Ohio whitewater - Kokosing River, Coshocton/ Knox County

Coshocton/ Knox county, Gambier to Walhonding River section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS I-II     12 miles
 
I Have been paddling the Kokosing for 15 years and have lived in the area all my life.  I have started in Millwood and landed at Zuck in 7 minutes. Water level was at 13ft mark on bridge at Millwood. I have also canoed across the field at riley chapel clear up to 715 to take our boat out.   My ex-husband and I spent every weekend on the river.  I have photos in February at the cave falls off hazel dell rd. also would like to know where the name grove falls came from? The kokosing changes every year, my father worked at the sand plant for 35 years it used
    to be white sand bottom and full of snakes.  There is a lot of history to the area, we also made it a yearly event to go down the river on new years day to ring in the new year.  I have been to Kentucky on the elk horn creek, class 5 white water, they knew of the Kokosing river.
Says Cheryl

The Kokosing is a great scenic river. You can put in at the beginning of the bike path in MountVernon in the spring. I would not put in here at low or midsummer water levels. You can put in at summer levels at Laymon road or Big run road bridge access. The water is still thin but worth the trip. The best place is to put in at Millwood and take out a Riley chapel road . When you put in at mill wood look back up stream and you will see someone has marked the water levels on the left bridge support. At summer low levels the water thins and
 
you will have to get out a few times until you get under state route 36. If you hit the river at the 2-1/2 mark on the old bridge in Millwood you are in for a fast scenic trip. The rocks at the rapids will be covered just enough to be very fun but dangerous. After the rapids the you are in the gap. Sand stone cliffs 20 feet high are on the left and right. At the end of this narrow part of the gap across from the water fall on the left coming from the sand plant take out. Walk to the top of the cliff, turn away from the river and you will see that you are on the top of a ridge. The drop off is 15 feet on one side 20 to the left. Keep going away from the river and you will come to wear it has fallen over. Go over this and once you get to flat ground again look down to your left and you will see a small stream. Go down the cliff and follow the stream to Grove falls. This is a beautiful water fall. After you're done admiring the falls get back on the river . You are approx. 3-4 hours depending on how fast you paddle to Riley chapel road. Do this trip one time and I guarantee you will be back. I would like to than Knox county parks and recreation.. Especially Kim and Doug. They and there crew have made the access points very nice. If you have any questions or want some to go with you down the river E-mail me mkbnr@yahoo.com Have a great trip. Says Mike

Take out is on Zuck Road, off of S.R. 715. River left side. A good place to surf is ''Turtle Rock.'' Only ''Rapids'' is ''Factory Rapids.'' Left side in low water and either right or left in higher water. Natural flow river. Good bass fishing. Says Julie

This stretch of Kokosing River is 12 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class I-II section. If you're coming from Mount Vernon it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. The scenic beauty of Ohio and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream beats anything. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. This is the only paddling stretch along Kokosing River. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, in this general area you won't find many other paddling places. Whitewater rafting and kayaking in Ohio is often easier than elsewhere, so don't forget that many of the sections here are safe for beginners. This stretch has enough mileage for an overnight trip, so pack your camp stove. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set.

Briefly about the general area:
Don't leave Kokosing River without first paying a visit to Grove Falls. Kokosing River is a good site of normal rain; the month of May is the wettest with most of the rain; the driest month of the year is January. Summertime highs at Kokosing River usually tend to be in the 80's, and throughout the night it cools down to the 60's. Highs during the wintertime are commonly in the 30's, and nighttime lows during the winter for Kokosing River tend to be in the 10's.

Kokosing River, Gambier to Walhonding River road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: I-II
Length: 12 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 40.3759
Longitude: -82.4041

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 40.36
Longitude: -82.16031

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Current weather conditions at Kokosing River, Ohio
WXPort

Local climate location: MANSFIELD WSO AP 6 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Holiday Inn Express MT. VERNON, Mount Vernon
11 miles away
Breathe easy at the completely non-smoking Holiday Inn Express Hotel in Mt. Vernon, OH that is conveniently located near many restaurants and businesses, all within a 5 mile radius. The beautiful Keny...

Super 8 MT. Vernon, Mount Vernon
12 miles away
The Super 8 Mt Vernon is Newly Renovated - January 2008. We are conveniently located in the heart of Mt Vernon on State Route 36. We are near to the Kenyon College, Mt Vernon College, Mt Vernon Naza...

Comfort Inn Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon
14 miles away
Hotel is located in the downtown historical area, adjacent to Dan Emmett Conference center and walking distance to shops and restaurants. Hotel amenities include indoor heated pool, Hot Tub, Sauna, f...



OTHER_INFO
  All Ohio Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Ohio.
Books about whitewater paddling on Kokosing River, Ohio
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Kokosing River, Ohio.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Ohio

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Mount Vernon, Ohio
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Mount Vernon, Ohio, the metro area neareast to Kokosing River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Kokosing River.
 Whitewater Near Kokosing River:
Clear Fork of Mohican, Ashland County , 13 miles away, Class II - 4.9 miles long (Pleasant Hill Reservoir to Black Fork)
Rocky Fork, Licking County , 14 miles away, Class I - 10 miles long (Hickman to Licking River)
Licking River, Licking County , 16 miles away, Class I - 8.6 miles long (Newark to Rock Haven Park)
Wakatomica Creek, Muskingum County , 20 miles away, Class II+ - 12 miles long (to Muskingum River)
Licking River, Licking/ Muskingum County , 26 miles away, Class II - 4.2 miles long (Ridgely Tract to Dillon Falls)
 Ski Areas Near Kokosing River:
Clear Fork, Ohio , 15 miles away, 300 vertical feet
Snow Trails, Ohio , 20 miles away, 300 vertical feet
Boston Mills, Ohio , 69 miles away, 240 vertical feet
Brandywine, Ohio , 70 miles away, 240 vertical feet
Spicy Run Mountain, Ohio , 93 miles away, 600 vertical feet
Alpine Valley, Ohio , 93 miles away, 230 vertical feet
Mad River Mountain, Ohio , 97 miles away, 300 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Kokosing River:
Holiday Inn Express MT. VERNON, Mount Vernon , 11 miles away
Super 8 MT. Vernon, Mount Vernon , 12 miles away
Comfort Inn Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon , 14 miles away
Hanover House Bed and Breakfast, Newark , 14 miles away
The Place Off The Square, Newark , 18 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Kokosing River:
Kokosing Valley Camp and Canoe, Howard, 2 miles away
Whip-poor-will Hills, Danville, 5 miles away
Mohican Wilderness, Danville, 5 miles away
 National Parks Near Kokosing River:
Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, Brecksville - OH , 67 miles away
 Golf Courses Near Kokosing River:
Hidden Hills Golf Course & Grille, Howard , 2 miles away
Tomahawk Hollow Golf Course, Gambier , 6 miles away

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater