Stillaguamish, S. Fork, |
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| Usual Difficulty | III+ (may vary with level) |
|---|---|
| Length | 9 Miles |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SF STILLAGUAMISH RIVER NEAR GRANITE FALLS, WA | ||||
| usgs-12161000 | 5.20 - 7.20 ft | III+ | 00h18m | 6.71 ft (rc= 0.8 ) |
FUN FACT: Good class III run with camping and hiking nearby
SEASON: After some good winter rains and through the early summer (October through July). The run tends to be flashy in the range of levels of interest to boaters. Flow can change dramatically over the course of a day and levels that look good in the morning can be a totally different story by afternoon.
PUT-IN: Just upstream of Wiley Creek Campground at a pull-out where you can find good river access. You can put in any place upstream to lengthen the run with more class II action. Red Bridge campground is another possible access point.
TAKEOUT: Verlot Campground is one good access point. If you want to cut off some of the class II at the end you can also take out at the Mountain Loop Highway bridge across the Silliguamish just east of Verlot campground.
SHUTTLE: Follow Mountain Loop Highway as it parallels the river.
DESCRIPTION:
This is a good class III run with fairly continuous action and a lot of good spots to practice technique. It's a good run for those just making the jump to class III whitewater.
Depending on how far you go upstream, the run starts out with good class II whitewater. The rapids are not difficult but there is a lot of wood on this run and there are several points where solid boat handling skills are critical to stay out of trouble.
As you approach Wiley Creek (a small stream that empties into the river from river right) the pace begins to pick up a bit with some more challenging slalom style boulder gardens. The real class III action arrives with Wiley Creek Rapid. You can recognize the entrance by the distinct S bend which ends in a large pool up against the side of the road (this spot is easily recognized from theroad and can be scouted on your way to the put-in).
The river picks up speed as it plunges through the boulder field and resistant bedrock of Wiley Creek Rapid. Although the rapid is generally considered a straight forward class III+, those looking for more of a challenge can create their own slalom course through the rapid to spice things up a bit (once you start climbing above 6' on the gauge this rapid does approach class IV as some more significant holes begin to form). You can find a user friendly playspot on river left at the end of the last drop. It's particularly good spot for those just building their confidence and trying out their first moves.
A short distance downstream the river once again passes through a series of boulders and ledges
similiar in character to Wiley Creek Rapid. With good water, the rest of the run consists of III-
rapids until you reach the Mountain Loop Highway bridge. At this point the pace slows a bit and
there are a few homes on river right before you reach the takeout at Verlot Campground.
for additional information see: Bennett, J. and T. Bennett. 1997. A guide to the whitewater rivers of Washington, second edition. Swiftwater Publishing. Portland, OR.
USGS gauge. This gauge has not been correlated to discharge, but you can get the stage height. 6.0' is a good level. Anything close to 5' is starting to get too low.
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SF STILLAGUAMISH RIVER NEAR GRANITE FALLS, WA | ||||||||||||
| usgs-12161000 | 5.20 - 7.20 ft | III+ | 00h18m | 6.71 ft (rc= 0.8 ) | ||||||||
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| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stillaguamish, S. Fork [WA] |
Wiley Creek Rapid
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5.1' | Thomas O'Keefe | |
| 83h33m | @Stillaguamish, S. Fork 2 - Mallardy Creek to Verlot (Middle) [WA] |
South Fork Stillaguamish trip
|
7.05 ft | Thomas O'Keefe |
| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | Wiley Creek Rapid | III+ |  |
River Alert
State News
River Links
NWRI - Stillaguamish, S. Fork 2 - Mallardy Creek to Verlot (Middle) (mobile)
User Comments
there's a class III 'screaming left hand turn' type rapid with a logjam backing it up just before
the bridge takeout. Not a hard move, but a horrible place to flip. Boaters without solid
boat-handling skills should scout this one. Edit
or squeeze under. Otherwise the run is clean and good fun at 7'.
Creek. At 5.7', we were able to huck over a small log and duck under a huge log, but at any higher
flows this would not be possible. The logjam is obvious and you do have time to get left to
portage. Also, there are trees down across the river above Boardman Creek. Your best bet is to put
in at the roadside turnout above the Wiley Creek campground.
season, however the big logjam is still there.... About 1/4 mile upstream of the Highway bridge
just past Verlot is a large logjam that has been there for years. You can sneak it, but most of the
water flows into it and there are strong currents here, so it is a very dangerous place to be
swimming. Also, the long rapid preceding the logjam is more difficult (class III+ with big
consequences). Boaters making the jump to class 3 should definitely have support from experienced
paddlers in this section, or take out upstream... There is a easy take-out above this rapid. On the
drive up, just go over the bridge past Verlot, continue about 1/4 mile and look for a pullout where
the river comes close to the road.
gauge and I would not hesitate to run this at a level higher. We ran dry a few times and others we
had to almost walk. I would recommend this at around 8ft
high side. In other words, if you decide to combine the upper and middle runs, be prepared for a
challenging day.
Also, be aware the Wiley Creek Rapid isn't just the stuff you can see from the road. When you are
scouting, you are seeing the end of a very long rapid. The one below it is even longer.
When you make it through these two rapids, it's a real rush, because you know you have really
accomplished something.