Bear Creek is very small and typically runs for only a short time after big rains. The headwaters of this creek are cut off by Cow Creek to the north and Battle Creek to the south. The highest point in the drainage is about 4500 feet, but most of the area is much lower.
From the hydro plant down to Highway 44 the first few miles are class 3-4. There is a canyon in the middle which is class 5 and class 6. Multiple portages should be expected in this section. The last few miles are again class 3-4.
From Highway 44 down to Dersh Road the run is mostly class 2-3 with a section of class 4 rapids in the middle.
Getting There: From Redding take Highway 44 east. The take out is about 20 minutes away and the put in is around 35 minutes.
Put-In: On Inwoood Rd, about 1/2 mile west of the bridge over the SF Beer Breek, there is a gated road leading down to Bear Creek Hydro-electric plant. The road also provides access to public BLM land, so boaters can legally walk down this road to the river. The distance is about 3/4 mile. There is no public parking nearby on Inwood Rd, so boaters will need a driver to drop them off. Elevation is about 1545 feet.
Highway 44: This half way point allows boaters to paddle either the upper or lower section. There is a small amount of parking on the northwest side of the bridge and quite a bit of parking on the east side of the bridge. Elevation is about 728 feet.
Take-out: Dersh Road, on river right. Parking could be a problem, but there appears to be some space to the west of the bridge. The large area to the east of the bridge appears to be private property. Elevation is about 460 feet.
Other Information Sources: http://cacreeks.com/bear1sac.htm http://cacreeks.com/bear2sac.htm
Look for parking on the east side of the bridge. The creek runs parralel on the north side of the road for a distance upstream of the bridge.
There is no gauge on Bear Creek, so this page is linked to Battle Creek which is nearby. However, Battle Creek is much bigger and will have good flow long after Bear Creek has dropped out with too little flow. The virtual gauge below is a calculation of 1/10 of the flow in Battle Creek. The accuracy of this estimate is unknown to AW at this time. If you have ideas, better estimates, or knowledge of a visual gauge, please make a comment.
Permits are not required for this reach.
40.486,-122.153
40.5346,-122.153
NA
We have no additional detail on this route. Use the map below to calculate how to arrive to the main town from your zipcode.
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