| Difficulty | III-IV |
| Length | 8 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Butte Creek at Monitor, or |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 5 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | July 23, 2026 |
Long stretches of class II water broken up by high quality class III (IV-) drops. There is a class five (the Butte Crack) at the put in that most people skip. The Dam at Scott's Mills is very runnable and many people make it their first waterfall.
The road to the put in is aggressively signed to keep people out, but boaters have been extended permission to use the road as access. Drive up the road to the obvious parking area and get ready discretely (do not park on the gravel road and do not linger).
Put in either above or below The Butte Crack, a class V rapid at the put in that most boaters skip. There are many seal launches below from 2-10'.
The run starts out bouldery but a series of bedrock ledges spices things up a short way into the run. At low water cracks in the center and left steal a lot of the water, work right to avoid them. Easier floating continues below the ledges with small surf waves and eddy turns to keep paddlers engaged. Keep an eye out for a bridge that marks 'Splittin' Hairs', a two channel ledge that can be hard to scout and is best run down the center of the right channel.
More bee-bop leads to the Knuckle Buster/Sucker Combo, a highlight of the run. Knuckle Buster starts off wide and ledgy with most of the water flowing right, before bending left and funneling down into a pinch/ledge with a rock protrusion extending from the right bank - boof left. Just downstream is a small hole then the river bends right and enters Sucker. Wood can sometimes accumulate at the bottom of Sucker, and there are many lines to choose from, so it is best to take a good look from the right bank just as the creek bends right below Knuckle Buster.
Downstream the run settles into its true character, with longer stretches of class II broken up by short, fun ledges. One drop just above Beaver Creek is often scouted for wood, but most of the rapids are read and run.
Near the end of the run the creek passes a notable
...Despite the aggressive signage at the put in, boaters still have permission to drive up the road and park in the open area outside the gate. Be on your best behavior, definitely do not stop of the gravel road before reaching the parking area. Most boaters put in below The Butte Crack, but it has been run.
Most people take out in Scotts Mills, either before the falls, or after running it. If you plan to run the falls it is worth scoping out the small trail that leads from the parking area near the gate to the creek while setting shuttle. Going down to the bridge makes getting out more difficult.
The parking is on the highway shoulder, most people take out in Scott's Mills.
Dec 13, 2022
There was more wood in Butte Creek than usual on Dec 11, 2022, yet no portages were necessary. The first one I remember was a short way below the put in, in the middle of the first set of ledges. The top was visible from above, and it was important to go right of it, this was the most dangerous log on the run, but easily avoidable by going right of it at the small horizon.
The next drop downstream of Coal Creek (small cascade on river right) also had an obvious log, we were able to run the small ledge into an eddy on the left in front of the log.
Splittin' Hairs (below the red bridge) was clean.
The next notable logs I remember are at the top of Knuckle Buster/Sucker and at the bottom of Knuckle Buster. Both were run, but are worth a look.
Another tight duck came later in the run, in a class II. This one would probably be a portage with much more water, but it also looks like it will flush away in the next high water event.
There was plenty of other wood present, but it did not detract from the run. I'd go back with the same configuration of wood.
There is aggresive signage on the private road to the put in about reservations being needed, but kayakers do still have permission to park in the open area before the fence at the Scout Camp without reservations at this time.
May 3, 2022
Pulled from Facebook --
Jacob Verhaegh: Just ran it today (May 1, 2022) at 385 cfs. Called the Boy Scout camp and they confirmed we are allowed to park on their property (503) 539-3834. Two portages for wood, rest was boney but fun!