Payette, S. Fork
3. Danskin Station to Alder Creek Bridge(Swirly Canyon)
| Difficulty | II-III |
| Length | 8.6 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 20 fpm |
| Gauge | Payette; South Fork Below Deadwood Confluence |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 1327 cfslow runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | June 18, 2026 |
River Description
This is a beautiful section of the South Fork Payette in a scenic gorge that usually has less traffic than the 'Main'. The section is named for its strong eddies and wave dynamics but the whitewater is no more than class II-III.
This section can be run during most of the spring/summer/fall. Levels can be on the high side during spring run-off (May/June) and lower as September drags on. After the Deadwood shuts off (in 2015 it was August 31), flows can be in the 345 range, which results in some scrapey sections, but the run still has some fun rapids, and very clear water.
About a mile below the Danskin put-in the river makes a sharp right-hand turn into the canyon. Great class II and III whitewater in a scenic gorge continues for about two miles.
As you exit the canyon, the remains of the Grimes Dam provides a nice play wave known as UPW (Ultimate Play Wave). The rapid has changed over time and is not as epic as it once was.
After 5.6 miles, the whitewater tapers off and you will reach Hot Springs which serves as an alternate take-out or a put-in if you are looking for a good SUP run. The Hot Springs Forest Service Campground is also located here. It's another 2.5 miles down to the Alder Creek Road. You can also continue on down through the next 4 miles of the Garden Valley, a good flatwater run.
River Features
Danskin Station Put-In
The put-in is at Danskin Station at Highway 17 mile 19.5. Access is available through a steep set of stairs down to the river and a raft slide. The parking area is a fee site at $3.00/day or $20.00 season pass for the Payette system. Season passes can be purchased at the Forest Service service centers or a number of retail locations in the area. Day passes can be purchased at the river access sites.
Swirly Canyon
Where the river takes a hard bend to the right and then back left, Swirly Canyon begins. This tight gorge is about half a mile in length. This section has lots of boils and strong eddy lines that can easily flip those without a good brace. Long swims can result. USGS River Mile 90.6.
UPW (Ultimate Play Wave) at Grimes Pass Dam Site
The UPW forms at certain flows at the former Grimes Pass Dam site. Grimes Dam site is not an access but it is a historical site at the pull out at Highway 17 mile 17.1. This old hydropower dam failed in 1943 and there is an interpretive site along the highway. At USGS River Mile 89.9.
Hot Spring
A good intermediate access point is available at Hot Springs at Highway 17 mile 13.9. For boaters floating downstream, the access comes up quickly and is easy to miss, so stay alert if you plan to stop here. This is a convenient take-out where everyone can enjoy a soak while shuttle drivers retrieve vehicles from the put-in. The trail climbs steeply from the river to the parking area, making it suitable for hand-carried craft but impractical for larger rafts.
The popular Forest Service Hot Springs Campground, which includes reservable group sites, is located across the highway from the river. The campground is hot and exposed during the day, with adjacent highway traffic, but benefits from evening shade as temperatures cool and traffic subsides.
Alder Creek Road Bridge Take-Out
The take-out is at Highway 17 mile 11.7 (just west of the airstrip) where the Alder Creek Road heads 0.2 south from the highway to the Alder Creek Bridge across the river. The access is the downstream river left side of the bridge.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportSwirly Canyon With the Kids - Thomas O'Keefe
Jul 1, 2024
Always a crowd pleaser with the kids, it was great to get on another run of Swirly Canyon. We started shortly after 1pm, with some of us coming from upstream on a run of the Canyon, and finished up around 4pm that included a quick dip at the hot springs along the way.
Swirly Canyon in Half Slices - Michelle Millet
Jun 12, 2024
It was a a bit of a rough, but fun ride, with lots of big braces involved but we made it through 'Swirly Canyon' upright in our half slices (which I was grateful for since rolling in there seems rough)! We had two packrafters with us who reported a much easier time.
Idaho With Kids 2022 - Thomas O'Keefe
Jun 27, 2022
We did this as trip with the kids including a few hardshell kayaks and inflatable kayaks. The heart of swirly canyon was very dynamic at these flows but we made it through with just one swim (a parent). The whole trip was about 3 hours with a stop at the hot spring for lunch.
Catfished
Jun 26, 2022
We decided due to the consecutive nature of the canyon into swirly canyon that we would knock them both out in one 20.5 mile float, bad idea. I'm not sure if the description of this run is inaccurate, or if there was some huge flood that washed all of the rapids away but this run was way less exciting than the description makes it out to be.
From the Danskin access down there were a couple smaller class II rapids that had long stretches of flatwater inbetween. At some point during this stretch we stopped for lunch and a few cold ones after completing the Canyon. At some point the river will make an S turn, slamming into the left wall before slamming into the right wall and then through a narrow canyon for roughly 1/4 to 1/2 mile. In this narrow canyon there were many points where the canyon wall would constrict and open up again, creating very funky eddies, boil lines and whirlpools. We all managed to get spun around at some point against our will though none of us swam. I'd imagine a swim in the stretch would not be fun as there are really no breaks in the swirlies and there are no still eddies to pull off into. Such a strange section of river to have such intense currents where the river really doesn't drop any noticeable elevation.
After the canyon opens up again and the swirlies stop, be prepared for a long slow float out to the Alder Creek Road as anything that really resembles whitewater is over with. There are a few riffles and the occasional class I-II rapid but we couldn't find the 'UPW' or any of the other noted rapids on this run though we did see the old dam site. The last mile and a half or so of this run is pretty much flatwater. This is definitely not the 'II-III' run we were expecting and we would very likely not had done it if we had known we were getting into a 'I-II' run. There were a lot of cool little hot springs along the river, though many appear to have been developed and then abandoned by landowners still littered with no trespassing signs as if they have cared for the past two decades. The swirly canyon itself was really cool but short and not particularly worth it when you have to tack on the rest of the run too.
Tree Warning - Nick
Apr 27, 2013
Ran Swirly's 4/27/13 and there was a sign on the put in ramp warning of a tree across the river. There was indeed a tree fully across the river in one of the narrowest sections of the Canyon but it was mostly submerged at 800cfs from the gauge at the SF Payette/Deadwood confluence. It looks challenging to cut out as its submerged but we were able to eddy out above it and float our 14' oar rig though no problem so there may be no need to cut it out either...
