Boundary Creek

Boundary Creek offers paddlers a seemingly endless barrage of continuous Class IV and V boulder rapids.  While the run is 7.5 miles long if you start at the border, most paddlers describe it as 9-11 miles because it feels so long.  This run is best attempted only by paddlers comfortable boat scouting and read-and-running steep class IV and V rapids.  If you are that kind of paddler, you are in for a remote panhandle treat.  A relatively new online USGS gage offers paddlers terrific flow information.

American Whitewater (John Gangemi) played a lead role in defeating a proposed dam on Boundary Creek.  A new identical proposal emerged almost 20 years later and American Whitewater helped defeat that proposal as well. Our efforts to have the river found eligible for Wild and Scenic designation failed because of the flawed perspective of the Panhandle National Forest.

Directions to Boundary Creek Takeout

• From Bonners Ferry take Hwy 95 N towards Creston, BC

• At intersection with Highway 95/3 and Highway 1 veer left toward Porthill border crossing and Creston.

• At mile marker 1 on Highway 1 take a left onto West Side Road

• Set your odometer to 0 here.

• Drive 3.5 miles to West Side Road. You will cross the Kootenai River heading toward West Side Road.

• Go right (north) at the intersection; sign should indicate direction of Smith and Boundary Creeks.

• You will cross several smaller creeks (Parker and Long) as you travel North

• Cross Smith Creek at mile 12 (measured form Highway 1) (no sign for Smith Creek but recognizable when you see Smith Ck Falls to the left)

• Continue past Smith Creek. When road begins to turn west in hairpin and climb look for a dirt road on the right in crux of hairpin. This is Road 2450 at mile 13

• Follow this road for another 0.2 miles where a road will drop down to the right. Follo

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