White
3. Buckley to Auburn (Lower)
| Difficulty | II |
| Length | 16 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 32 fpm |
| Gauge | White River at R Street Near Auburn, Wa |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 704 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | June 24, 2026 |
This is one of the most remote river corridors in the Puget Sound lowlands and one of the few places with more than 10 miles of river uninterrupted by any bridges or riverside development. A few houses are visible high atop the bluffs but otherwise the river is the domain of fish, wildlife, and birds. This legacy of a protected river corridor is the result of the lands being owned by Puget Sound Energy, and efforts are underway to conserve this undeveloped river corridor for future generations.
As a whitewater run the best rapids come in the first 1/3 of the run with plenty of fun class II rapids. Towards the middle 1/3 of the run the river spreads out into channels that shift from year to year along with wood hazards. Because of this wood hazard this run is only suitable for those who understand and can recognize wood hazards that function as strainer. You should expect to portage a couple times and the location of specific hazards shifts from year to year and with storm events that transport and redistribute wood. The final 1/3 of the run has a slightly more defined channel and some rapids but not quite as frequent as at the start. All along the run high bluffs of glacial outwash sediments record the geologic history of this river valley.
While the standard run is from the Highway 410 Bridge, adventurous boaters have explored some segments of the river between Mud Mountain Dam and the Highway 410 Bridge where the river flows through a scenic canyon.
The Buckley Dam, located about a mile upstream of the Highway 410 bridge on the White River, was constructed in the early 1910s as part of the White River–Lake Tapps hydroelectric system. The dam functions as a diversion structure, routing water into a flume that feeds Lake Tapps. The system was originally built to supply water to the White River Hydroelectric Project at the outlet of Lake Tapps, historically operated by Puget Sound Energy’s predecessors and producing hydropower for nearly a century before generation ended in 2004. Today, the dam is still used to divert water to refill Lake Tapps for municipal supply and recreation under the management of Cascade Water Alliance, although substantially less water is diverted than during the hydropower era, leaving more flow in the White River to support downstream ecological conditions. The system and water rights were purchased by Cascade (with the acquisition finalized in 2009), and recent investments have also improved fish screening and passage facilities to help restore salmon and steelhead migration while maintaining water supply operations.
Good access on river left at the trail bridge just upstream of the Highway 410 Bridge.
The river can be accessed on river right under the Highway 410 Bridge and this serves as the standard put-in for hand-carry craft.
The river can be accessed on river left at the R Street Bridge and is suitable for hand-carry craft.
The river can be accessed at the A Street Bridge on upstream river left side and is suitable for hand-carry craft. A barrier has been added along the river shoreline making it a little challenging to get out here but it is possible to lift boats over the barrier and squeeze through the gap between the end of the barrier and the bridge.
May 26, 2026
Ran the White River from Buckley to Auburn with two pack rafts on 5/25/26. The flow was 1,500 cfs and it took us a total of 4 hours and 40 minutes from top to bottom. The White was everything we expected from the great class 2 rapids to the never-ending wood piles. Lots of blind corners and bends with wood hazards waiting on the downstream side just out of sight. We also saw two cars in the main channel that looked like fairly new additions. I would say we likely spent 70% of the time rafting and 30% of the time portaging / scouting. Based on the wood placement and morphology of the channel it seems like this river will be more hazardous at lower flows.
Feb 14, 2026
Attempted to run the white river on Saturday (2/14/26) from foothills recreation trail bridge, Buckley to game-farm-wilderness park in auburn,WA. There is a new rails-to-trails bridge (just east of the 410 hwy bridge) with a nice put in area, the trail is called “Pierce county & city of Buckley- foothills national recreational trail”, (692 N River Ave, Buckley, WA 98321, USA). We parked on the south side of the bridge. Gauge (white river at R street) was 1150 CFS. Given the large storms from December 2025, we anticipated lots of wood debris on the river. Initial rapids were lots of fun, in the 2 to 2+ range. Two spots with wood, required short portages around at 47.17095, -122.04237 and 47.23125, -122.11397. Near the large powerlines, there was a lot of gunshot sounds, rapid fire, and makes you wonder if the shooter is taking precautions for people on the river. Wood encountered at 47.24862, -122.13167, (see photo) we were not able to easily find a way around. With limited winter daylight, elected to hike out given the possibility of additional wood further on. The scwack up to the nearest road was type 2 fun. It will likely take time before that wood pile up is cleared, and there may be more below it.
