Ogden, South Fork

Fallen foot bridge has been removed and some brush cleared. Only one portage that was easy to spot from a fallen tree...then one portage around a moose.

315 cfs / 2.88 ft.

Ran a couple laps from Meadows campground to Magpie campground on 5/11/25. Packraft and a duckie. We actually were surprised at how much fun we had. Fast-moving water, a bit splashy in sections. We did this short segment because we heard some thunder rumbling and didn't want to get caught out. It took us about 30-40 min each lap.

The crux looked like it could have been a fun rapid, but wasn't really our goal for the day so we skipped it.

There was one downed tree across most of the river shortly above Magpie, but you could easily get under it river left. The 'almost good' surf wave is pretty much as advertised. It looks so good but just doesn't quite break enough.

We didn't do the whole run, but we didn't encounter any major hazards. A couple bridges near our take-out at Magpie were somewhat low but could easily duck under them at this stage.

If you're looking for an off-the-beaten-path, fast-moving creek with mostly small little splashes, this could be a fun option! There is quite a bit of private land, so be careful about put-in and take-out. It's pretty obvious when you're there what's private and what isn't, at least on the section we ran.

We took out river right just below the private bridge past Magpie parking.

Fun river that progressively gets harder. Everything besides the crux was pretty mellow and a swim would've been A-Okay.

Plenty of put ins and take outs at the top of the river. As the river goes down it gets progressively more challenging.

We encountered one self described 'angry cowboy' at the take out who was displeased about us being on 'his land'.

Take extra care at the take out to stay on the goverment property. It was apparent this guy did not want us there but as far as we could tell we didn't do any trespassing.

He claims to have called the sherriff and gotten people tickets in the past. I have my doubts about this. He also said those who were snarky with him would end up in a fist fight.

Overall just be on your best behavior at the take out. If anyone knows a local surveyor or local govt official it would be nice to know the actual legality of that takeout.

Strainer at the start of the rapids by the spire. Can portage on the right. Got a talking to by a land owner by the take out off 10450 east. We didn't park in the 'no parking' area but did load our boats here for a few minutes. Recommend avoiding the area in general. Paddling is mediocre for the low bridges and lack of river character.  I wouldn't go back.

Ran 05-07-22 on a packraft. Water was running at about 270cfs according to this site. Ran the whole run from the dam to the takeout at Huntsville Hollow. There are a few spots where bridges are very low (but passable). There is that log jam at about 2.7 miles. There is also an illegal bridge that you can't pass at about 4.7miles right by Mt Ogden Stake Camp.

Overall I had to portage at the log jam (2.7miles), illegal bridge at Mt Ogden Stake Camp (4.7miles), and at the end over the low bridge at N 10630 E (about 7.5 miles). There are a couple of other low bridges but I was able to limbo them.

The trip overall was a blast. Beautiful and steady, the river weaves nicely. I would say that it is mostly Class II until you get to those sections right before the Ruby Resort. It got my heart pumping pretty good and I would definitely say that it was closer to class III+ or even IV. I recorded the whole run and will upload and link. I will be running this a lot more this spring.

You can see the Strava run here- https://www.strava.com/activities/7105138675

Be safe and enjoy!

Ran 05-07-22 on a packraft. Water was running at about 270cfs according to this site. Ran the whole run from the dam to the takeout at Huntsville Hollow. There are a few spots where bridges are very low (but passable). There is that log jam at about 2.7 miles. There is also an illegal bridge that you can't pass at about 4.7miles right by Mt Ogden Stake Camp. Overall I had to portage at the log jam (2.7miles), illegal bridge at Mt Ogden Stake Camp (4.7miles), and at the end over the low bridge at N 10630 E (about 7.5 miles). There are a couple of other low bridges but I was able to limbo them. The trip overall was a blast. Beautiful and steady, the river weaves nicely. I would say that it is mostly Class II until you get to those sections right before the Ruby Resort. It got my heart pumping pretty good and I would definitely say that it was closer to class III+ or even IV. I recorded the whole run and will upload and link. I will be running this a lot more this spring. You can see the Strava run here- https://www.strava.com/activities/7105138675 Be safe and enjoy!

They must have heard you! No fences and only one river wide log easily seen and portaged in May 2018. 175 cfs is plenty of water for packrafts. We put in at the dam.