Payette, N. Fork
4. Cabarton Bridge to Smiths Ferry(The Cabarton Run)
| Difficulty | II-III |
| Length | 9.8 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 20 fpm |
| Gauge | North Fork Payette River at Cascade, Idaho |
| Flow Rate as of 6 hours | 1862 cfsmedium runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | June 18, 2026 |
River Description
This run is a great day-trip that starts at the Cabarton Bridge and ends at Smith Ferry. During summer weekends when flows are optimal, the put-in is a hive of activity and things can get a bit chaotic as most groups try to launch from mid morning to noon. This is a great family-friendly trip with some fun whitewater and great places to stop for lunch. Several local outfitters run this stretch commercially.
The runs starts off as an easy float. Early in the trip the river narrows and flows through a fun rapid, Trestle Rapids, that starts off as class II and builds to class III as you pass under the railroad trestle.
Once you reach the bottom of Trestle Rapids, you will be in another calm stretch for a couple miles and the beaches along this section make popular lunch stops. The action begins to build again as you come to Wet Spot. The next three miles feature some great whitewater as the gradient increases.
As you pass under the Rainbow Bridge, you are in the final stretch with the fun flume ride down Francois and the finale at Howard's Plunge, a great class III+ drop that is a real thrill and ends in a calm recovery pool that extends for over a mile.
This run is a top of the reservoir release that starts late summer as the south fork flows drop off. The water is warm, and on a hot summer day the flat water float after Howard's Plunge is a great place to jump out of the boat and float alongside the boats.
River Features
Cabarton Bridge Put-In
The put-in is at the Cabarton Bridge just downstream of Cascade Reservoir (8 miles south of the town of Cascade). At Highway 55 mile 106.9 turn west on Cabarton Road and follow it 1.7 miles to the bridge. The access is on the downstream river left side of the bridge and parking is limited so groups generally try to get most of their vehicles down at the take-out. A ramp for launching rafts is available but it can get congested on weekends with trailers backing into the launch area and outfitter buses unloading their guests. Be prepared to move efficiently when you arrive (this is definitely not the place to rig your boat on the ramp or sit there fine tuning adjustments on your oar locks). If you have a raft get it down the ramp and tied off out of the way and if you are kayaking don't leave your boats scattered across the unloading zone. Move your rig out of the way as soon as you can. The site has a $5 launch fee.
Trestle
The first and longest rapid on the run. USGS River Mile 26.0.
Favor right of center at the entry above the rail bridge as there can be a nasty hole at the center under the bridge. The rest of the rapids can be run centerline following obvious V-lines.
Wetspot
Down the left. USGS River Mile 22.7.
Randy's Rock
USGS River Mile 21.7.
99
USGS River Mile 20.8.
Francois
Take it right of center. USGS River Mile 20.2.
Howard's Plunge
The big drop and the finale to the run. Take it left of center. You can scout the drop before the run at Highway 55 mile 98.4. USGS River Mile 19.8.
Smith Ferry Take-Out
The takeout is behind the Cougar Mountain Lodge at Smith's Ferry. At Highway 55 mile 97.4 turn east on Smiths Ferry Drive and head 0.1 mile to the field on the downstream or upstream river right side of the bridge where ample parking is available for a $5 fee.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportGreat Trip - Kevin Hyer
Jun 19, 2026
Run on Saturday Jun 13th. Great trip with co worker from Belgium. Lost the front right position during fransois / Frederik!. No harm done. We took it center. Was hit dead on with a wall of water - It was a great!
WEEKDAY - R S
Jun 10, 2025
What can only be described as a perfect day on the water!
Great weather, good people, best guides in Idaho.
We may have seen one boat the entire trip.
Love weekday trips.
MORE PHOTOS: https://photos.app.goo.gl/iYww7KxbspGbtJMv8
Fun Run - Michelle Millet
Jun 12, 2024
We had a couple of fun runs on this stretch in hardshells and packrafts. We got to see a Moose along shore one day. The wave at Francois was big! It was easy to miss on the right for tentative paddlers, but most of the group took it head on (it did flip one the hardshells). Howard's was the highlight. Everyone had a blast. One hardsheller flipped and ended up upside down on the eddy on the left at the bottom. It's rocky and shallow but she made it out unscathed.
Idaho With Kids 2022 - Day 2 - Thomas O'Keefe
Jun 25, 2022
We enjoyed a Saturday run on Cabarton with good flows. We got to the put-in just before 10am and were able to drive right up to the launch ramp. Within 30 minutes there was a long line of vehicles to access the put-in. With good weather and a lunch stop we were on the water until 4pm. Most of the kids had kayaked the day before and wanted to try a paddle raft.
Idaho With Kids 2022 - Thomas O'Keefe
Jun 24, 2022
Good flow, great weather, and good friends on the Cabarton Run. We got on the water around 1:30pm and finished our run around 5:00pm with a stop for a late lunch. Traffic on the river was reltatively light and we had no issues accessing the put-in on a Friday afternoon. We had a big group with a few rafts and a several kids in kayaks and inflatables.
