Nehalem
4) Salmonberry to Nehalem Falls
| Difficulty | III |
| Length | 7.1 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Nehalem River Near Foss, or |
| Flow Rate as of 44 minutes | 537 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | May 7, 2024 |
River Description
This section is similar in character to the section just upstream, with a slight bump up in whitewater difficulty. The two sections are sometimes run as one longer continuous run (Soggy Sneakers lists this as one 14.6 miles run). The Foss Road bridge across the Salmonberry washed out in a 2007 storm meaning you could only approach the run from the coast side before the bridge was repaired and opened to traffice in May 2012.
A short distance downstream of the Salmonberry confluence you will encounter Salmoberry Drop, the most signficant drop before Nehalem Falls at the end. The hole in this rapid can flip boats and it is worth a scout. There are more class III rapids as you continue downstream.
At the end of the run you can take out above Nehalem Falls or run it to finish out the day. It's not a true waterfall but heavy class IV hydraulics form as the flows increase.
River Features
Salmonberry Confluence Put-In
Access point where the Salmonberry joins the Nehalem River.
Nehalem Falls
Run the falls on river left or sneak around on far river right. Located at USGS River Mile 15.5.
Nehalem Falls Take-Out
Access the river at Nehalem Falls and take-out either upstream or downstream of the falls depending on whether you plan to run it.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportNehalem River trip on a President's Day Weekend Trip to the Oregon Coast. Jennie, Megi, and Marie joined in kayaks on a misty day. Aki and I took the double IK and managed to flip in the hole at Salmonberry Drop. We had no issues the rest of the trip but elected not to run Nehalem Falls. Jennie, Megi, and Marie all had good runs.
Thinking it would help to keep Aki coming on future winter paddling trips, despite our swim, I gave him the option to order whatever he wanted for dinner. He ordered the crab and the halibut at a restaurant in Newport.