Eel

This report describes the Outlet Creek to Dos Rios section at low flows. Don't miss out on this run if you're in the Willits, Ukiah, or Fort Bragg areas or on your way north to Eureka/Arcata. Total time at lower flows, including drive in from U.S Highway 101 and shuttles: 4 hours, add a half hour longer with bike shuttle. (Running at high flows my first time down – 1/3/2024 – this report is on the second and third runs at a similar time of year (1/14 and 1/16 2025) but rainfall was minimal. These second and third trips were done two days apart, at 880 and 697 cfs.) The sun was out, the run was boney in places but the class II+/IIIs still had some thrill to them. Scenery is excellent despite Covelo Road running alongside. It would be wonderful to take a longer day to explore the land on river left where the decommissioned Northwest Pacific Railroad lies in a state of arrested decay. If you do so, please use discretion as I don't know who owns the property across the river, whether the railroad or not. The photos with more daylight are from the third trip (slightly lower flow), the darker photos were from the second trip at 880 cfs. Bike shuttling is totally possible, local drivers were friendly and Covelo Road only has a few sketchy sections. At these low flows consider the run as equal in difficulty to the Gorge run of the South Fork American at 600-1000 cfs, with a couple of the II+/IIIs requiring quick technical moves around large rocks (less of an issue in the SF American Gorge run).