Santiam, N.
4. Mill City to Mehama
| Difficulty | II |
| Length | 8.6 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 23 fpm |
| Gauge | North Santiam River at Niagara, or |
| Flow Rate as of 24 minutes | 1220 cfsmedium runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | March 13, 2025 |
This class II+ reach is a fun, easily accessed run that is particularly well-suited for people who are not ready yet for the harder run immediately up river. It is characterised by rock gardens, short drops, and a few wave trains. There's great riverside camping at North Santiam State Park. A world class mystery move spot, The Weasel, is right there too.
Put-in: The put-in for this run is in Mill City just down stream of Mill City Falls (III+). Descend a gravel path on the north side of the river just down stream of the bridges (44°45'20.2'N 122°28'40.8'W).
Take-out: Most take out at the Lyons-Mehama County Park under the bridge (Hwy 226). This is the first and only bridge on the run, making it hard to miss (44°47'18.6'N 122°37'03.5'W).
The Weasel is an epic squirt boating mystery move spot. Rides can be deep and long--30 seconds or more! The river splits around a boulder island and there's a well-defined convergence at the downriver point of the bar that works with both lefties and righties. It's also possible to sink upriver along the river left side of the island and carry a ride from here down to the convergence and go even deeper! The Weasel was the venue for the 2011 Mystery World Championships.
