Ohanapecosh
Ohanapecosh Campground to La Wis Wis Campground
| Difficulty | V |
| Length | 4.7 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Cowlitz River at Packwood, Wa |
| Flow Rate as of 4 days | 1760 cfsstale data |
| Reach Info Last Updated | June 11, 2019 |
Projects
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
River Description
FLOWS: The friendliest, and lowest stress flows are between 1,000-1,500 cfs in the Spring/Summer. The gauge is only a loose correlation though, as a handful of major tributaries enter the Cowlitz between the put in and gauge. The Ohanapecosh has been run over 4,000 cfs by class V boaters, but most boaters would consider 3,000 cfs to be high water. 2,000 cfs is a strong medium.
In the Winter, the gauge is harder to pin down, and it's probably not worth a long drive below 1,000 cfs unless there is a snow-melt component.
ACCESS: This run starts out in Mt. Rainier National Park and then flows through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The put-in is at the Ohanapecosh Campground off Highway 123 mile 3.7. Head right and park in the day-use area near the bridge across the river. It's a short scramble to a put-in on the river left upstream side of the bridge. There is an alternate put-in upstream that gives you at least one more big drop and is a good alternative when the campground is still closed in the off-season. It is reached off Highway 123 mile 5.1 where a trail heads down to the river. Put-in at the trail bridge.
Because of logs on the upper reach in recent years, boaters have been using a lower put in road about a hundred yards downstream of the wooden Rainier National Park entrance way. If you are using this access, follow this road to a 'T', then head upstream a hundred yards to the upstream end of the campground. There is easy access here via a ramp/seal launch. Using this lower put in reduces the difficulty rating of the run to IV+(V).
To reach the take-out head south on Highway 123 to it's junction with Highway 12 and head west to the turn-off for La Wis Wis Campground at mile 138. Follow the road 0.5 down towards the campground, but turn right and then take an immediate left to the day-use picnic area right where the Clear Fork of the Cowlitz joins the Ohanapecosh (Northwest Forest Pass required). If you are paddling this r
...River Features
Put In
Secret Camp Put In
Alternate (lower) put in
Elbow Room
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportThere is a new piece of vertical wood in the landing of butchers block as of spring 2020. It is stuck against the horizontal log that has been there a while. It might be runnable at lower flows but it didn't seem runnable at 1900cfs. There was also a piece of wood river wide on a no name rapid halfway through the run that has probably moved already.
The left line at Elbow Room is wood free as of 6/18/16. A number of rapids had noticeable minor changes (we assumed from high flows moving rocks). The wood formerly in Butchers Block has moved, making the rapid more manageable, but still IV+ at medium to low flows.
As with most PNW creeks, scouting each rapid for new wood after the rainy season is highly recommended.
Master Coombs fighting for Elbow Room (photo: Ben Manfredi)
The left line in Elbow room is choked with wood. From the ledge above, it kind of looks like you can make it. However, from below you can see another log across the left slot.
The big falls a short distance downstream from Elbow Room and the start of the final sequence of rapids. The lead-in requires that you negotiate your way through a somewhat meaty hole before taking the plunge over the left or center depending on flows. Cowlitz at 1100 cfs.
Boulder garden after butchers block. Sieve on right slot
Looking downstream from the ledge drop just below the Summit Creek confluence. There is a short pool and then a boulder garden sequence before you reach the portage trail for Elbow Room on river left (indicated by the red arrow). Cowlitz at 1100 cfs.