Rapid

With a name like 'Rapid River', you'd think there should be some whitewater, right? Well, there is, though generally it is almost exclusively low-grade rapids (class I-II riffles and rips). This river appears to spread it's gradient out over quite a length. In the twenty-seven miles listed here, there are just two stretches (a three-mile and a four-mile stretch) where gradient falls under ten feet per mile. Flipside, there is no full mile where gradient exceeds twentyfive feet per mile, and not a quarter-mile with more than ten feet of drop (I.E., an equivalent of 40FPM). So, any long reach here is canoe-tripping or recreational-kayak territory.

That said, there is one area of named rapids which (with adequate flows) could excite true whitewater playboaters. 'Rapid River Falls' (really more of a 'rapids' than a 'falls'), lies within a park (good access for PnP). Check out some drone footage of the falls: Rapid River Falls

For those wishing to do more than just the park-and-play, many different access points are possible, allowing various length trips. With adequate flows, the full run could be possible (though you would obviously need an early start and a long day!). IF access/parking is found, it could be split into (nearly equal) thirds, the first-third ending where the river is close to E.Maple Ridge/37 Road, the second-third ending at Rapid River Falls County Park, and the final-third ending at Bay du Noc.

The following video (from YouTube, courtesy '906 Outdoors') includes commercial rafting footage of the rapids on this run. We have set start-time to skip footage on the Escanaba River and just feature this river. (If you drag the slider, you can see the beginning of the video/show which includes rafting the Escanaba below Boney Falls Dam). Rafting Rapid River