Dillon Falls is a 1/4-mile, Class I-II rapid consisting of many 6-12" ledges, finishing with three ledges of 2ft, 3ft, and a river-left 4ft drop. The usual line is river-left.
The American Canoe Association holds Whitewater Rescue Recertification courses during the Spring, when releases of 1,900 CFS, or 7.0 ft on the USGS gauge, are scheduled. (Consult the ODNR web page for release dates).
At that level and higher, Dillon Falls becomes a legitimate Class III. Levels of 9.50 feet on the USGS gauge translates into a flow of 5,000+ CFS. This occurs several times a year after periods of heavy rain. The three aforementioned ledges produce very powerful river-wide hydraulics and paddlers should exercise good judgment.
alot of fun in a 1/2 mile!
Steve Kreim wrote: Flows are controlled exclusively by outflow from the Huntington Corps of Engineers Dillon Dam. Refer to the Huntington District Lake Summary page on their home page for outflows, as the USGS gauge at Dillon Falls is measured by water level only, and not in CFS. Consider 230 CFS (4.0 ft on the USGS Dillon Falls gauge) to be the minimum runnable level, and 375 CFS (4.40 ft on the USGS Dillon Falls gauge) to be the minimum enjoyable level.
Permits are not required for this reach.
39.990000 ,-82.076000
39.952000 ,-82.025000
NA
We have no additional detail on this route. Use the map below to calculate how to arrive to the main town from your zipcode.
Dillon Falls
Dillon Falls (3rd Ledge) - Licking River, OH
Dillon Falls (2nd Ledge) - Licking River OH
Dillon Falls - Licking River, OH
If someone gets hurt on a river, or you read about a whitewater-related injury, please report it to American Whitewater. Don't worry about multiple submissions from other witnesses, as our safety editors will turn multiple witness reports into a single unified accident report.
Log into the American Whitewater website and you can contribute to river descriptions, flow and access tips, and maps associated with runs you've done. You can even add new runs to the inventory!
