Trinity, Stuart Fork

This is a short, easy access run on the emerald waters of the Stuart Fork outside of the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area. The rapids are continuous with constant gradient on boulders. You'll find fun waves and holes. A ledge drop and some bedrock rapids are mixed in too. It can be run on its own or as a downstream addition to the hike-in Upper Stuart Fork Run (III-V) that begins in the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area.

Hazards

As of June 2023, there is a river-wide strainer on the downstream end of Bridge Camp Campground. Portage on the right. Wood is common on this river and others in the area: always be alert.

Flow & Season

There is no gage on the Stuart Fork. Generally, it will be boatable when the Trinity above Trinity Lake, Canyon Creek, and NF Trinity are flowing at medium boatable flows. The best correlation gage is the Trinity River above Coffee Creek; flows of 800-1500 cfs at that gage likely indicate a medium flow level for the Stuart Fork.

The Stuart Fork runs in winter on rain and rain/snowmelt and also during spring runoff. In a good snowpack year, boatable flows can extend into or through June.

Logistics

Put-in

Put in at the Bridge Camp Campground (open to camping May 15-Oct 31; walk-in river access open all year). The campground is accessed via Stuart Fork Road off Highway 3. You'll drive through the Trinity Alps Resort on the way; the road is open to the public even though it feels like a private road through the resort.

Take-out

Most paddlers take out at the second footbridge bridge on the dowriver end of the Trinity Alps Resort. This is resort property so be polite, stay out of the way, and go buy some ice cream at their store when you're done.

Alternate take-out: the river keeps going past the resort with some rapids before flattening out as it

...