Crapo Creek, California, US

Crapo Creek (Salmon Tributary)

Usual Difficulty	IV-V (for normal flows)
Length	4.2 Miles
Avg. Gradient	332 fpm
Max Gradient	470 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
SALMON R A SOMES BAR CA
usgs-11522500	6.00 - 7.00 ft	IV-V	01h09m	1.66 ft (too low)

River Description

Overshadowed because of it's location near the legendary Bridge Creek, Crapo Creek holds its own as a fun low volume creek.

A quick one mile hike in leads to a small steep creek. Wood moves every year in Crapo Creek, making it one of the largest hazards. The creek alternates between steep rocky sections and bedrock slides. With sufficient flows both are fun.

Although only four miles long, Crapo Creek is a long day and quite remote if you had to hike out through the forests of Poison Oak. Bring a breakdown and first aid on this one.


Shuttle: Take-Out at Nordheimer River Access, drive upstream through Forks of the Salmon and go left up the North Fork until you see Forest Service road NF11N21. It is ocasionally gated early in the spring. Once on NF11N21 stay on the most well used road until the fork to the left that drops you into Crapo. It's fairly obvious and on the map. Drive as far down as you can until rockslides block the road and start hiking down the road. When the road washes out, drop straight down a steep couple hundred yards to the creek.

Write-up at Darin McQuoid's Jefferson State Creeking