Crandall Creek,

Trailhead to Clarks Fork Yellowstone R.

Mike Albrecht in the Gap

Mike Albrecht in the Gap
Photo of Mike Albrecht by David Schroeder taken July 2003 @ med.

Gauge Information

River Description

From the Bridge over Crandall Creek, every paddler's eye is immediately drawn to the churning waters funneling into a 5-foot wide, 25-foot long chasm carved through the solid granite. Though routinely portaged, this is a most impressive drop and an exciting way to kick off a run down this oft-overlooked gem.
A tributary of the Clarks Fork, Crandall Creek is the Box's baby brother. Throughout the run, sheer cliff walls reaching up to sixty feet tower overhead, closing to less than a boats' length in several places before reaching the confluence with the Clarks Fork. The water is crystal clear, vacillating between the deep greens of the large pools and a rich turquoise. Though the whitewater tops out at class IV+, scouting all blind drops is advised as some lines could prove to be disastrous. The rapids are unique and evenly spaced, providing a great opportunity for solid Class III-IV boaters to add some new tricks to their bag.
Crandall Creek is an outstanding intermediate run for the up-and-coming creek boater, sporting fewer objective hazards and a much lower volume than other sections of the Clarks Fork. It can easily be combined with the

or

for a full day of diverse whitewater.

Paul Kopczynski, Billings, MT 406/259-3408

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The various reaches of the Clarks Fork Drainage:
Styx and Stones (Class V+/VI),
The Upper (Class IV/V+),
Honeymoon (Class IV/V+),
The Box (Class V+/VI),
Lower (Class IV/V), and
Crandall Creek (Class IV).