Wilson
1) Jones Creek Day Use Area to Milepost 15(The Jones Creek Section)
| Difficulty | III |
| Length | 8.3 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 35 fpm |
| Gauge | Wilson River Near Tillamook, or |
| Flow Rate as of 33 minutes | 246 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | March 31, 2026 |
River Description
The Wilson parallels Highway 6, a major state highway between Portland and Tillamook, and much of the river is visible from the road. The rock is basalt and the channels are mostly deep, with an occasional cobble bar section where wood can hang up. The Wilson is popular with fishermen and relations between fishing and boating populations have been strained: be diplomatic and give them lots of room. The character of the river changes dramatically with different flows.
At 850-2,000cfs this section has good strong currents, nice fast ferries, eddy moves and attainments, and some excellent surfing waves and holes. It is one of the best class III skills runs in the region and would be suitable for slalom training. It does not feel low! It has giant eddies and good eddy service for lots of interesting smallish playspots. It's said that 500 cfs is runnable in kayaks, but the run is of a much lower quality. 900 is still enough for rafts.
Between 2000-3000 the Wilson develops funny water (seams, boils and whirlpools) that can mess with boaters in smaller boats who lack edge control, while remaining class III. Swims can be long in places. This is not a great level for boaters whose skills are maxed out in class III whitewater, yet a wonderful level for skilled paddlers in half slices looking for eddylines to play in. There are also a few holes to avoid and a few to play in. While still good fun it is less useful as a skill builder at these flows and more of a challenge run for the tentative class III paddler, while class IV boaters will find the class III rating is still accurate.
Above 3,000cfs it becomes quite continuous for long sections making the required skill level more like class IV (unless you're in a raft and know where you are going). At 2,000-4,000 the Wilson is a reasonable training ground for a paddler who wants to gain confidence in swirly water. The boil and seams on the Wilson are similar to what you'll encounter at the bottom of rapids o
...River Features
Jones Creek Day-Use Area Put In
The photo shows boaters in the water upstream from the bridge on river left, but the best access is downstream from the bridge on river right. Drive into the Day Use Area parking and park in front of the information kiosk. There is an easy trail to the river there.
Footbridge Trailhead Access
The turnoff from the highway is hidden below the edge of the highway until you are on top of it. The parking area is well above river level and there is a developed trail down to a large river left beach and eddy.
Jordan Creek Access
This is a rough fisherman's trail up to a pullout alongside the highway. It is possible to park across the highway at the bottom of the Jordan Creek Road, but then you have to carry boats across the highway which is likely the most dangerous thing you'll do all day.
Cedar Butte Road access
This access point is on Cedar Butte Road but some call it the Wolf Creek Road access. Both roads are right there. It's on river right, and requires carrying your boat up a trail from a smallish eddy on the right. At high flows the eddy gets hard to catch because the current diverts boats away from it.
Milepost 15 Access (Takeout above the Narrows)
This is the takeout above the Narrows. It is just a pullout alongside the guard rail. From the river it's a rock landing then a steep scramble up to here. Definitely scout the get-out. To get turned around to drive back upstream, go downstream to the outside of the next curve, then turn left from there.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a report3/26 and 3/26 Low Water Jones to Cedar
I was told 1100cfs was a reasonable minimum flow for this river, but that turns out to be incorrect. The section downstream from Jones Creek Day use area is delightful well under 1000cfs. Both days we ran it in the neighborhood of 800-850cfs, and it was not too low. In fact, it is a lot more fun at 850 than it is at 1100. Now I know 1100 is a dud flow; the run is better both higher and lower than that. I don't know what the real minimum is, but 850 is great for kayak play.
There's a fine surf wave at the first rapid past the Forest Center bridge. We call this place Jive Junction because the wave is suited to the classic New Wave kayak called the Jive.
The wave in the middle of Hollywood Rapid is a perfect spot for skillbuilding, with good eddies on both sides. You can glide across the wave in either direction and land in an eddy to do it again, or try your hand at surfing. This same wave is amazing at 2500cfs.
The gorge above the Footbridge access is loaded with play potential as well, meaning you could do just this short run and walk the shuttle on the River Trail. Or, if you want more river miles, it continues to be amusing and plenty enough water all the way to the access at Cedar Ridge Road, just a couple rapids past the Jordan Creek confluence.
We were glad we had half slices and we were glad we stuck around when everybody else went elsewhere.
The BAD NEWS: The park & play surf wave/hole at MP 12 is GONE according to a paddler named James from Tillamook. He said a land slide on river right has dumped in a bunch of boulders that messed up the playspot.
The cobbles in the riverbed are indeed somewhat rearranged making several rapids different, but there is so much bedrock on this run that it's mostly unchanged. The flow of 1500cfs or 5.5 feet seemed in line with what that would have meant before the flood.
The gorge above Footbridge has a different wave hole at the narrowest point--it used to wait until higher water to form. You can sneak it on either side or punch it but it's there.
The two wall-shots in a row not far downstream from this point are likewise different--the cobble bars are piled higher, the channels seem deeper and quite boily.
We had just 3 of us and a gorgeous day, and thoroughly enjoyed getting back on this longtime favorite.
We paddled the Wilson Jan 11, 2026 at about 2,200 cfs. We put in at Jones Creek and took out at Milepost 12 for about an 11 mile run. We were warned at the put in that this would make for a long day and an exciting run through 'The Narrows'. This made us a little apprehensive as one person in our party needed to be back in the early afternoon and we knew the pinch at the Narrows gets powerful at some flows, but figured we could scout and if it was really bad just portage it. Turns out the Pinch in the Narrows was not in play, and we finished with plenty of time (there was a raft so we didn't play around much) -- The first part of the Narrows was III-III+ waves best run center-left, we then eddied out on the right to scout the pinch but found it to be a non-factor, not squirly or powerful at all, class II-II+. The Ledges around the corner were nice, large smooth waves at first, then a straight forward ramp with forgiving waves easiest center-right, III+. This was an enjoyable flow for the run overall, medium and class III other than the two above mentioned rapids.
Put-in at Jones Creek Campground (Smith Homestead)
Put-in at Jones Creek Campground (Smith Homestead)