Snoqualmie, S. Fork, |
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| Usual Difficulty | II+ (may vary with level) |
|---|---|
| Length | 5 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient | 31 fpm |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SF SNOQUALMIE RIVER AB ALICE CREEK NEAR GARCIA, WA | ||||
| usgs-12143400 | 300 - 2500 cfs | II+ | 01h26m | 247 cfs (rc= -0.0 ) |
FUN FACT: Convenient beginner whitewater to Seattle.
SEASON: Fall rains and spring snow melt, but can run into mid-summer.
ACCESS: To get to the put-in for this run, take exit 34 off of I-90. Turn south at the bottom of the exit ramp, head 0.5 mile on 468th Ave. SE., then turn left on SE 159th St. (look for the small sign that points to Twin Falls State Park). This turn, which is easy to miss, is just before the bridge across the river. Follow SE 159th St. 0.6 mile to its end at Twin Falls State Park. The put-in itself is easy and very accessible. It's about thirty feet from the parking lot. The take-out is on exit 32. If you are heading west on 90, from the put in, take a left at the exit and drive until you get to the big bridge crossing the river. Park on the side of the road here.
DESCRIPTION:
This is a class II/II+ run depending on levels, but stay alert for wood hazards.
The highlight of the trip is in Waskowitz Canyon, which can become a single long class II+ boulder slalom at higher flows. You will pass under a footbridge, pass the camp (on river right), and then enter an area with houses on river left. After you go under the next bridge, houses begin to appear on river right, and the canyon will open up. After a small rapid that makes a sharp left turn, there is a long pool and a weir. There are several runnable slots in the weir, mostly left of center. The easiest portage is on the far left (the old portage on the right has become overgrown with trees). The main hazard here is not the rapid, but logs that get caught on the weir during high water events.
If you really want to add spice to this run, instead of putting in at the parking lot hike the trail towards the falls, upstream, about a half mile or so. You will come to an area where the trail starts to ascend uphill. Right before this is a small trail that leads down to the river into Percolater Pool. This pool is at the bottom of the second of two class V drops, and makes a great put-in for the lower run, which is class III boogy water to the parking lot, where it calms down to class II. Upstream of this section the river drops 454' over a series of waterfalls.
It is also possible to extend this run. There are access points at two bridges in North Bend, and it is even possible to continue the run to the confluence with the Middle Fork. As you near the confluence, the gradient slackens significantly. In some years, this results in unpassable logjams, so be careful!
for additional information see
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SF SNOQUALMIE RIVER AB ALICE CREEK NEAR GARCIA, WA | ||||||||||||
| usgs-12143400 | 300 - 2500 cfs | II+ | 01h26m | 247 cfs (rc= -0.0 ) | ||||||||
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| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2y358d14h41m | Snoqualmie, S. Fork [WA] |
Boulder Garden
|
310 cfs | Dave Bowman |
| 3y355d14h41m | SF Snoqualmie [WA] |
The Weir
|
350cfs | David Elliott |
No rapids entered. If you know names, and locations of the rapids please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. River Alert
State News
River Links
NWRI - Snoqualmie, S. Fork 2. Twin Falls State Park to 436th St. Bridge (mobile)
User Comments
bank] the county installed, as the river has undermined these and the channel is almost totally
under them. one mile below edgewich bridge several sweepers have fell from the left bank, may be an
issue at <300cfs. Large log jam below the 'clay/sand wall' that totally obstructed the river
last summer has moved to the bank, the channel here is all new and braded, there is a great new
surf wave at the bottom left, best on the run. the canyon seems somewhat unchanged. the take out
eddy has suffered and is much smaller. look out for new wood below 300cfs. Edit
worth knowing about. The SF is runnable down to the confluence with the Middle Fork. There are a
few rapids, but they are mostly above the first bridge in North Bend. After that, the gradient
begins to slacken. A couple of miles below the last bridge, the river turns sharply left and you'll
probably see some snags, which are dropped by the river when the current slows. From that point
until the confluence, there will be several logjams, which may or may not be passable. This stretch
changes drastically from year to year, and there's no way to know what it's like.
In this stretch, it's possible to see herons and bald eagles. Once you reach the confluence with
the Middle Fork, the main Snoqualmie continues down into the town of Snoqualmie. You can take out
at the confluence, or continue down to another convenient takeout. This run is best at over 1000
cfs, but it's probably not a good idea to run it over 1500 cfs unless you've already run it once.
flow is to take the flow at the gauge from about 6 hours earlier, and add in 3 times the flow of
Boxley Creek (there are at least 6 smaller creeks between the gauge and Boxley). The minimum flow
is listed as 300, but this section can easily be boated down to 200 on the gauge. The maximum flow
is listed as 1500, but I've IKed it as high as 2500 on the gauge with no trouble. At that flow, the
canyon really rocks, and the weir becomes very easy.
just above the camp amphitheater. There's also a huge tree across the river below the clay wall
area - it's easy to get around it, but at higher water you may be forced to go over it. This one
could get caught in a bad place when we get high water.
Road, or the first bridge you come to on this run. This is also approximately 500 yards downstream
of the put in. Please be aware of this hazard and look for it along river right and move left to
avoid it.