Cascade
C) CR45/Pike Lake Road to Cascade River State Park (3.5 miles)
| Difficulty | IV-V |
| Length | 2.8 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 164 fpm |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 2, 2019 |
River Description
Incredible run, one of the best in the upper midwest!
Not far downstream from the put in, the action starts with Hidden Falls. Scout (river left) this long, steep, curving slide with a wild finish as it splashes into a keepy looking hole.
The run continues with numerous steep, technical rapids, sweet sliding falls, boof ledges, and great scenery. Many of the drops deserve scouting, as a log in the wrong place would be critical.
This reach ends with a 0.5 mile carry out to Hwy.61, to avoid the falls of the 'Cascades of the Cascade' within the state park. Scout the take-out above the falls before your run (using good trails and boardwalks in the state park), to know which eddy to definitely catch before the point of no return. (While the final half-mile can be run, and is described as a separate reach, it is most often done at levels which would not coincide with this run.)
Video (via YouTube) shows a fine (nearly 10 minute) mix of headcam and shore footage:
River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportJoel Decker on Discretion Drop at higher flows.
Hidden Falls, the first major drop of this section, can be easily scouted.
It lies not far downstream of the put-in, and is accessible via a well-worn path on river-left.