The Tip of the Iceberg
Some California Runs - By Difficulty
The order of difficulty is an approximation. Please understand that at various flows runs can be more or less difficult. Many of the runs listed I have only run once or twice. Therefore, I of course cannot have a perfect frame of reference to compare all the runs. This however is meant only to be a general guide of runs to look at for a specific class of whitewater. You might also check what levels I have done each run at to see how well my ratings apply to the current flows.
Also, you might notice that the order of difficulty isnt always in order with the difficulty which I rated the run. this is because I ranked compared to overall impressions. How tired was I after the run, how many rapids, were rapids portagable etc. So just because a run is listed below a class III run, it may still be class IV- or whatever.
| River: | Run: | Difficulty: | Whitewater Ranking: | Overall Ranking: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American River, Main | San Juan | I to II | 3.0 | 7.5 |
| Mokelumne | Electra | II | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Trinity River | Hawkins Bar to Willow Creek | II | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Mokelumne | Middle Bar | II+ | 6.0 | 8.0 |
| American River, North Fork | Ponderosa Way | II+ to III- | 7.0 | 8.0 |
| Russian River | Comminsky-Preston | II | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| American River, South Fork | C to G | II to III- | 6.0 | 7.0 |
| Trinity River | Willow Creek to Tish Tang | II+ | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Kern River, North Fork | Kernville (At Low Water) | II+ to III | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Trinity | Weitchpec Gorge | II+ (III) | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Trinity River, Stuarts Fork | Lower | II+ to III- | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| Kern River, North Fork | Fairview | II+ to III- | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Sacramento River | Dunsmuir to Castle Crags | II+ to III | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Russian River | Squaw Rock | II (III) | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Kern River, North Fork | Limestone | III+ | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Kern River, North Fork | Cables (At Low Water) | III-IV | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Trinity River | Tangle Blue | III- | 7.0 | 7.5 |
| Smith River, South Fork | Lower | III- (IV) | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Sacramento River | Sim's Flat to Pollard's Bar | III | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| American River, South Fork | The Gorge | III to III+ | 8.0 | 7.5 |
| McCloud River | Wyntoon | III-IV | 4.0 | 7.0 |
| Cache Creek | Rowboat Rapid | II+ to III | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Middle | III-IV | 6.0 | 5.5 | |
| American River, South Fork | Chili Bar | III to III+ | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Eel River | Pillsbury (High Water) | III to IV | 7.0 | 6.5 |
| Trinity River | Pigeon Point | III- to III+ | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Feather River, North Fork | Rock Creek | II+ (III+) | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Smith River, Middle Fork | Patrick's Creek | IV- | 6.5 | 6.0 |
| Stony Creek | (Sacramento Tributary) | III to IV+ | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Yuba River, North Fork | Below Highway 49 | III+ to IV | 7.5 | 6.5 |
| Pitt river | Reach-4 | IV- to IV (IV+) | 7.0 | 7.5 |
| Pitt River | Reach-5, Lower | III- | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Salmon River, North Fork | Upper | IV- | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Feather River, North Fork | Big Bend Run | III+ (IV+) | 7.5 | 6.0 |
| McCloud River | Ah-di-na Camp | III-IV | 8.0 | 7.5 |
| Mokelumne, North Fork | Below Tiger Creek Dam | III to IV | 7.5 | 8.5 |
| Kern River, North Fork | Chamise Gorge (At Low Water) | III to IV | 8.0 | 8.5 |
| South American, Riverton to Peavine | Riverton to Peavine | III to IV | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Mark West Creek | To Santa Rosa | IV | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Walker River, West Fork | Above Walker | IV- to IV+ | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Klamath River | Ikes Falls | III+ to IV+ | 7.5 | 6.0 |
