Klickitat
2 - Leidl Campground to Icehouse Campground
| Difficulty | II |
| Length | 16 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 23 fpm |
| Gauge | Klickitat River Near Pitt, Wa |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 807 cfslow runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | March 20, 2026 |
Washington’s legendary volcanoes – Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Adams – are the source of wild, free-flowing rivers and streams that cascade over big drops and through deep basalt canyons on their way to the Columbia River. Rivers like the Clear Fork of the Cowlitz, Cispus, Green, [...]Read More
While the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act provides the strongest protection for conservation of rivers, other legislation has provided protection of rivers from hydropower development. Section 13 of the Columbia Gorge Scenic Area Act includes important river protection measures. The Wind, Hood, and Little White Salmon were protected from [...]Read More
The Klickitat River below Leidl Campground offers a relaxed, scenic float through south-central Washington’s oak savannah and basalt canyon landscape. Launching at Leidl, paddlers leave behind the steeper whitewater upstream and enter a broader valley where the river settles into steady Class II current. The corridor feels remote and lightly developed as the river flows through the Soda Springs Wildlife Area managed by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, with long stretches of cottonwood-lined banks, open grasslands, and occasional basalt cliffs. Wildlife sightings are common, and the clear water and moderate gradient make this reach well suited to boaters looking for an extended day on the water or a self-supported overnight trip. The best boating conditions generally occur in spring through early summer when snowmelt and seasonal rains provide sufficient flow. Higher water increases speed and wave size but can also mobilize wood, while lower water exposes rocks and channel obstructions.
From Leidl to the Old Icehouse access on Highway 142, the river maintains a gentle but continuous current with easy riffles and wave trains. While the technical difficulty is modest, paddlers should remain attentive for wood hazards. Wood tends to accumulate on outside bends and in narrower channels, particularly after high water events. Good downstream visibility and early maneuvering are key to avoiding trouble, and groups should be prepared to scout or portage if necessary. At typical spring and early summer flows, the river moves efficiently, and travel time is driven more by group pace and stops than by rapids.
Access at Leidl Campground provides an easy put-in and primitive camping. A short distance downstream, Stimpson Flats offers an intermediate access point and additional camping, making it possible to break the trip into shorter segments. The Old Icehouse access near Highway 142 serves as a reliable take-out with maintained camping facilities and p
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Access on river right below the bridge in the campground. Concrete ramp. Located at Glenwood Highway mile 12.6. Administered by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Unimproved ramp. Located at Glenwood Highway mile 13.8. Administered by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Access downstream of Little Klickitat confluence. Primarily used as a put-in and sliding boats into the water. It's less functional as a take-out for larger boats. Located at Highway 142 mile 18.2.
Mineral Springs Boat Ramp is a concrete ramp on river right at the Icehouse Campground located in Klickitat Springs. Located at Highway 142 mile 15.3. Site administered by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Jun 2, 2026
We did an overnight trip on the Klickitat River, floating from Leidl down to Ice House. At a flow of 1,040 cfs, this was approximately a six-hour float, including a few fishing stops along the way. We had good luck targeting rainbow trout, while others we encountered were focused on steelhead and Chinook. We left a vehicle at Ice House, drove upstream to Leidl to launch, and were on the water shortly after noon.
While we encountered a number of wood hazards, they were all easily avoided by those with solid moving-water skills. We did find one river-wide log below Stinson Flats that had obviously come down recently. It was easily visible from upstream, and we were just able to get over it, though that will likely not be possible as flows drop below 1,000 cfs. It would be an easy walk-around on the right. We also spoke with a gentleman navigating the river in a drift boat who was able to get over the log by pulling his boat over it from the shoreline. While the flow was a little lower than is typical for this time of year, the current was still moving swiftly, and we had plenty of water to float our packrafts. We also saw drift boats on the river.
We found a campsite on one of the benches a short distance upstream of the Little Klickitat confluence on state land along river left, arriving a little before 4 p.m. We had a sandy bar with convenient shoreline access and some vegetation to camp on, while an oak grove on the bench above provided welcome afternoon shade.
The next morning we were back on the water by 10 a.m., and the road along river left soon came into view after we passed the Little Klickitat confluence. We took our time with a couple more fishing stops and reached Ice House by 4 p.m.
Our total float time for the trip was less than six hours, including all of our fishing stops. I highly recommend this as an overnight trip, though it could also easily be done as a day trip at these flows.
Mar 16, 2026
We paddled the 21 miles from Summit Creek Bridge (on the section above) to Icehouse in 3 hours, a pace of 7 miles per hour. The water was up into the trees along the shoreline and eddies were limited so it was a fast trip. Even at this level there were several good campsites on the bench above the river but no beaches. Wood hazards were present in several places along the shoreline and a few were mid-channel but could be easily avoided by experienced paddlers.
Apr 9, 2023
I went from Leidl (which is open for camping) to Icehouse in my IK. At 2300 cfs, it's a little tricky to find spots to eddy out and pull up on shore for a break.
I scouted the main rapid (where the river initially meets WA-142) from the right, but it's hard to get a good look because of a side channel coming in. At the river flow, I couldn't easily ford that channel to get closer to the rapid.
There's a big log in rapid to the left of the rock outcrop. It's partially submerged and I was able to just barely paddle over it.
Luckily, there's a route to the right of the outcrop that is narrower, but is totally clear.
