BETA
Stream: This is an excellent hike in run within the Wallowa Mountain range in NE Oregon. The amount of time to take to do the run is preference-dependent, it could be done in a long weekend by boaters short on time, but we took 5 days and I was happy with that. There are a few routes to hike in, check the access segment further down for more info, but expect to hike around 10 miles.
The best hike:quality access point reaches the Minam River near Rock Creek. Upstream of here has been run, but there is more wood and less whitewater. After a warm up below Rock Creek, the good whitewater really starts below the North Minam confluence.
Camp at the confluence with the North Fork.
There are many good sections of whitewater down here, with scenic floating in between. In the whitewater sections one side of the river is often a granite wall, but the other side is steep hillside. The section between the North Minam and the Minam Ranch is the best part of the river, lots of high quality class III and IV whitewater at medium flows. Most of this is read and run, but boaters may wish to scout a couple times for wood and lines.
There are many quality sections of class III-IV between the North Minam and Minam Ranch.
The crux of the run is Minam Gorge, the only true gorge on the run. After floating through a flat meadow with eagles overhead an obvious horizon signals the start of Minam Gorge, eddy out right for the scout. The first ledgey ramp has a number of line options, and the best option varies with flow. It can be portaged with some effort on the right.
Below the entry ramp is a wave hole that can be skirted left, then a ledge that we ran right at low water, but middle might be better at higher levels. It is important to run this ledge in control so you can eddy out right to scout the bottom of Minam Gorge, which is often portaged due to a couple low head dam style holes created by ancient logs anchored into the river, remnants of a mining operation.
Looking upstream from the eddy from which the portage at Minam Falls starts.
The bottom of Minam Falls.
Below Minam Falls good class III/IV whitewater continues off and on until it fades into the Minam Lodge area, a wide open valley. Good camping is found on river-right just above and below a footbridge. Paddlers not interested in the class III/IV upstream can hike in about 7 miles from Moss Springs and start at this bridge.
Scenic floating through the Minam Lodge area may have a log or two to negotiate. Below the valley, class II-III whitewater begins depending on flows, the continuous nature of this whitewater builds. By the time the Little Minam is passed, the whitewater is completely continuous and a pool will not be seen for many miles. The rapids are easy and open, but rafters who have flown into Minam Lodge to float this lower section have been surprised by logs and a lack of eddies. Kayakers and packrafters will have much less trouble stopping for wood. There are some horse camps on river right before the river leaves the wilderness area that are mostly tall grass, then a couple nice sand/gravel camps once out of the wilderness.
The rest of the run is class II, but still very continuous, slowing a little before the confluence with the Wallowa River and take out bridge.
Elk crossing!
A group of happy campers on the Minam River. Yann Crist-Evans, Jim Owczarzak, Quinlan Pfiefer, Sara Gallagher, Kira Minehart, Priscilla Macy-Cruser, Jacob Cruser. Photos on this report are a mix from people on the trip.
Flows: The Minam is a tough river to plan for. Because it is a multiday, plans often need to be made in advance. The river is too high for most of the spring runoff, and drops quickly through ideal boatable flows. Paddlers just doing the lower section below the Ranch can run it higher, just be ready for the increase in flow to equal a higher pace and fewer eddies.
We were on the river July 5-9, 2024, this was low runnable. I'd look for a minimum of 500 cfs next time, and not too much higher than that. Our friend Ben paddled the river 4 years earlier on the same weekend at about 1,100 cfs which was padded and probably as high or higher than I would want to run it. He loved it. Look at historic flows to try and time your trip, flows are often too high or access is snowed in during the spring, then levels can drop quickly through the ideal range. I found the Dreamflows overlap of the last 5 years of flows useful for planning. The last week in June into the first week in July seems to be the most statistically relevant time range to shoot for in a normal snowpack year.
Our low water trip, just enough water to be worthwhile. I'd shoot for 100-200 cfs higher next time. Ending our trip the day we started would have been good enough. I was happy it worked out given that we planned many weeks in advance.
Ben's trip, high runnable. Better for kayaks than packrafts.
Access: There are many routes into the Minam River. Having read about them, and talked to people who have tried different routes and seen the river myself, I believe the best route is this:
Middle Fork Catherine Creek road > China Ridge Trail > Meadow Mt > Rock Creek
Start: 45.15907, -117.55681
End: 45.22224819978197, -117.52138918423859
This route is about 9 and a quarter miles long, and has not been tested with boats as far as my knowledge goes.
We took access starting just to the south of the above routes, at the Buck Creek trailhead. The hike was about 10 miles, the first part climbing up to Burger Pass, then the second part dropping back down from said pass. The first 5 miles on the river were slow and pretty woody with only one notable class III/IV rapid. Ben Mckenzie hiked in to the headwaters from the Lostine River, and found the upper reaches to be steep and unrunnable due to wood in the stream, class V whitewater and brushy banks. Thus, I believe the above pictured route gives the shortest hike, and starts at the best part of the run.
Fortunately, there seems to be decent camping in most places where the trails meet up with the river.
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