Duckabush
2515 Bridge to Highway 101 at mouth
| Difficulty | IV |
| Length | 6.6 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 55 fpm |
| Gauge | Duckabush River Near Brinnon, Wa |
| Flow Rate as of 57 minutes | 239 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | March 4, 2026 |
Projects
American Whitewater is proud to be a leading partner in the Wild Olympics Campaign, a collaborative effort to protect the wild rivers, ancient forests, and salmon habitat of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Working alongside conservation and recreation organizations, American Whitewater helped launch this campaign with the leadership of our local [...]Read More
River Description
The Duckabush has some great class IV rapids, but the hike at the start of the run and the flatwater paddle out make it a bit less appealing than other runs nearby. Despite this, it's a beautiful river and well worth checking out if you're looking for a new adventure.The season is generally begins in October when the river flows on good rain events and continues through the spring on snow melt which can extend into early July on a good snow pack year.
Approximately a mile of good intermediate rapids characterize the start of the run from the bridge. The downside however, is once you reach the gorge you need to portage up and around it for nearly a mile. There are some good rapids in this section if you can find your way in. The game trails that provide the portage trail link up with the Ranger Hole trail which is a well maintained trail.
If you want to avoid the portage and still hit the best rapids, then you can hike in 3/4 mile from the road on the Ranger Hole Trail. Once you reach the river, scout out the rapids and work your way upstream a couple hundred yards to launch and run the last couple rapids of the gorge that ends at Ranger Hole. This is the best section of rapids on the run and it's an incredibly beautiful spot.
Below Ranger Hole you have about a mile and a half of fairly continuous class IV boulder gardens separated by sections of class III rapids through scenic bedrock canyons. These are great drops that you can boat scout. Unfortunately however the run begins to taper down quickly to class III, II, and then becomes a float out through low-gradients channels for the last three miles. If you put in at Ranger Hole, this lower section will be about 2/3 of the run. The river remains beautiful through this lower section until you near the end and come up to lots of homes and reinforcing walls used to stablize the banks. Beware that log jams can be a hazard in this section.
for additional information see:
- Korb, G. 1997
River Features
Forest Road 2510 Bridge Put-In
From Highway 101 mile 310 (0.2 mile north of the Duckabush River bridge) turn west on Duckabush Road which runs along river left. Travel 6.2 miles up the road to the FR 2510 Bridge across the Duckabush. A put-in is available on the river right side of the bridge. Accessing the river here will yield a mile of class II-III and a portage of the gorge. During the winter, snow will likely limit access to this upper put-in. For these reasons, many just put in at Ranger Hole.
USGS Gage 12054000
The Duckabush USGS gage provides flow information and this point can also serve as an access.
Midstream Boulder and Start of Gorge
A huge boulder closes off the start of the gorge. Several steep and difficult-to-scout rapids lurk below. High cliff bands make access back into the gorge difficult until you get down to Ranger Hole but it is worth exploring depending the flows and your skill at finding your way in.
Ranger Hole Trailhead
From Highway 101 mile 310 (0.2 mile north of the Duckabush River bridge) turn west on Duckabush Road which runs along river left. Travel 3.7 miles up Duckabush Road to the Ranger Hole Trail (trail 824). The Forest Service Interrorem Cabin is located adjacent to the trailhead and available for rent. It's a 3/4 mile hike down the trail to Ranger Hole. You can assess Ranger Hole from the rock face above and put in below or carry up to put in above.
Ranger Hole - End of Gorge
The Duckabush flows through a dramatic gorge that is worth exploring. Many start their trip here putting in the Ranger Hole, a large pool at the end of the trail. You can also hike up and run the lower rapids in the gorge. Assess the flows and the character of the drop at the exit of the gorge from above but it is easy to hike up and paddle this final sequence.
End of Whitewater
The whitewater ends shortly after passing the National Forest boundary and it is a mellow float down through tidewater and the take-out. Logs in this section sometimes require a portage. You will encounter extensive riverside development as you near the end of the run.
Highway 101 Take Out
The take-out is on the upstream river right side of the Duckabush River bridge at Highway 101 mile 310.2 at an access managed by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife with no amenities.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportWe had a great trip on the Duckabush with four packrafts and a kayak.
Flows were on the low side, but the weather was beautiful and it was great to get out and enjoy the rivers of the Olympic Peninsula. Ariel and Nick had reserved the Forest Service Interrorem Cabin for the weekend, which served as our home base at the put-in.
We met at the take-out at 9:30 a.m., were on the put-in trail by 10:15, and reached the river at 10:30. We spent the first hour at Ranger Hole, with a couple of us putting in a few hundred yards upstream and running the last two rapids in the gorge.
Once we’d had our fill of the Ranger Hole area, we set off downstream. It took about half an hour to boat through the rapids, which were great fun.
Flows were low, but we had enough water to enjoy the run. There were a couple of spots where we slid over rocks, and we had enough power that everyone ended up getting flipped at least once. It was enough water for a very enjoyable run but I would not want to go much lower.
By noon we were on the flatwater section of the lower part of the run. Flows were sufficient to carry us across the shallow gravel bars, and we had good current all the way to the take-out. We encountered a couple pieces of wood in play, but nothing that required a portage. We reached the take-out at 1:00 p.m.
We traveled back up to the Interrorem Cabin, which Ariel and Nick had reserved for the weekend, and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon there.
In the evening, we did some more exploration of the gorge upstream of Ranger Hole. We found a couple of possible entry points and some intriguing whitewater. It appeared to be a good flow for further exploration—maybe something for next time.
Drive up the river to access sites on a drive around the Peninsula on Highway 101.
Thomas O'Keefe and Mike Rausch hiked in to Ranger Hole and boated from there down to Highway 101. The flow was 1.7' on the staff gage at the USGS gage station. There were great rapids at the start that tapered off as we approached Hood Canal.