Castor

Gauge Description:

Look for 1' of rain on wet ground within 24 hours at the Libertyville & Fredericktown rain gages. A paddler's gauge is on the highway J bridge located about 1 mile upstream from the put-in in Amidon Memorial Conservation Area. Levels are measured from the top of the footing (minimum) on the upstream, river-right bridge pier. When the ground is wet, the gauge has been correlated with the USGS gauge on the Little St. Francis River. If the Little St. Francis is less than 8 feet, the approximate conversion is

Castor @ Hwy J bridge = 0.6 * (Little St. Francis – 3)

Little St. Francis

**(feet)**Castor @ Hwy J bridge

(feet)*Minimum5.01.0*Optimum5.7 - 7.51.5 - 2.5Maximum9.03.2 (class IV-ish at levels > 2.6)

River Description:

This is a very short run in a scenic mini-gorge (shut-in) for those who want multiple creek runs in one day. The four main drops can be scouted from a trail that parallels the river. The drops are named Crack in the Rock, C-Turn, Throat, and Rooster Tail. If you want to do laps on the Castor, simply take out in the pool at the bottom of the last drop and walk the 200 yards or so to the top of the first drop.

The Castor River Shut-Ins has been a local teenage hangout known as Pink Rocks for generations. Fortunately, state ownership and oversight have cleaned up the trashy appearance of this naturally beautiful area.

Logistics:

Both the put-in and take-out are in

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