Calawah, S. Fork

A major storm in November 2021 damaged Forest Road 29 in several places including at the junction with Forest Road 2900-070 where a small stream started flowing that carried significant debris onto the Sitkum Gorge Bridge. The road was closed to the public through closure order #06-09-24-11 that extended to 9/30/2025. This closure added another 2.0 miles to the hike up hill to the Rugged Ridge Trailhead making the total hike to the put-in 4.8 and prohibitive for most carrying a hard shell kayak. As of November 2025, the road now appears open but a small berm at the start requires a high clearance vehicle.

A major storm in November 2021 damaged Forest Road 29 in several places including at the junction with Forest Road 2900-070 where a small stream started flowing that carried significant debris onto the Sitkum Gorge Bridge. As a result the bridge was closed to the public and awaits an inspection currently scheduled for summer 2025. This closure adds another 2.0 miles to the hike up hill to the Rugged Ridge Trailhead making the total hike to the put-in 4.8 and prohibitive for most carrying a hard shell. It is a still a good packraft run if you get an early enough start.