| Sacramento River | Castle Crags to Sim's Flat | IV- | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Feather River, North Fork | Big Bend Dam | IV+ | 9.5 | 6.0 |
| Pit River | Pit Falls | III+ to IV- (V) | 6.0 | 8.5 |
| Silver Creek, South Fork | Ice House Dam to Road 31 | IV- (IV+)(logs P) | 6.5 | 6.0 |
| Merced River, South Fork | Lower | III+ to IV | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| American River, North Fork | Chamberlain Falls | IV | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Yuba River, North Fork | Goodyear Bar | IV (V) | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Indian Creek (E. Br. N. Feather Tributary) | Lower | III to IV | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Kern River, North Fork | Ant Canyon (At Low Water) | IV | 8.0 | 7.5 |
| Squaw Valley Creek | (McCloud Tributary) | IV | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Salmon River | Butler Flat | IV | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Pitt River | Reach-5, Upper | IV-IV+ | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Stanislaus River | Goodwin Canyon | III to IV+ | 5.5 | 6.5 |
| Feather River, North Fork | Cresta | III to IV | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Canyon Creek (Trinity Tributary) | Into the Trinty | IV- to IV+ | 8.0 | 7.5 |
| Brush Creek | Lower (At Low Water) | IV to V | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| Bear River | Below Dutch Flat | III-IV (V) | 4.0 | 2.0 |
| Cosumnes River, Main | Upper | IV- to IV+(P) | 7.5 | 4.0 |
| Merced River | El Portal | IV to IV+ | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Bear Creek (Cache Creek Tributary) | Into Cache Creek | IV to IV+ | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Kaweah River, Middle Fork | Gateway/Dinely | IV- to IV+ | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Yuba River, South Fork | Washinton to Edward's | IV-(P) | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| Feather River, North Fork | Lobin | IV | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Yuba River, South Fork | Edward's to Purdon's | IV | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Sacramento River | Box Canyon | IV | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Tuolumne River | The Lower "T" | IV to ... | 7.0 | 6.0 |
| Clear Creek (Sacramento Tributary) | Below Whiskeytown | IV- to IV+ | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Trinity River, East Fork | East Fork | IV to IV+/V- | 7.5 | 7.0 |
| Yuba River, South Fork | Golden Quartz | IV- to IV+ | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Eel River, South Fork | Ten Mile Creek | IV | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Feather River, East Branch of the North Fork | Virgilia | IV to V- | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Wolf Creek (Bear River Tributary) | To Bissel Ct. | IV to IV+ | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Yuba River, South Fork | Jolly Boys | IV- to IV+ | 7.5 | 7.0 |
| Feather River, West Branch | Naked Lady | IV to IV+ | 8.0 | 7.0 |
| Lavezolla Creek | Lower | IV(P) | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Coffee Creek | To Clair Engle Res | IV to IV+ | 8.5 | 9.0 |
| Stanislaus River, North Fork | Boards Crossing/McKays | IV then IV+ to V- | 9.0 | 8.5 |
| Kern River, North Fork | Thunder (At Low Water) | IV to V | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Mokelumne, North Fork | Devil's Nose | III+ to V | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| San Lorenzo River | Henry Cowell Park to Paradise | III-IV | 7.0 | 4.5 |
| New River | Upper | IV+ | 7.5 | 7.0 |
| American River, Middle Fork | Tunnel Chute | IV to IV+(P) | 8.5 | 6.0 |
| American River, South Fork | Kyburz | IV to IV+ | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Cosumnes River, Middle | Lower | IV | 8.0 | 8.5 |
| Trinity River, South Fork | Three Bears | IV to IV+ | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Smith River, South Fork | South Fork Gorge | IV+ | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Yuba River, Middle Fork | Our House Dam | IV to IV+ (V) | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Pauley Creek | Lower | IV to IV+ (V) | 8.5 | 9.0 |
