Paddled from Blue Heron to Alum Ford with the gauge reading 383 cfs. One wavetrain below Blue Heron
and another just below Yamacraw bridge with a 2' wave in the middle to catch on the fly. A few
other shoals and 1+ rapids, but mostly flatwater. It's worth it if you just want a lazy run with a
little interest.

Wow... Ran the BSF - Station Camp to Blue Heron at a super low 98 CFS. Great float, but tons of
flatwater and alot of dragging through the shoals. Berthas Bump was still a good class II though,
it is about .25 mile before Devils Jump. As far as Devils Jump goes though.. It was a 10 ft section
of flatwater going between 2 boulders with a submerged rock in the center. If you run it at this
level with a fully loaded canoe, you have to squeeze to the right of the rock in the middle get out
on top of the rock and push your canoe through. Great ride though.. Just be warned, tons of
flatwater at this level. Also, we camped river left on an enbankment right after a severe
thunderstorm. 30 minutes later, we had a big black bear in our camp and had to switch to a
different site 300 yards before. Always hang your food, change clothes before getting in your tent
and cook at least 100 yards away from your camp. Beautiful scenery though.. If you are a novice
paddler, this trip at this level would be for you.

I paddled from Station camp on March 7, 2006 to Blue Heron. The flow was around 600cfs while we
were on the river. We planned to camp the first night at Big Island, but it was nothing more than
something the river had washed through. I expected there to be at least 5 or so miles of flatwater,
but was surprised to find 10+ miles of flat water. Some of it had an underlying current that helped
a little, but not much. While this proves to be a great over-night, it's not much of an whitewater
overnighter. Leave this one to the boy scouts. Devil Shoals was the exception. At that level it was
an easy 3-. The only reason I would even give it the 3 rating was because there were some undercuts
that might cause a beginner a problem. I could see at higher levels that this might move up into
Class 3+ territory. All other rapids, if there were any were forgettable. The second half of the
run was very scenic.
The huge "silo" object that was mentioned in previous comments is a water guaging station at Bear
Creek. Next time I'll run the Upper gorge for my over-nighter

An Alternate Put-In...
Bear Creek Overlook Access Point, Kentucky. Park at the Bear Creek Overlook...there is a parking
lot. Park there, and walk through the small field to an old logging road. This road will lead you
to the mouth of Bear Creek into the BSF. The descent is similiar to Earl's Ford, and Woodall Shoals
access points and hard on the shoulders!
But once there...you have a 3 to 4 mile run on beautiful class II water with the option of running
Class IV Devil's Jump.
Rapid's on this stretch are Big Shoals...Nice wave train, Bertha's Bump, and of course the
Devil.
Scenery is absolutely beautiful.
You can access from the other side of the river as well, but it takes some skill to find the
logging road.

Not a bad short run if you're in the area.

500cfs could be a reasonable low, however our Memorial Day weekend canoe trip shoved off at 450cfs,
and with no rain the whole weekend we probably ran Devil's Jump at @350cfs. I have to say we had a
great time, and that I don't remember ever having to drag the canoe full of gear through a shallow
area. Not to say there weren't plenty of rocks to dodge and bump on the class I+'s, but there was
enough water to create a bit of carnage out of the other weekend paddlers. In summary, I'd love to
tackle the BSF with a bit more water, but I felt that there's still plenty of scenery and
excitement to enjoy at <500cfs.

This section is listed as Leatherwood to Blue Heron, but I believe it should be listed as Station
Camp to Blue Heron as the mileage is wrong, it should be 24miles and it doesn't talk about Angel
Falls, another class IV that would be encountered if leaving from Leatherwood.

I came, I floated, and I'm going back! I cut my whitewater teeth on the Chattooga sec.III and IV
when I lived in Ga. Now that I live in Northeast Ky I have found a new home. The whitewater was
testy and the scenery was awsome!

This is one of mine and my families favorite runs. We run it every year from Station Camp to Blue
Heron in two days, usually with a couple of friends. Starting out from station camp there is a
class one and then pretty much flatwater on down to Big Island. After Big Island, which can be run
on either side, there is more flatwater broken up with a few class 1's. After a couple miles of
this there is a creek that comes in to the side, a class 1 and then a bend in the river with a
large bluff above it. Around the bend is the first class 2. Its not very hard but a lot of canoes
swamp in it and so everyone usually pulls out and empties there boats. This rapid usually shows the
start of faster water, but any flatwater on the BSF is very slow unless the river is above 5000
cfs. A few class ones and then comes three landmarks that I forget the order of but they are Bear
Creek, Big Shoals, and the take out for the overnight. Bear Creek is right next to a horse trail
and has a large silo looking object right at the confluence. Big Shoals is a class 2 wave train
that should be run river right as close to the shore as possible. The camp take out is about 1 mile
from Big Shoals and is signified by faster water and a big rock about 100 yards from the start of
the rapid.take out and there is a little small creek and a trail if you walk up the creek about 50
feet. The campsite is well above the water line and has a nice fireplace. The next morning start
out and run the end of the rapid river left and pull out in the swimming hole. Swim out to the big
rock and climb up and take a jump. Its pretty deep. After the swimming hole is a small 2 foot
ledge/slide depending on where you run it. Then you get to Bertha's Bump which at low water is a
large standing wave, and at above 800 cfs is hardly worth mentioning. The last rapid is Devil's
Jumps. Always run left no matter what unless the river is above 5000 cfs, but at that level you
should just portage. The portage trail is river left but usually we park the boats river right and
scout the rapid. There is a nice rock to jump off into the water and is a good place for people to
take hero shots of people running the rapid. After Devil's Jumps its about one mile to Blue Heron.

