Crabtree Creek

Crabtree Creek is a great intermediate run located and for years was one of the regular winter runs for mid-Willamette valley boaters. Unfortunately, access to the upper section is currently only availalbe with a yearly access permit from Weyerhauser. More information can be found here: https://recreation.weyerhaeuser.com/Permits/permit-purchase-info

There is a gate on Snow Peak road just past the bridge over Crabtree Creek. Access downstream of here is always available and has class II-III rapids down to covered bridge near the Roaring River confluence.

Historically, boaters have either put-in at the bridge over the North Fork or continued on the road another mile to a bridge over the South Fork. The section on the North Fork down to the confluence with the South Fork is steeper and more constrained than the South Fork and contains several fun rapids. Immediately at the confluence there is a challenging rapid consisting of a steep ledge with a tricky lead-in. Scout/portage on the left. Good rapids continue throughout the run, varying in size and nature. There used to be several fun slide rapids starting a short ways above Snow Peak Road bridge but the creek changed its channel a short ways above the Snow Peak Bridge and shifted away from those slides. The riverbed is dynamic and some of the bedrock ledges that were once there have been filled in with boulders, be ready for new features even if you have done the run before.

Below Snow Peak Road bridge the creek contains several ledges which create fun class 2-3 rapids with interesting features which can get surprisingly large at higher water. Several islands throughout the lower section of the run create narrower channels which can collect wood.

Here is a video of the lower half of the run.

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