| Difficulty | III-IV+(V) |
| Length | 5 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 180 fpm |
| Gauge | Canyon Creek Near Amboy, Wa |
| Flow Rate as of 7 days | 31 cfsstale data |
| Reach Info Last Updated | July 24, 2026 |
Flows: Shoot for 1,000-2,000 cfs on the Canyon Creek gauge. 1,500 cfs is perfect for the run.
Hiking is required for this one. Either 4.5 miles from the standard trailhead, or if you utilize the logging roads and can handle some bushwacking the hike can be reduced to under 2 miles.
The whitewater is high quality class IV in an unmolested forest. There are many beautiful gorges, with unique and quality rapids that can be shore or boat scouted.
There are three exceptions to the class IV, the first is a large waterfall at the put in (Blackhole Falls) that can be avoided (and always has been as of 2018) by putting in below. The second is a chaotic gorge (Event Horizon) that used to be portaged on the right half way through the run but a new route to the left is shorter though it does require one short boat lower. The third is a class V boulder garden (Smokin' Aces) at the end that can also be portaged with effort on the right.
In between those larger drops the run is just really beautiful with many fun rapids up to class IV. Expect boulder gardens, ledges, slides and chutes.
Boaters only interested in running the final 1/4 mile consisting of a class V series of boulder gardens called 'Smokin' Aces' do so by dropping down to the creek as soon as it looks reasonable a short ways into the hike.
Trip Report from Into the Outside.
Access: Head towards the put in for Canyon Creek (Lewis) and drive over the put in bridge, 3 miles later turn left onto a gravel road and continue 5.1 miles to the take out bridge over North Siouxon (you cross over the main fork of Siouxon Creek 4 miles after turning onto the gravel road).
There are a number of ways to reach Black Hole Falls from here, the one that is the most straight forward is to con
...To minimize hiking, park here and bushwhack 600' vertical down the hill to the trail, it's not easy but not terrible either. Most people use some form of tether on their boat to keep control while it tries slide away from you. From where you meet the trail it is 2.4 miles upstream to Blackhole Falls.
If you'd prefer to be on a trail the whole way, park here and walk your boat the 4.3 miles to Blackhole Falls.
There are not many eddies below the bridge, so pick the one you want to use while setting shuttle.
Jan 21, 2022
1100 and dropping slowly on CC lewis was a nice first time flow. It was a little scrapy up top but all the rapids went fine. One wood portage in the top half around what looked like a fun drop and then the portage of Event Horizon (the first drop of which was clogged with wood). We portaged left at event horizon. Pretty quick up and over with one pitch of boat lowering to get back down to river level.
Dec 31, 2018
We did the bushwhack route into the trail which saved a couple miles of hiking, putting in at the base of Blackhole Falls. The run was generally clean and still high quality. There was one spot where downstream visibility was blocked by an old growth, Adam ended up committing to it and it ended up being one of the larger rapids and required ducking an old growth log, most of us ended up portaging on the right. Event Horizon was looking cleaner than it has but we still portaged right, one person got lost and it took awhile to regroup. Good stuff below that, and Smokin' Aces was all runnable.
Apr 28, 2012
We tried a new access up the roads on river-left, they were mostly snow covered so we had a long hike and the water level was too low. This access dropped us in about a mile above Black Hole Falls and there were a bunch of small, fun slides and ramps. We scouted the falls and portaged on the right, aside from it being a tall falls, the lead in is tricky. Here is the Trip Report: https://mthoodh2o.blogspot.com/2012/05/earth-bound-quest-for-celestial-return.html