Franklin Center Road to Francis RoadClass III
1.4 Miles
Avg Gradient 77 fpm
Max Gradient 80 fpm
Concrete Falls
Concrete Falls Photo of wicked fake falls by Jonathan Janicki taken 2006-02-13 @ very high Gauge Information
Little Elk Creek
River DescriptionLittle Elk is the biggest tributary stream of Elk Creek. Don't let the high gradient and Class III rating fool you; it is mostly due to constant whitewater keeping you on your toes the whole time. The first .25 miles are pretty easy with a warm-up Class II and then the creek begins to get steeper with a fun 3 foot waterfall. About a half a mile from the takeout is a 9 foot sloping ledge followed by a wide and very gradual 12 foot ledge leading into some holes that get big when the water is up. After this point the run is constant Class II boogie water until you get to Francis Road. There is a concrete stream bottom here which drops about 6 sloping feet and ends in a 3 foot waterfall. If the water is near the max level, there is a lethal whirlpool that forms just below the falls and would be nearly impossible to get out of. To portage, you must trespass on private property on the right in order to get to the takeout.
Parking is a bit of an issue here. Park on State Road .25 miles from the take out. Go west on Francis Road from the bridge to the intersection. Turn right on State Road and park just past the second house on the right where there is a big enough shoulder. When you take out you have to climb a steep bank. You may want to leave your kayak by the road and walk up to your car. You can then put your flashers on and strap your boat on while sitting on the road. Traffic is very low on Francis Road. StreamTeam Status: unverified
Last Updated: 2008-08-17 17:24:48
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There is a brand new gauge on nearby Walnut Creek. The gauge is so new that there is not enough information yet to report runnable levels. Please note that many of the picture footnotes use levels from the Brandy Run gauge.
Walnut Creek Upstream Pool, Near Erie [ PA ] |
Current Conditions
Station Graphs |
| Level Legend: | Running | Below Minimum Recommended Flow | Above Maximum Recommended Flow | Unknown |
| State | River Name/Section | Class | Level | Rel. Level | Updated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY | Chautauqua Creek— Lyons Road to Lake Erie | III-IV | 4.23 ft | 9/7 4:30 | ||
| PA | Elk Creek— Baron Road to Sterrettania | II | 4.23 ft | 9/7 4:30 | ||
| PA | Elk Creek— Route 98 to Lake Erie | I-II | 4.23 ft | 9/7 4:30 | ||
| PA | Elk Creek— Sterrettania to Route 98 | I(II) | 4.23 ft | 9/7 4:30 | ||
| PA | Lamson Run— Branchville to Shadduck Road | III-IV | 4.23 ft | 9/7 4:30 | ||
| PA | Little Elk Creek— Francis Road to Elk Creek | II | 4.23 ft | 9/7 4:30 | ||
| PA | Little Elk Creek— Franklin Center Road to Francis Road | III | 4.23 ft | 9/7 4:30 | ||
| NY | Twentymile Creek— S. Ripley to Lake Erie | III+(V) | 4.23 ft | low | 9/7 4:30 | |
| PA | Walnut Creek— Millfair Road to Lake Erie | II-III(IV) | 4.23 ft | low | 9/7 4:30 |
| AW Gauge ID: | 11113 |
| USGS Station: | 04213152 |
| HUC: | 04120101 |
| Latitude: | |
| Longitude: | |
| Class: |
No guide books for this stream. If you know of a book that describes this stream please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. No Comments
Add a Comment| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | Franklin Center Road | I |  |
| 0.3 | Three Foot Falls | II |   |
| 0.8 | Flat Rock | III | |
| 0.9 | Zoom Slide | II | |
| 1.3 | Fold Island | II | |
| 1.4 | Concrete Falls | III+ |    |
Put in near the Franklin Center Road. A lot of the area is posted, so you may have to park a couple hundred yards away and put in on the tributary stream that parallels Franklin Center Road.
Three Foot Falls is the first major ledge. It presents no major difficulties, but can be fun for surfing. It comes up on the first left bend. This marks the beginning of the steeper section.
The river widens out and as you will come to an 80 degree bend. Flat Rock is just below. It is not very tough, but can look intimidating on the approach. It is quite wide and tends to be a scrapey descent down the 9 foot steep sloping ledge. You can run it anywhere except the far left where you might get pinned in a very narrow slot. You can scout it if you want on the left side in the flat hemlock forest. A large flat slab of sandstone is on the right side that almost hangs over the ledge. This might be a good place to take nice close up pictures of people running the ledge. Zoom Slide is just below.
Just after Flat Rock, the Zoom Slide begins. It is a series of holes on a gently sloping ledge that drops about 12 feet in about 50 yards. You can pick up a lot of speed here. There is a nice hole at the bottom as the ledge culminates in a big pool. The river is wide here too, so you might scrape a lot near the minimal level. The deepest route is on the left. There are many great play spots from here to Concrete Falls.
Just as Francis Road comes into view, you will come to a ledge formed of folded bedrock on the right side of the island. Most of the water is on the right side if there is enough water for there to be an island at all. The left side often gets choked with strainers.
This rapid can be anything from a Class II to Class V+ depending on the level. Concrete Falls is directly underneath Francis Road. The river becomes constricted into a fake narrow channel, slides down a sloping drop with one big hole, then plunges into the whirlpool. This is a fun ride and the climax of the trip. You can't scout it except from the shuttle because the area upstream of the falls is posted. Metal grading exists on the concrete bed, but you will not see it nor will it be a problem. If it weren't for that, this spot would be the ideal place to use as a waterslide. Take out just below on the left side or continue into the Lower Gorge.
WARNING: Excersise extreme caution in high water. The whirlpool at the base of the falls creates a death trap at levels above 1.4 ft.
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