Stillaguamish, N. Fork, WA

Hazel Hole

Hazel Hole
Photo by Thomas O'Keefe © taken 2038-01-18

Gauge Information

River Description

The North Fork of the Stillaguamish is perhaps better known for its steelhead than its whitewater but it's still a great float trip with plenty of opportunities for viewing wildlife and the legacy of geologic processes that shaped the Puget Sound lowlands. It has been popular with experienced canoeists for years.

The North Fork of the Stillaguamish has a fascinating geologic history and was once a much bigger river as it carried the waters of the Suiattle and Sauk Rivers. During the last glacial advance the mouth of the Puget Sound rivers were blocked by the Puget Lobe of the Cordilleran ice sheet and outwash gravel from the glacier formed a dam creating a lake fed by the Skagit, Suiattle, and Sauk Rivers. The lake eventually overtopped the dam near Darrington, draining through what is now the North Fork Stillaguamish. While the Sauk River eventually began to flow along it's current route to the north, the Sauk and Suiattle continued to flow along the course of the North Fork Stillaguamish. The rising lake waters, still fed my melting ice up valley, backed up the Sauk and Suiattle Rivers and eventually spilled out into what is now the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River near Darrington. When the Cordilleran Ice Sheet retreated from the Puget Lowland, the lake, followed by the Skagit River, eventually broke through the gravel dam (B). The Sauk and Suiattle Rivers continued to drain through the southern route for awhile.


Volcanic eruptions of Glacier Peak at their headwaters since the last glacial advance choked the Sauk and Suiattle Rivers with volcanic debris forming an alluvial fan at Darrington that now diverts both of these rivers north to the Skagit River.

All this geologic activity has created the features that paddlers experience today. The run starts out on a narrow river with exceptionally clear water draining more resistant bedrock to the north. At moderate flows, intermittent rapids are relatively straight forward class II formed by small boulders. For the most part however this section is characterized by swift current that cuts through gravel bars and the primary hazard to be aware of is wood. Although the forests have been logged, a canopy of alders, cottonwoods, and a few conifers has grown up along the river. Over the first few miles you should be prepared to portage a time or two.

As you pass the Swede Heaven Road Bridge, the river begins to open up a bit more. Wood hazards become less of an issue but may still be present. You will also start to encounter more homes along the river although much of the river remains lined by young forest. Throughout this section you will be treated to impressive views of the nearby mountains and ridges if you happen to be out on a clear day. If it's an overcast day in the middle of January you can expect to see dozens of eagles who come to feast on the river's coho salmon. There are a couple straight forward class II rapids representing the legacy of past glacial activity and the power of the much larger river that once flowed through this valley. For the most part however the run consists of navigating the swift currents and avoiding the ocassional wood hazard. At one time this river would have had much more wood and experimental engineered log jams were first constructed on this river in 1998 in the vicinity of Hazel Hole.

As you continue on downstream past Hazel Hole and towards the C Post Road Bridge, you will start to see the river begin to cut through more clay, silt, and sand deposits of glacial and lake origin that are the main source of significant sediment production in this watershed. The water becomes a lot more cloudy in stark contrast to the crystal clear waters at the put-in. You will also notice the increase in river volume in this section and a couple more class II rapids will be a bit more filled in resulting in the best rapids on the run. As you pass through a constrained section of the river you will soon emerge near the Whitman Road Bridge.

Continuing downstream the river flows through at least one more class II rapid before it begins to wind back and forth across the floodplain. You will pass Deer Creek which comes in from river right, a challenging class V run famous for it's summer steelhead. All along the run there are gravel bars that make great stops for a picnic lunch. Downstream of Cicero it would be a stretch to call the rest of the run whitewater, but you can continue all the way to the confluence with the South Fork in downtown Arlington.

Logistics

There are a couple different access points for the North Fork Stillaguamish depending on what you're looking for. This section is typically divided into an upper and lower run divided by the access at Whitman Road.

River Mile 0 (Haller Park) Arlington
This access is located right at the confluence of the North and South Forks in Arlington at the park located on the upstream river left side of the Highway 9 Bridge adjacent to the sewage treatment plant.

River Mile 9.5 (Monty Road)
This is the typical take-out for the lower run. From Arlington head east on Highway 530 about 7.5 miles and turn north onto Monty Road at Highway 530 mile 28.8 just before it crosses the river. The access is downstream river left of the Highway 530 Bridge and this is the take- out for the lower run.

River Mile 17.6 (Whitman Road)
To reach the popular intermediate access continue upstream and at mile 35.0 turn north onto Whitman Road. The access is at the Whitman Road Bridge on downstream river left and there is a good trail to the river under the bridge.

River Mile 21.2 (C Post Road)
Access here would be a bit of a scramble but it is possible. At Highway 530 mile 37.8 turn north onto C Post Road and 0.4 miles from the highway you'll come to single-lane bridge across the river.

River Mile 22.4 (Hazel Hole)
This is more typically used as a fishing access, but it's a convenient pullout right along Highway 530 at mile 38.8. An interpretive kiosk here describes the history of steelhead fishing on this river.

River Mile 30.0 (Swede Heaven Road Bridge)
This access is a good put-in option for the upper section when flows are below 1500 cfs. The river is also more open downstream of this bridge. To reach this site turn north onto Swede Heaven Road at Highway 530 mile 43.7 (directly across from the Shell Station) and continue 0.8 miles to the river. Parking is limited but there is a convenient access to the river on the upstream river left side of the bridge.

River Mile 32.0 (Forest Road Bridge)
To reach the put-in for the upper section continue upstream to Highway 530 mile 46.8 and turn onto an unmarked road (it's easy to miss this turn). Continue past the Darrington Substation and 1 mile from the highway you'll reach a bridge with convenient access on downstream river left. Above this bridge there are reports of more challenging whitewater upstream.

The river is paralleled by Highway 530 along its entire length, so the shuttle logistics are relatively simple. Someday completion of the Whitehorse Trail that follows the old railroad grade along the river will provide an inviting bike shuttle option. The grocery store in Arlington located a couple blocks east of the Highway 530 and Highway 9 junction is a popular meeting spot and good place to load up on any snacks or provisions you want for your trip. Nearby camping can be found in the National Forest. Just continue east through Darrington and up the Sauk River on the Mountain Loop Highway (Clear Creek Campground is located at Mountain Loop Highway mile 51).