| Difficulty | II(III) |
| Length | 42 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Permit | Self-issued paper permits at Monument and Camas Creek Kiosks |
| Gauge | North Fork John Day River at Monument, or |
| Flow Rate as of 48 minutes | 28 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | March 2, 2023 |
The North Fork John Day is a wonderful multi-day whitewater run suitable for intermediate paddlers that is typically run over 2-3 days. Rafts, kayaks, and inflatable kayaks are all popular but this is also a great run for experienced whitewater canoeists. Because this is a good weekend trip, consider a weekday trip if you want to encounter fewer people.
This section of the river emerges from the Umatilla National Forest and flows through a landscape of ponderosa pine groves and layered outcrops of basalt that form the canyon this river flows through. Towards the end of the run the pine forests start to transition to juniper and sagebrush. The wide open country invites hiking and exploration for spectacular views.
The public land along the river, managed by Bureau of Land Management, is interspersed with private land and some ranch homes as well as a handful of remote vacation properties. While this is a multi-day river trip, a dirt/gravel road parallels river right and a handful of roads enter the canyon in a few places. This does not intrude from the experience however and you will see more boats on the water than vehicles on the road as traffic is extremely light; in some places it is non existent where road segments are blocked by private gates. Campsites are plentiful on the benches along both sides of the river. The season for this run is late spring snowmelt and it's important to come prepared for the cold water and unpredictable spring weather.
The most significant rapids come in the first 10 miles and are in the class II/III range. Several additional class II rapids continue all the way to the take-out with several fun surf waves.
Camping options become more limited once you pass Wall Creek near the end of the run so plan your last night's camp at a point upstream.
Logistics:
The standard put-in is just upstream of the Camas Creek confluence at a river access site on river left (across the river from Highway 395) where
...Tollbridge Campground is a good place to meet and camp the night before your trip. Access is possible here on Desolation Creek just above its confluence with the North Fork John Day. Short social trails from the camping area to the creek are usable by kayaks and canoes but the it is not recommended for large trips or big boats.
Accesss just upstream of where Haden Creek joins the North Fork John Day. A gravel ramp provides an access to the river on river left (opposite side of the river from Highway 395 that parallels the river in this section).
River curves to the left and leads into a bedrock head wall at the bottom left.
This rapids ends with a surging boil off the head wall on the left.
A long series of class II in two sections. The first section starts with an eddy on the right and is easy read-and-run down the middle for about 300 yards. After the first section you pass an A frame house and the river makes a 90 degree turn to the left. The rapid continues as the river bends to the left for another 300 yards.
The approach to this rapid is marked by an S bend in the river where the river bends left, then to the right, and back left as the rapid begins. It ends with a basalt outcrop on river left at the bottom that forms a tricky hydraulic.
Rapid that ends at a bridge crossing with a basalt wall along river right.
Tributary enters from river right.
Major tributary enters from the left contributing about 1/4 of the flow.
Fun wave trains down the middle where the river is constrained by basalt outcrops on both sides.
Tributary enters from river right. Camping downstream of this point becomes more limited.
River access site with a paved loop and parking for approximatley 40 vehicles, toilet, picnic tables, and information board. The ramp is a single lane gravel ramp that can get congested on busy weekends.
May 5, 2024
Our first time down the stretch. One gear boat and one kayak. Full on high desert spring weather - sunny and warm the first day, snow flakes on the last day. Spent 3 days on the water - day 1 had all the class IIIs which were very read and run, day 2 and 3 were a good pace of class II, riffles and flats. Some great bigger camp sites. Lots of other smaller ones. Not much for camps for the last 10 miles. Take out is easy to miss, kind of in the bushes on the right, right before a riffle/drop...hug the right shore after the bridge. No logs or other obstructions were seen by us. Didn't see another sole the whole trip - can't wait to do this one again.
Mar 31, 2022
We did a 3 day from Dale to Monument late In late March. Flows were about 2600@Monument. Tollgate to Monument ( Takeout is a park on river right about .25 miles below hwy bridge). In the future I’d do Camas creek into the NF, or possibly Middle Fork into NF. Camas Creek looked like a FuN 8-9 miles of steep class 3+ creeky action. Camped at ‘50mile’ on the left, and ‘27mile’ on the left. Nice, flat camps with hikes. Hiked Wall creek, middle fork confluence, and Mallory creek. Would hike maybe Potamus creek, and Johnny cake Mountain with more time. I’d suggest camping above Wall creek on last night, as a ‘busier’ road come into Wall Creek. Lots of down and dead wood for burning. Dirt road on river right for most of the trip. ‘Oregon River Tours’ by John Garren is a phenomenal resource.
Jun 1, 2004
The gage listed above is not the right one for the North Fork of the John Day. Look instead at
USGS 14046000 NORTH FORK JOHN DAY RIVER AT MONUMENT, OR
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/or/nwis/uv?14046000
The river gets only slightly more difficult (3- in my estimation) for levels higher than the max suggested level on this page. The rapids mostly become washed out with larger waves, and the river becomes more continuous, making it harder to rescue a swimmer. We put in at 9,000 CFS (on Monument gage) and floated for 3 days taking out at about 5,500 CFS. Others in Paddle Trails Club have told me they have done similar levels in open canoes. At higher levels you have a chance of sneaking the rapid 'Surprise' on the right, but only if you recognize it in time and there is no wood. Both of those things happened to me in my kayak at 8,200 CFS but it is not much harder going right through the middle anyhow.
The take-out at Monument is about a quarter mile downstream of the the bridge, on river-right. Peer through the willows looking for a small boat ramp where there is now a nice parking lot with picnic tables and a toilet. Some guidebooks still tell you to take out at the bridge.