Mokelumne, N. Fork

The Mokelumne from Salt Springs dam to Tiger Creek powerhouse is a very scenic section of river that is slowly getting greater recognition with scheduled releases and dependable flow information. The miles from Devil's Nose to Tiger Creek Powerhouse are compared to the most scenic runs in California.

From the dam past Calaveras Dome, the river is very steep and congested as it drops through a terminal morraine. Expect difficulty to be class 5 to class 6. We have no information on boaters paddling in this section or any specific details. From the campgrounds to the Bear River confluence there are a number of class 3 and 4 rapids and possibly a borderline class 5 rapid. From Bear River down to Devil's Nose, the run is mostly class 2 and 3 with a few class 4 rapids. Starting around Devils Nose the last few miles to the Tiger Creek powerhouse contain many class 5 rapids. Many of the rapids are long and will require scouting. Mokelumne Falls is a serious drop near the end with a committing rapid immediately upstream. The very last obstacle is a gauging weir that is an easy portage.

Scheduled boating releases occur on weekends in the Spring of most years.

The recreational release flows on the Moke are a minimum; water year type and accretion from Cole Creek, the Bear River, and Tiger Creek proper can cause the flow observed on the North Fork Mokelumne to be greater than that number. Flows will be closer to the 700cfs or 900cfs release volume in dry years or particularly cold Springs. Please make sure you check recent flows before committing to a run!

Getting There: The take out at Tiger Creek Powerhouse is about 20 miles or 30 minutes drive up Highway 88 from Jackson. Coming from Sacramento, drive about an hour up highway 16 to Highway 49 to Jackson. Take Highway 12 out of Lodi, or Highway 88 out of Stockton with similar distances and driving times. Turn down Tiger Creek Road to the powerhouse. The drive between the take out and

...