Smith, Middle Fork

This is a very short but high-quality run featuring great scenery and four significant rapids. Watch for wood! The run is part of the Smith River Gorge Triple Crown along with the Middle Fork Gorge and South Fork Gorge.

The Siskiyou Gorge is tighter, steeper, and arguably more difficult than the better-known and more popular Oregon Hole Gorge downstream on the Middle Fork or the South Fork Gorge. Being higher up in the watershed and upstream of another of the river's forks--the North Fork--the Siskiyou Gorge has boatable flows when the other gorge runs are on the high side.

In his seminal 1974 guidebook, West Coast River Touring, author Dick Schwind describes the Siskiyou Gorge as 'a vertical, rock-walled, boater's nightmare.' Times have changed: the gorge is just as rock-walled today, but many advanced and expert boaters find this run to be quite the dream.

There are four significant rapids on the run, named Number One through Number Four. Number One can be scouted from the river right, but the other three are scoutable from the river left. Do not scout from the highway above: the road is super narrow, wedged between cliff and a guardrail, and traffic moves fast. The rapids are combos of ledge drops, boulder gardens, and rock piles. Expect some juicy holes, especially at higher flows.

Despite the road hanging overhead, the gorge is super scenic with several waterfalls cascading into the river.

The 2023 Smith River Complex fire burned at high intensity through the gorge and it now has the patina of fire scorch and an abundance of dead trees on its steep walls. Trees have already begun moving from the burned slopes into the river, making for a dynamic situation that should be recognized for the hazards it presents. Do not assume that the drops are free of wood hazards or that they are the same as last time: get out and scout.

Because the run is quite short, boaters often do laps and/o

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