Dearborn
4) Hwy 287 Bridge to Missouri R.
| Difficulty | II-III |
| Length | 19.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 12 fpm |
| Gauge | Dearborn River Near Craig Mt |
| Flow Rate as of 54 minutes | 547 cfsmedium runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | June 1, 2026 |
River Description
chris goble shared: Most of the river is Class I+. The challenge is mainly to keep from hitting the cliff walls that the run goes by. There are 3 rapids that I can remember. The first two are easy II and the last is a shallow boulder garden that runs for a 100m or so before a turn and some medium sized waves. Class II+ or III-. This is one of the prettiest rivers I have seen. There is a small playspot for kayaks about 50m below the put in bridge. The majority of the run is distinguished by the spectacular canyons it goes through. The first canyon is fairly wide open with fairly low walls. Another section has extremely tall cliffsbut is still fairly open. The last section reminds me of a flooded slot canyon in Utah. It is very windy with cliffs extending right into the river. (Local Resident): Under ALL of the cliffs at ground level is an even deeper undercut that will suck you in and kill you if you manage to fall out. There’s no escape. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN THESE FEATURES!! Not a joke. It’s class2 with class 6 consequences all the way. I live here and have personally seen this whole river from 9000cfs to 95 cfs. Wear your gear. Above 287 there are 3 major death trap fences that have no eddies and can barely be seen before it’s too late. Also no portage option for them. We nearly died twice this year. 2026
River Features
Put In
“Stay right”or “Dog Leg”
Start river center, be ready to ferry river right. Beach it if you have to. At high water it’s an easy move to the inside right. At low water there is a rock right in the middle of the move, pull inside anyway. If you go left, DO NOT fall out of the boat and you will have to push up on the rock pile at the end. To swim this is potentially deadly. It’s a Class III- with Class VI consequences. Everything on this river is either sieved or under cut. Several people have died on these Cliff underestimating the Dearborn. I run it 100 miles per year even if I have to hike the low water.
The Garden
The Garden is a straightforward read a run section that at low water provides many opportunites to get stuck in shallow spots. As you enter this section, you can pick any line that looks deep enough but you want to end up river right to catch the main tongue that pushes from river right to river center. (The river left exit is closed off by a rock right in the middle after the drop. Run the ledge center right at the end or pull all the way right, next to the house boulder and squeeze through a tight shoot down the right edge to the exit. Wear a helmet and pfd through this section. It’s funny till you fall out after a wrap and hit one of these angular rocks with your skull and die on a class2…)Scouting option on river left when entering the boulder garden section, it's notable for the amount of exposed rocks you'll see in comparison to the rest of the river.
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportTook a packrafting trip over the weekend. At approx 150cs the water is high enough for a light inflatable boat but definitley too low for anything heavy. As a crew we only walked once or twice when the water became hard to read. Great weather and sunshine made the trip worth it!
This is a fun stretch of river. Popular for fishing rigs.
Ran it today at about 900, I've run it at 275---you wouldn't want to try it much lower than that.
There are three rapids on the section. I'll disagree with the earlier comment slightly. The first rapid is a blink-and-you'll miss it. But the second rapid is the most significant on the run. It comes a little less than halfway down, on a right-hand bend on the river. It's easy to scout from river left. The rapid is a fairly straightforward boulder garden with a hole at the bottom (river right), but if there's a class III rapid on this stretch, it's the second, not the third. We've seen a canoe wrapped on the big pillow rock in the middle of this rapid, but it was gone today. The third rapid is about three-quarters of the way down and is, to my mind, easier than the second. It's on a leftward bend in the river at the base of a long cliff band.
Packrafting the Dearborn.
This stretch is a beautiful , scenic, canyon run on the Montana plains. There were a lot of people in fishing rafts when we ran it. A few small, technical rapids, at this flow of 580 cfs, I would consider them Class II+. The run is 19 miles total, not 16! Prepare for a long day!
This is looking back up at the only really
substantial rapid. It is a shallow boulder garden
tha begins around the bend to the right and ends
with some Class 2 wave holes. It could be
challenging for canoes.
Most of the river is Class I+. The challenge is mainly
to keep from hitting the cliff walls that the run goes
by. There are 3 rapids that I can remember. The first
two are easy II and the last is a shallow boulder
garden that runs for a 100m or so before a turn and
some medium sized waves. Class II+ or III-. This is
one of the prettiest rivers I have seen. There is a
small playspot for kayaks about 50m below the put in
bridge.
The majority of the run is distinguished by the
spectacular canyons it goes through. The first
canyon is fairly wide open with fairly low walls.
Another section has extremely tall cliffsbut is still
fairly open. The last section reminds me of a flooded
slot canyon in Utah. It is very windy with cliffs
extending right into the river.
between Flat Cr and Sullivan Cr
This is the open area after the first canyon and
before the narrow winding final canyon.