Elwha, Washington, US

2. Glines Canyon to Highway 101

Elwha

Elwha
Photo of Jan Tackett by Tom O'Keefe

Gauge Information

River Description

SEASON: Best after a good winter rain and during snowmelt (November to June), but can be boated throughout most of the year.

FUN FACT: Good training run for most of the year

PUT-IN: At mile 239.5 on Highway 101 take Olympic Hotsprings Road south through the National Park entrance, across the Elwha and up towards the former site of Glines Canyon Dam. The developed access point is in the Altair Campground. Drive through the campground to the boater access at the downstream end. If the campground gate is locked (it is closed through the winter) you can access the river at the bridge. Another good access point, that adds one of the best rapids on the run, can be found by continuing 1.0 mile up the road from the bridge at Altair where a driveway leads down to the old powerhouse site. You can hike your boat down the driveway from the road.

TAKEOUT: There are several good takeouts along Olympic Hotsprings Road within the National Park. Any of the roadside pullouts are a possibility depending on how long you want to make the run. Outside the park, there is private property along the river that should be respected. The last good takeout is near the gauge which is mile 1.1 on Olympic Hotsprings Road. There is an old road bed here with decent river access.

DESCRIPTION:

This run covers the whitewater from Glines Canyon to the Highway 101 bridge that was historically the segment between the two dams. If you use the upper put-in at the historic powerhouse site, the run starts with the last half of Glines Canyon with some fun III- rapids before arriving at a sequence of boulders and ledges creating a fun class IV rapid about 0.5 miles from the put-in (the portage is fairly easy). You can see some of this section from the road (look for a set of wooden steps leading down to the river about 250 yards up the road from the bridge--the rapid is just upstream of this). Shortly after this rapid you cross under the bridge at Altair and the campground that serves as the alternate put-in.

From Altair, the river opens up into a broader valley with plenty of class II whitewater and a couple of III- rapids. You can get a good view of the character of this run on the shuttle run.

for additional information see:

• Korb, G. 1997. A paddlers guide to the Olympic Peninsula. third edition.
• Bennett, J. and T. Bennett. 1997. A guide to the whitewater rivers of Washington, second edition. Swiftwater Publishing. Portland, OR.
• Olympic National Park website