| Difficulty | III |
| Length | 6.2 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 30 fpm |
| Gauge | Virgin River Near St. George, Ut |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 47 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 8, 2023 |
Character of run:
Pools and drops in a spectacular canyon, the Virgin River Gorge is the little sister of the Grand Canyon, 50 miles to the south. The canyon walls are the same geologic sequence as the Grand Canyon (with some variations) and most of the rapids form at canyon mouths, as they do in the Big Ditch. The banks are lined with tamarisk and grape vines. Barrel, paddle, and cholla cactii, century and yucca plants, mesquite, Joshua trees, and an array of desert wildflowers cover the slopes back from the river. Since 1986 the flows from Quail Lake Reservoir have kept water in the channel all summer and the tamarisk growing onto the sandbars have narrowed and deepened the channel in most places, allowing boating on lower flows.. The Virgin Gorge does not have boatable water every year. .At low water (250 - 600 cfs) the stream has moderate current with some good holes. Medium water (700 - 1,500 cfs) has the best kayaking. At high flows (2,000 cfs and up) the current becomes very swift with almost no eddies or calm water, and some boat-flipping holes develop. A swim at high water will probably be a long one. Larger rafts (14 to 16 ft) like this level.
Take out: Most rafter choose to take out at Cedar Pockets Recreation Area. Mile marker 18. As of 2023 there is a day use fee of $2. At pay station turn right to access the lower loop. Most of these sites are online reservation only, so please only park and pay for the first come first serve sites. There are a few single vehicle parking spots. You'll notice a chainlink fence and a steep rocky trail down to accss the river. Pay attention to the large sandstone rock jetting out into the river and the swirling eddy, this will be helpful later when you get here after your run. Most boaters take out just past the rock. While finishing your run, the campground will come into view about a mile before you get to here and while you can exit earlier, this location will be the sho
...Mar 15, 2023
Most features were blown out, the river was quick and punchy. There are very few if any calm eddys for safety below rapids. Lot's of larger waves. Lots of squirrely/boiling water at river corners. Rapids were read and run but there is zero chance of scouting them once in the river. We were able to scout some locations from the freeway before our run. There are a handful of small beaches to regroup on during the run.
I would still recommend sticking to flows in the 1,000-2,000 range better.
Jan 3, 2023
This is a great flow. You may start hitting rocks at 700 or below and as the river gets above 1500, you'll start getting stronger eddy fences and bigger wall shots. Everything is read and run at this level. I don't see a need to scout anything, but there isnt much of a chance to do so anyways... The river is quick down here. Most of the banks are choked full of brush and the banks will be steep and deep. There isn't a lot of eddys so being able to self rescue is important here. You better be quick! Run the main flow and be aware of the walls. There are several class II/III rapids. The river is scenic and splashy with fun waves. From first SB I-15 bridge to cedar pockets took 1.5 Hours.
I've parked on NB side just North of last river crossing and accessed river at about 200 yards downstrem from bridge.