June 14, 2003
I joined two other kayakers for a 19 mile float last weekend, and must say that I was extremely
impressed as this waterway afforded me one of the best river excursions ever experienced in the
great the state of Kentucky. The river provided us with a flow rate close to 900 cfs, was
reinforced why we were able to easily float 12 of the 19 miles needed to complete our trip on the
very first day. At this water level, we experience numerous class I/II rapids, leveraging many
rodeo and/or surfing opportunities. We pulled out below a class II and make camp on a flat area
well above the water level, as this river can flash flood with the best of them. The second day
provided us with many more rapids similar to those from the day before. However, toward the end of
our 19 mile float, we exercised extreme caution as we approached Devils Jump. A small wooden
observation deck high-up on the ridge line well above the water line on river right is an excellent
reference point to know you're getting close. Shortly thereafter, you'll see a path on your river
left that provides the portage for this section. Ample scouting can be achieved by climbing over
massive boulders to ensure the approach into and out of the chute is clear. Remember to exercise
extreme caution if you choose to scout and/or float this rapid as the large boulders offer numerous
slip hazards in very close a proximity to churning water. I recommend keeping three points of
contact on each bolder as you make your way to a clear vantage point. For those that venture down
to the waters edge, remember to pack a water proof camera because once you find yourself above or
below this rapid you'll wish you had a camera to snap a couple of pictures for old time sake. I
opted to float this section, but only after ensuring there was no obstruction blocking my approach
into or out of the narrow chute. I took a tight river left line, and the river dropping me out the
other side right where I wanted to be. Since the river becomes extremely narrow here, it often
hides associated hazards during times of elevated water flow by dropping the undercut rocks below
the water line. This combined with the numerous multi-directional currents make this section an
extremely difficult chute to attempt successful navigation. This rapid offers numerous challenges
even for the moderate skill set, therefore I seriously recommend any novice or foul-hearted
want-a-bees leverage the portage and continue on down the end mile or so to the takeout without
incident, otherwise you will(not maybe - but will)greatly elevate the risk to life and limb.
Exercising good judgment will ensure you get to take home many positive memories of your time on
this beautiful waterway.

I have canoed the BSFCR from Leatherwood to Blue Heron the last 2 years, every memorial day, and
plan to until my last breath. It is a truly spectacular river, flowing in throughout a gorge with
steep, tree-lined banks and feisty whitewater.
The run begins at Leatherwood, and is about a 1 mile strech of Class II whitewater until you hit
Angel Falls, which is in my belief, a serious Class IV. One person dies every year on avearage in
that rapid, so use extra caution. The tricks to doing it are 1) DONT PANIC! and 2) Hard, serious
turns after the 1st boulder that forks the flow at the entrance to the main run. Make sure you dont
flip in the Class II entrance rapids, and if you do, make a quick swim to the bank, and forget
about the boat.
After Angel Falls, the river turns into a virtual lake. A few Class I riffles are there to keep you
from dying of bordem. I recommend you set up camp about 2 miles past Angel Falls, so you get enough
rest to paddle strenuos dead water after that 1/4 mile portage.
The second day is flat, dotted by a few Class I rapids, mostly after Station Camp. Station Camp is
reconizable by horse trails and a small campground on the bank, plus a small rapid that runs
through it. After Station Camp, the run gets a bit more livley, a few more Class I's show up,
including a landmark, Big Island, which is a huge 13 acre island cutting the river in two. Run the
left around Big Island. A Class II rapid cuts through Big Island, which is a deligtful place to eat
lunch. After Big Island, the run gets faster. Class IIs start to show, and get more numerous. About
the Tennesee/KY border is a huge cliff up on your left, which if viewed correctly, looks like a
indian chief. This is where you should end your day, because the camping gets further and further
apart past it. On the 3rd day, you enter the Big Shoals, which is a series about 7 miles long of
almost continuious Class II, and one borderline III rapid, just upstream of Devils Jump. The
whitewater is fun, and is prodominated by 2 ft waves, strong currents, small ledges, and long
rapids. About 7 miles downstram of the KY/TN border, you should see a high mountain, which has a
overlook on top. This is your signal to get on shore. Get out, and about 300 ft upstream is Devils
Jump. A solid Class III, and in some books, a Class IV chute. It is where the entire river (100 ft
wide) closes to a 5 ft wide chute, between massive boulders. At levels higher than 1500 cfs, the
rapid should be portaged, because of possible hydracuils. But if you want to run it, run your boat
straight at the chute, then turn your boat hard right, and you should go through no problem. After
Devils Jump, about 300 yards is Blue Heron, marked by a small boat ramp. This is the main takeout,
unless you want to go another 5 miles of dead water to Yamacraw Bridge.
The run is appox. 27 miles long, and is a good 3 day trip, but can be run in 2, but to have maximum
fun, run it in 3. The fishing on the river is awsome, with smallmouth, walleye, and catfish the
primary species. It is truly one of the greatest rivers in the south, and if you go down on
Memorial Day weekend, and see about 8 canoes, full of guys, yelling WACO!!!, say hi, thats me and
my group, and we'll help you out and point you in the right direction. This just may be my 3rd
year, but some of these guys have been running it for ages!