| Pauley Creek | Middle | IV to IV+ | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Smith River, North Fork | Lower | IV+ | 9.0 | 9.5 |
| Yuba River, Middle Fork | Plumbago | IV to IV+ | 7.0 | 6.5 |
| McCloud River | Ash Camp | IV+ | 8.5 | 9.0 |
| American River, South Fork | Slab Creek | IV+ to V-- | 8.0 | 7.5 |
| Bear River | Below Highway 174 | IV+ | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Cottonwood Creek, North | Upper | IV+(2P) | 7.0 | 6.0 |
| Deer Creek | Lower | IV+ | 9.0 | 8.5 |
| Smith River, Middle Fork | Siskiyou Gorge | IV+ to V- | 9.0 | 8.5 |
| Hayfork Creek | Lower | IV to V | 8.0 | 7.0 |
| Stanislaus River, Middle Fork | Dardanelles | III+ or IV to V | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| Yuba River, South Fork | Summit | IV+ to V- | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Smith River, Main | Oregon Hole Gorge (at High water) | IV+ | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Putah Creek | Upper (at High water) | IV to V | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Salmon River | Nordheimer | IV-V | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| Kaweah River, North Fork | Lower | IV to V- | 8.5 | 7.0 |
| American River, North Fork | Giant Gap | IV to V- | 9.0 | 8.0 |
| Kaweah River, North Fork | Upper | IV+ | 8.5 | 7.0 |
| Yuba River, North Fork | Wild Plum | IV+ to V- | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Tuolumne River, North Fork | Lower | IV to V- | 7.5 | 7.0 |
| American River, North Fork | Generation Gap | IV to V | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Trinity River | Burnt Ranch Gorge | IV (2V) to V | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Feather River, North Fork | Tobin | IV to V- | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Stanislaus River, Middle Fork | Donnells | IV to V | 9.0 | 8.5 |
| Kern River, North Fork | Forks of the Kern | IV-V | 9.5 | 9.0 |
| Canyon Creek (South Yuba Tributary) | Arctic Mine | IV+ to V- | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| Kern River, North Fork | Salmon Falls | V | 7.0 | 7.5 |
| Yuba River, South Fork | Spaulding | IV+ to V+ | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Clavey River | Upper | IV to V | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Feather River, North Fork | Poe Canyon | IV+ to V | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Yuba River, South Fork | 49 to Bridgeport | IV+ to V | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Feather River, South Fork | Little Grass Valley | IV+ to V(3P) | 9.5 | 9.0 |
| American River, South Fork | Lovers Leap | IV+/V- to V | 8.0 | 8.5 |
| Tuolumne River | Cherry Creek | V- to V | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| Feather River, Middle Fork | Devil's Canyon | V | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| Dry Meadow Creek | Tea Cups | V | 9.0 | 6.5 |
| Silver Creek, South Fork | AutoBahn to the Lake | V(P) | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| Canyon Creek (South Yuba Tributary) | Upper | IV+ to V+ | 7.5 | 9.0 |
| Cosumnes River, Middle | Upper | V to V+ | 9.0 | 8.5 |
| Kaweah River, Middle Fork | Hospital Rock | V to V+ | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Tule River, Middle Fork | Middle Tule | V | 9.5 | 9.0 |
| American River, South Fork | Golden Gate | V to V+ | 9.0 | 9.0 |
Some Idaho Runs -By Difficulty
| River: | Run: | Difficulty: | Whitewater Ranking: | Overall Ranking: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camas Creek | Lower | III- | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| Big Creek | Lower | III+ | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| Salmon River, Middle Fork | Wilderness | III (IV) | 5.5 | 8.0 |
| Payette River, South Fork | Staircase | IV | 6.5 | 7.0 |
Some Mexico Runs -By Difficulty
| River: | Run: | Difficulty: | Whitewater Ranking: | Overall Ranking: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Ojo Frio | Damian Carmona | III to IV- | 6.5 | 5.0 |
| Rio Tampaon | 5th Canyon | III to III+ | 7.0 | 8.0 |
| Rio Valles | Micos | III to IV | 9.9 | 9.9 |
| Rio Valles | El Salto | III+ to IV | 9.9 | 9.9 |
| Rio Santa Maria | 3rd and 4th Canyons | IV-V | 7.5 | 8.0 |