Dungeness
2. Dungeness Forks Campground to hatchery
| Difficulty | III |
| Length | 5.3 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 59 fpm |
| Gauge | Dungeness River Near Sequim, Wa |
| Flow Rate as of 41 minutes | 305 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | July 20, 2024 |
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
Below the confluence with the Gray Wolf river the Dungeness river flows through a beautiful section of river with mature forests and consistent gradient over the course of the run. The typical season is November through July with good rain events in the winter and then snowmelt that can continue into the early part of summer. There are no big drops on the run but the river serves up continuous action with class II and III whitewater.
Although the channel is relatively wide, you can expect wood to be in play and it is not uncommon to have a couple of channel-spanning pieces. Several engingeered structures installed in recent years have compounded the hazards of this run. Don't commit to any blind corners as eddies can be limited in places and wood hazards can come up quick. Towards the lower half of the run there are a few islands where you may find it important to pick the clean channel.
Be sure to scout the take-out so you recognize it. You will know you are getting close when you start to see infrastructure associated with the hatchery (water pipes, etc.) on river left but the actual take-out point has few defining features.
ACCESS: To reach the put-in from Highway 101 mile 267.4 take Palo Alto Road south through farmlands and into the foothills of the Olympics. This road is paved all the way and in 8.0 miles you will see a turnoff to the right (FR 2880) for Dungeness Forks Campground. Follow this road 1.0 miles down to the Dungeness River. You will come to a bridge across the Dungeness River just upstream of the Gray Wolf confluence at Dungeness Forks Campground (one of the nicer Forest Service campgrounds in the Olympics). The put-in is on river right upstream of the bridge and you can hike up to run the final rapids of the upper run. Alternatively, you can cross the Dungeness to river left and continue on FR 2880 about a mile. Turn right onto FR 2870 at the Y and you will soon be at the bridge across the Gray Wolf. This alternative put-in a
...River Features
Forest Road 2880 Bridge Put-In
The put-in is at the Forest Road 2880 Bridge just upstream of Dungeness Forks Campground. The best access is on the upstream river right side of the bridge which is also a popular site for dispersed campers who park their van at this spot along the river. The campground is on the downstream side of the bridge on river left.
Dungeness Fish Hatchery Take-Out
Access is on river left at the fish hatchery. It is a short hike from the parking area to the river so be sure to scout out the access point before your run.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportPhotos of access points on a summer scouting trip.
Ran the lower Dungeness on a nice summer day. Encountered two separate groups and saw 7 people out on the water. Great run with good water at 900 cfs. There were about half a dozen wood hazards over the course of the run that required paddling over, under, or around. The best routes were not always obvious for a couple of the islands it was important to choose the correct channel to avoid heading into a log jam. That being said, only one portage was required.