the next rapid, so be ready to catch an eddy.
Immediately after the ledges, this rapid requires a late boof over a powerful hole near the right bank. The hole is backed up by a boulder pile, with the left exit known as the 'Schott Slot' being notioriously difficult to stay upright through, and the right being narrow and chunky. Precision is your friend here, threading the needle on the middle right.
A moderate boulder garden pushes slightly left before the river begins descending down a long slide with a prominent rooster tail and powerful hole. Most people run this starting center and driving left. A swim here is especially hazardous as the waterfall 'Toaster' awaits just downstream.
Playpen changes often, so scout from the large pull off during your shuttle. It consists of a long boulder garden lead in best run down the right or center, before driving left around a boulder pile. Immediately after this, move back to the right for a great double boof over a backed up hole, followed by a narrow slot. An eddy on the left offers some respite before the next horizon.
A perfect 6 foot ledge boof run on river left to avoid the worst of the hole.
A sticky ledge hole right above one of the most continuous rapids. This is usually run on the right, though at exceedingly high flows a sneak on the left develops.
Hip Shot is steep and in your face, a great finale to the run. Starting with a chute on the left, the river drops into a slide best run on the right with a beefy hole. From here, it's read and run under the bridge to the take out, but be wary of the final two holes.
Mar 22, 2006
A few rocks shifted in the line for playpen (drop below toaster) during the flooding of Feb. '06. Consider looking at that final boof on your drive up to the put in.
Jun 14, 2003
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
May 31, 2003
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
May 4, 2003
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
Now lets see if I can land! More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
Apr 12, 2003
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
Hello, Linda Weiss died April 10th on the Mettawee in New York. She will be missed by many paddlers in Vermont and around the northeast. More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
Mar 22, 2003
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
More of my photos can be found on my NEW kayakingphotos.com page and my American Whitewater page.
Sep 28, 2002
More of my photos can be found on my American Whitewater page and my Geocities page.
More of my photos can be found on my American Whitewater page and my Geocities page.
More of my photos can be found on my American Whitewater page and my Geocities page.
More of my photos can be found on my American Whitewater page and my Geocities page.