North River Valley Park Access provides a non-motorized boat ramp with direct access to the South Skunk River in Ames, featuring nearby amenities including tables, benches, shelter, water, and restrooms located 2,000 feet from the launch.

The access point connects to an extensive 97-mile network of paved bike trails within Ames and serves as a gateway to the recently mitigated 13th Street Dam (completed 2020), which now features rock rapids for boaters and improved fish passage.

Parking is available with 8 stalls, though the launch slope of 14% may be challenging for some users, and the site experiences periodic sediment deposition requiring maintenance.