| Difficulty | III-IV |
| Length | 8 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | South Yamhill River Near Willamina |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 11 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | July 20, 2026 |
A neat intermediate run that was closed for many years to the public, but is now open whenever fire danger is low.
The upper parts of the run have some neat bedrock rapids in mini-canyons, the largest (WUB) should be scouted from the bridge on the drive up and scouting eddies identified. The middle part eases off in difficulty with some fun class IIIs here and there before picking back up again for the last couple of miles with many high quality class IIIs. Soggy Sneakers calls it 'intimate', that is a good word for it. Make sure to scout the take out from Mill Creek Park, downstream is a nasty crack drop that does not get run as far as AW is aware of.
Check the first corner below the put in bridge before putting on - it is prone to collecting wood. Downstream of here the bedrock rapids start off quickly and can be read and run following the deepest channels. There are some fun ledges that can be a bit blind from above that can be scouted or read and run with some trust.
The class IV's: WUB is the first class IV rapid encountered and has a series of class III's leading up to the lip. Snag an eddy on the right to double check your line, but note that it is easier to scout on the shuttle than from the water. This ledgy rapid ends under a bridge. Around the corner things are easy for awhile until the second class IV 'Triple Drop' gives another reason for a scout. If you can stop on the right do that, but if brush blocks that option it can be scouted from river-left as well. Triple drop is another fun, low consequence rapid. Downstream of Triple Drop the creek bends left and begins its approach into 'The Gorge' the third and final class IV. This rapid can be scouted from a small, last minute eddy on the left at med/low flows, but would be a challenging portage on the right. Boaters usually start middle, then move right at the steep part, trending back middle for the bottom pinch.
The middle part of the run below the class IV's is
...Scout the first rapid downstream of the put in bridge before putting on, it is prone to collecting wood.
Mill Creek Park. Scout your take out from the park while setting shuttle, it would be easy to miss and there is a class V rapid downstream.
Mar 14, 2026
March 14: We did a run on the lower surf section in the morning, followed by a run down the class 3, lower 3 miles on Upper Mill in the afternoon at around 3'. This was a great, filled in but friendly flow with a bit more oomph to the hydraulics than at lower flows. No wood portages. Iv'e done this lower three mile section a few times this year, it is an easy bike shuttle and can be done in an hour or two instead of the full day run that the upper usually turns into.
Dec 12, 2025
A large group did the run at 1.5' on the bridge gauge Dec 12, 2025. This was a low, enjoyable flow and enough water to get a raft down R2 style. There was one log jam in the cobble bar section below the last class IV and before the class III picks up again. The right bank has slid into the river here and created a bit of a mess, we portaged left.
Everything else was clean and good fun, remember to scout the first rapid below the put in bridge before putting on.