Otter Creek
1. Fish Liming Operation to Big Spring Gap(Upper Otter Wilderness)
| Difficulty | IV-V(V+) |
| Length | 11.3 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 96 fpm |
| Gauge | Dry Fork at Hendricks, Wv |
| Flow Rate as of 22 minutes | 174 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | March 27, 2005 |
River Description
You can surf on over to read the Zone Dogg's story.
Upper Otter Creek is one of the best steep creek expeditions in West Virginia. It is the ultimate 'source to mouth' run, starting on the tiniest of tributaries flowing through a marsh and going all the way to its mouth at the Dry Fork of the Cheat. It is very long and committing requiring a high degree of skill and endurance, you have paddled 6 miles before you reach the first Class 5 rapid!
You will puton a small tributary called Condon Run and scrape your way for about 1/4 mile until you reach the marsh. At the beginning of the marsh, there is a 5 foot dam onto a concrete slab that can be run anywhere or easily portaged on the right. For the next 4 miles, the creek winds slowly through the marsh and passing through some of the most gorgeous scenery in West Virginia. There are many trees down but you can fight your way over, under, and through most of them.
After about 4 miles, the creek bed changes from sand to rock and the creek starts going down actual rapids that grow in intensity as you travel further downstream. There several fun warmup slides and boulder drops that will carry you through the next 2 miles. Just above where Yellow Creek enters, there is a steep cascade that is best run left of center.
Yellow Creek enters about 6 miles into the run and, besides adding volume, it marks the beginning of the steep section (4 miles dropping close to 250 feet per mile). After a few long slides (one that is fairly steep), you come to a 15 foot falls onto rocks. This is best run far right down a flume. This flume leads into a rocky cascade that requires you to angle left. Right below this, is a 100 yard long slide.
The creekbed changes from slides to boulder drops below here. Most boulder drops are boat scoutable but some are pretty steep. Be on the lookout for trees through here. After a couple miles, the run steep
...River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportA group ran this 7/6/07. All of the wood is clear in the steep sections (thanks to John Moore) and we ran all drops. One drop, right side after an island had some new limbs in it but is easily seen. There is still a bunch of wood in the last 2-3 mile runnout before the dry fork though so keep a heads up after the steep sections end.
LOOK OUT FOR TREES, THEY ARE ABUNDANT!!
LOOK OUT FOR TREES, THEY ARE ABUNDANT!!
Run this one on the right. LOOK OUT FOR TREES, THEY ARE ABUNDANT!!
LOOK OUT FOR TREES, THEY ARE ABUNDANT!!
LOOK OUT FOR TREES, THEY ARE ABUNDANT!!
LOOK OUT FOR TREES, THEY ARE ABUNDANT!!
There are TONS of tree in this run - the first 2 miles are faster walked than paddled (as of late march) the upper marchy section is sweet, but trees are a horrendous problem. around every bend is a problem to be negotiated, its fun if your in the mood for headwaters, but it took hours to get to the 15 footer be prepared and start early! as a result we had to hike out (we had wanted to make it to the dry fork but only put on at 1 pm) and then back in the following day to finish the paddle. I think most (if not all the ones in the whitewater section were passable, at the low level we were there at - but 2 or 3 were very sketchy. the drops arent big but usually blind and bony. needed more water in the creek, sneakers, a creek boat (lost my boat day before...dont ask) flashlight, more food, a faster group, and a chainsaw.
LOOK OUT FOR TREES, THEY ARE ABUNDANT!!
This is from a pre-Hurricane Sandy run in 2012