Elwha
3. Highway 101 to river mouth (ocean surf)
| Difficulty | II-III(IV) |
| Length | 7.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 23 fpm |
| Gauge | Elwha River at Mcdonald Br Near Port Angeles, Wa |
| Flow Rate as of 54 minutes | 973 cfsrunnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | December 10, 2024 |
River Description
This run offers an opportunity to explore a restored river follwing dam removal. Flows are typically best after a good winter rain or during snowmelt (November to June), but the river can be boated throughout most of the year. With the Elwha Dam gone, the Elwha River is still developing a new river channel through the reservoir sediments of the historic Aldwell Reservoir that begins at the put-in from the Highway 101 bridge. Use caution through this section as fish habitat structures have been constructed in this reach and wood hazards are constantly shifting with the channel is in a state of flux. This section is a fascinating landscape of old tree stumps from when the forest was cleared a century ago prior to construction of the Elwha Dam. While the whitewater is not difficult the wood hazards demand respect and this section is no place for inexperienced paddlers. You can easily scout the upper section of the reservoir and explore the old reservoir from the old reservoir boat launch (see logistics below).
After you pass through the upper section of the old reservoir, the river cuts through a short canyon at the Gooseneck before opening up into the lower section of the old reservoir. Soon you approach the Elwha Canyon that was once blocked by Elwha Dam.
The rapid at the former dam site is known as That Dam Rapid. If you are traveling downriver you can pull out on river left and climb up the slope to get a partial view of the rapid. Although you can not see much from scouting on this side, it is the best portage option if you do not want to run the drop. A better view of the rapid is available from river right but it's more challenging to get to the best vantage point from river level. It's easy to get there if you drive down before your run.
That Dam Rapid starts with a short entry rapid before the river explodes below through a class IV+ cascade of boulders and holes that is a technical drop at lower flows or a bigwater rapid at higher flows.
...River Features
Put In, Highway 101 Bridge
Access is at the Highway 101 Bridge on river right.
Elwha Canyon
The river canyon that was blocked by Elwha Dam for a century. Paddlers refer to the rapid as That Dam Rapid.
Water Intake Weir
The water intake is on river right but you can paddle past it and the old weir has been reconfigured to allow navigability.
Take Out
Take out on river left on the dike at the mouth of the river.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportIn 2024 Washington DOT opened the new Elwha River Bridge on Highway 101. The pilings of the old bridge were sitting on top of alluvial material and the bridge had to be replaced. American Whitewater advocated for an area to park and a place to access the river at the site of the old Elwha Resort where the bridge is located had a take out for rafters at the head of the former reservoir.
Easy to scout That Dam Rapid from the Elwha Dam Trailhead and a 15 minute walk down the Lower Dam Rd. The rapid is a fairly manageable class IV, although the length and possibility of scrap metal lying beneath increase the consequence. Ran it at ~1250 @McDonald Bridge and saw one piece of metal that could cause problems in the second half. The rest of the run is was very clean class II.
On 1/25/2014 we could not see any trail at the old dam site
Fascinating landscape to explore as a river comes back to life following a century behind a dam. There are plenty of wood hazards and unstable banks of sediment so proceed with extreme caution. Parking at the old reservoir boat launch and scouting from land is recommended and makes for an interesting excursion even if you have no plans to boat. Once you pass through the Goosenecks things start to clean up a bit. The canyon through the dam site is spectacular and the whitewater poses a stiff challenge. You can check this out before your run too. At lower flows it's a big and technical drop. Bring the creek boat--you will want the volume. Below here and all the way out to the ocean there is more wood in play. We were on it at 470 cfs which turned out to be a good flow for an initial look at things.
Elwha
The Elwha River reemerging where Aldwell Reservoir used to be.
Elwha Dam removal underway.
Elwha Dam removal underway
Site visit to Elwha Dam prior to scheduled removal.
As of this writing (2/13/2005), about 3/4 of the way down this stretch, below the weir, there's an enormous log dam that is impassable. Portaging is difficult at best due to the braided quality of the river. It took us about an hour and a half to get over and around this thing with a friend, my SOAR 16 and our 3 kids. Very unsafe clambering over the logs with the water running underneath. Another portage, although easier, was required not far below this too. Great run except for the log dams!