White
2. Keeps Mill to Wamic-White River Bridge(Upper White, Keeps Mill Run)
| Difficulty | III-IV |
| Length | 12.1 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Reach Info Last Updated | May 16, 2022 |
River Description
This river is really a creek up at the top, small and fast and sparkling. In the 12 miles you travel through a biome transition between a wet mountain forest and a ponderosa/oak grassland. The road down to Keep's Mill is steep and sometimes rough: suitable vehicles are helpful. The water is fast and clean and the whitewater fairly continuous class II and III for the entire length of the run. There are usually some wood obstacles to navigate and at least a couple or portages (if not more).
The gauge is estimated but we've found it helpful, just to know when the snowmelt is really coming in. http://levels.wkcc.org/?f=z31
See the description of the Upper White at Oregon Kayaking.
River Features
Keeps Mill Campground Put-In
Keeps Mill is a primitive no-fee campground administered by the Mt. Hood National Forest within the White River Wild and Scenic River corridor. The campground has a vault campground. Potable water is not provided. Use tends to be light as high clearance vehicles are recommended for access.
Wamic-White River Bridge Take-Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportWe ran this section in May during the only decent snowmelt of spring 2020. In September 2020 a fire raged through the White River drainage and burned down to some point near the bottom of this run. It is likely to be impassable for years due to downed wood. The lower section is in a less-forested setting and may clear out earlier.
We made this run last Sunday, April 28, 2013. Continuous class II-III for the majority of its length, with a few sections bordering on fourish but no class IV moves.
Wood update: There were 5-7 log portages in the first four miles, and four log hops. The class IV mentioned in Soggy Sneakers (at 1.5 miles in) occurs when the river turns continuous class III at a right bend and through a straightaway, then steepens at the next right bend. Eddy right to scout. The log jam immediately below the rapid means swims are not allowed. That log jam was passable on the right without getting out of your boat.
Flow: 500 cfs was a friendly first time flow.