South Santiam: Monster Section

Photo: Clinton Begley

Stream: The South Santiam is a quality, underutilized resource for Willamette Valley boaters.  It's a worthwhile destination for anyone in the area, but really shines as a good run for groups with a mixture of skill levels.  The run is mostly III-IV, with 3 harder rapids that can be portaged, and the stand-out-scenic Hobbit Gorge.


The put in is at the half bridge, across the river from the Yukwah Campground.  There is a large pull-out off Hwy 20 here that fits as many vehicles as you need.  If you are short on time, or it's a cold day it is also possible to put in 3 miles downstream where Highway 20 crosses the South Santiam.

If you use the half bridge campground, you will get some easy warm-up, and three stand out features in the form of an unnamed class III rapid, a small riverwide surf ledge, and Longbow Falls.  If you use the Highway 20 bridge you miss those features, but quickly get into the best part of the run.

Rob Cruser, starting out below the Highway 20 bridge.

  Below the highway bridge is a series of fun class III-IV drops in a setting that feels quite isolated, even with the proximity of the highway.

In the midst of the class III-IV series of rapids.

A ledge just below.

The biggest obstacle on the run is The Monster.  The Monster gets run, but more people walk it than run it.  There is a ledge 100 yards above that signals that you have arrived.

The ledge just before The Monster.

Following a moving pool is, The Monster.

The Monster can be portaged on either side, but be careful not to pile up here.  There is a slowly moving pool above, and the eddies are not large.  Be cautious at high water.  The easiest move here is to eddy on the left, make a short portage at river level, then ferry in front of the wall at the bottom.  If you are not comfortable with this ferry, or the water is too high for this maneuver, it is possible to portage high on either side with additional effort.

The top of the Monster.
Photo: Clinton Begley

Emile and Ben


Just below the Monster is Crawdad, which is trickiest at low flows.  It can be hard to avoid the left wall, so right momentum is useful. 


 Rob Cruser scouts the entrance to Crawdad.  The whitewater in the distance is the outflow from The Monster.

Crawdad.

Thomas Imes in the thick of it.

Photos of Crawdad: Priscilla Macy

 Looking downstream from Crawdad.  Below here the river pinches to less than a boat length wide.

The pinch from below, with Crawdad in the background.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

In the mile between this pinch and Tomco Falls are a couple of easier bedrock rapids.  When you pass under a bridge and the river bends left get ready to hop out on the right to scout Tomco Falls, a unique drop that is ugliest at low levels. 

Moose Creek comes in from the right at Tomco Falls, complicating the scout a little.  And most people end up wading through Moose Creek to take a look or portage.  If you don't like the look of this tricky and hazardous looking rapid, you can seal launch from the right between the two ledges.  Or go further downstream if needed to avoid the whole thing.

Jean Loosmore seal launching between the two drops in Tomco.

Below Tomco there is a calm stretch before this scene and then the entrance to the Hobbit Gorge.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

  The first drop in the Hobbit Gorge is the only tricky one.  It is a small ledge with some turbulence that can roll people.  At most flows driving hard right with speed gets you through, but take a look from the lip using the eddy on river right, you should be able to get a feel for the best line from your boat.

In the Hobbit Gorge.

 The Hobbit Gorge is a special place every Oregon boater who is capable should make sure they find themselves in at some point.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

 There are a couple more small rapids before the take out at Cascadia park, marked by a bridge.  The trail up to the parking lot starts above this bridge.  There were no portages in 2016.

Flows:  I usually do this stretch below 1000 cfs on the South Santiam @ Cascade gauge when everything else in the area seems just a little too low.  Below 700 the run is less than class four except for the first drop in Hobbit gorge and the two class V drops, but it can be run at 500 cfs if you just really want to get in your boat.  1,000 cfs give or take a couple hundred is worthwhile. 1,500 cfs is medium.  It can be run higher, but if it is much over 1,000 cfs I usually find myself running one of the nearby creeks.  One such fun nearby option is to run Canyon Creek all the way down to Cascadia State Park, that way you get to float through the Hobbit Gorge since Canyon Creek enters the South Santiam within the Hobbit Gorge.

Access:  Take I-5 to Highway 20 and head East.  After passing through the town of Sweet Home it's a little over 14 miles to a left turn over a bridge and into Cascadia State Park at the take out.  44.398683, -122.481146

After dropping a vehicle, return to Highway 20 and head upstream 7.6 miles to the pull out at the half bridge.  44.398725, -122.343068

If you want to reduce your time on the water, put in at the Highway 20 bridge over the South Santiam just shy of 5 miles upstream of Cascadia. 44.398729, -122.393304

A video from a past trip. South Santiam segment starts at 1:50

Opal creek and South Santiam from Jacob Cruser on Vimeo.

   -Jacob