Eel
2) Elk Mountain Road to Above Van Arsdale Reservoir
| Difficulty | III-IV |
| Length | 9.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 23 fpm |
| Gauge | Eel River Below Van Arsdale Dam 24hr Avg |
| Flow Rate as of 3 hours | 257 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | December 19, 2023 |
River Description
Great class III run, Dennis Menice and Double Falls stand out as III+, but there are lots of fun II-III rapids.
This run is about one hour NE of Ukiah. Eel River Road road is good for shuttle from put-in to take-out.
Other Information Sources:
Cassady & Calhoun, Holbek & Stanley, Schwind, Penny
River Features
Elk Mountain Road Bridge Put-in
Put in on river right side of Elk Mountain Road bridge. This is not a developed river access site.
Bucknell Creek Access
Below this creek the river difficulty is easier. Long pools seperate fewer and easier rapids.
Eel River Road Bridge Take-out
Take out on the river right side immediately after the Eel River Road bridge. You can drive down to the river bar here.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportRan it yesterday. Flow was 300cfs as reported on Dreamflows from CDEC daily average. Southside road is good for shuttle from put-in to take-out. Northside road is the best way to the put-in and the best road home. It is about one hour NE of Ukiah. Great class III run, Dennis Menice and Double Falls stand out as III+, but there are lots of fun II-III rapids.
The access/shuttle road on the south side of the river is open again. This makes the shuttle much shorter.
p.s. - You can get an approximation of the flow for much of the year by looking at the Lake Mendocino Inflow. See the EF Russian write-up for a link.
Randy Hodges