American, North Fork
Euchre Bar to Mineral Bar(Giant Gap)
| Difficulty | IV-V |
| Length | 14.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 54 fpm |
| Gauge | Nf American R a North Fork Dam Ca |
| Flow Rate as of 52 minutes | 84 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | July 14, 2026 |
History:
The Run: Giant Gap is a California classic run with great canyon wilderness scenery and two spectacular vertical walled gorges. Its down side is that it has inconsistent difficulty, and were there easy mid-run access, it would likely be paddled as two different sections. It can be paddled as a two day run but that is uncommon as most groups choose to meet very early at the Colfax-Iowa Hill Road campground to set shuttle. An 8am meeting here should see a group off the river by 5pm with a leisurely pace which is fine in May but a problem in January.
From the put-in boaters are faced with a 1.5 mile, 1700 foot descent down a well defined trail that contours and switchbacks down to the river. This trail starts rocky but quickly becomes leaf covered and common practice over the years has had boaters tying a sling to front and rear grab loops and dragging (or being dragged) to the river which should take about 40 minutes. Whilst poison oak lines the brush either side, the trail its self is free from any vegetation. The trail hits the river at the Euchre Bar footbridge by a large slow moving pool.
Moving downstream the run is immediately class III water and quickly enters the first vertical walled gorge, which in wetter months can have a spectacular waterfall running down the wall. No harder rapids are encountered in this gorge, just the odd larger hole and the river emerges into the open space of Green Valley and eases to class II/III. Giant Gap can be seen approaching downstream, a narrow gorge between 2000 foot rock faces. Just before entering Giant Gap proper a rapid with undercut house sized rock center is encountered. A large tree trunk had been pinned to this rock for many years until it was washed downstrem in Dec 2010 floods.
As Giant Gap is entered the difficulty climbs to class IV, and Grater is encountered, a congested shallow rapid whose blind line is not immediately apparent but is
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Park here and then follow the hiking trail 1.5 miles to the river at Euchre Bar bridge.
There is pool to start in and a few easy rapids to warm up in.
Grater signals the start of Giant Gap proper and the main difficulties. It is a shallow, congested and rocky rapid and at lower flows very boney. People generally run it left, and aggressive boat scouting is generally sufficient.
Nutcracker is formed where the river flows over a rock fence then constricts tightly whilst steepening, being constrained by a vertical cliff on the right slide and downstream a large round boulder on the left. Boaters arriving at the horizon line are often greated with no better clue as to a line than a cloud of mist rising from below. However this rapid turns out to be quite forgiving, though wonderfully boisterous. People generally enter center through right of center through a gap in the submerged rock fence then just head center, paddle hard and hang on! The rapid is composed of breaking waveholes and staying upright and straight is the main problem. The rapid empties into a deep and slow pool at normal flows.
Above 1,500 cfs this becomes a dangerous river-wide ledge hole. Scout on river right by exiting boat into shallow water and scaling granite cliff (5.3). The portage is also on river right and requires team work to pull boats and paddles up the cliff. Rafts can line down the right. The rapid seems to have changed somewhat for the better in recent years (2007) and there is a more pronounced tongue hard right and less of a leftwards typewriter effect afterwards.
Always a favorite of most boaters, five alive appears to be dramatically changed as of 2006 and somewhat simpler though no less fun. The river suddenly steepens considerably, dropping to the left and forming giant breaking waves
Dominator is the last of the big named rapids in Giant Gap, and at this point the canyon is already opening out from the cliffed out narrows of the inner gorge. It starts with a busy boulder garden with most flow trending center and left. Sneak routes appear to the right and can be used but have significant pinning potential. Following the main flow left leads to a commited eddy on the left that can be used to scout the final large drop. From this eddy split the two large boulders center in a steep banking hard left turn. More timid boaters are advised to scout immediately right rather than entering the initial boulder garden.
Pinball lurks at the very end of the Giant Gap run, ready to catch the tired and weary after the seemingly endless miles of class II/III. Its geology and nature is similar to that of downstream Chamberlain Falls than the major rapids of Giant Gap. Catch the last eddy on the left as the channel becomes obviously constricted by large boulders and pick your line. An ugly looking cave lurks under the boulder top right of the rapid.
The take out of Giant Gap is the Auburn SVRA Mineral Bar campground and river access point on Colfax Iowa Hill Road. It is also the put-in to the downstream Chamberlain's Falls section. A California State Parks day use permit is required to park here, available at the bulletin board near the parking lot or from a ranger.
Mar 16, 2025
