Whipface Creek in Oregon

This is a classic run for boaters who equally enjoy whitewater and camping. It is basically a 36 mile (or longer) continuous class II-III rapid with several class IV rapids and logjams thrown in to keep you in suspense. Kayakers should have a reliable roll or self-rescue skills because recovery pools, if any, can be miles apart. The red basalt canyon (what you can see of it anyway) is very scenic. Pleasant campsites abound in the lower canyon, but during boating season it often rains in the upper canyon.

Recognizable landmarks are rare along this run, especially in the lower canyon where both banks are lined with willow trees, hence the name Whipface Creek. It is best to plan your trip before the trees leaf out and reduce visibility. Old cabins and side-creeks are sparse but the only way to mark your progress. Cattle graze along the creek except in steep canyon sections.

The AWA river inventory of Oregon has a writeup of this run. Their mile-by-mile starts about 4 miles upstream of Cougar Creek and continues below the take-out bridge to the Grande Ronde confluence. They give helpful information about put-in permission and shuttle drivers.

mile 0

Put in on USFS land at Cougar Creek, or upstream at a more open location.

6

Bench on the left with metal-roofed barn and cabin. Swamp Creek enters just downstream, significantly increasing the flow. Collapsed cabin on the right bank.

River canyon viewed above Swamp Creek	The canyon deepens

Interesting moss-covered basalt	Table Mountain high on right bank

One of a few visible hoodoos	Ponderosa forest thick at times

The rapids keep on coming	Mossy rock becomes less frequent

11.4

Defunct cabin on the right bank, marked on the topo map.

The canyon narrows ahead	Willows not has thick as downstream

12.6

On the right bank, a white camping trailer is parked next to a rock. The first class IV rapid, log-choked in 2011, is just downstream.

Highway 3 nearby but high above	Class IV rapid below white trailer

13

A dirt road climbs out of the canyon as a creek enters on the left.

Ponderosa trees become sparse	Good view thru the willows

Rapid into bare rock wall	A more-open section of canyon

17.2

Large bench on the left bank with ranch cabin. Rush Creek enters on the right, with an old trail heading upstream. Another cabin perches on the right bank near the creek. Active ATV trails for a few miles downstream.

The canyon gradually becomes drier	Rapids continue down a straight section

Canyon walls no longer moss-covered	Below the Ponderosa zone

A very narrow part of the canyon	Red basalt benches on the right

28.4

Tamarack Creek enters on the right. According to the topo map, the pack trail leads up Tamarack Creek. Shortly below, the rapids intensify, verging on class IV at times.

Willow jungles alternate with open sections	Few campsites in this steep canyon

Procession of boats among willows	Good visibility at a woody corner

Getting whipped to avoid the middle	Lead-in to one of the very steep rapids

35

The canyon starts to open up. As the Bennett guidebook says, the canyon spits you out in a whitewater fit. Good campsites are available on the left, then on the right.

Braided channels among willows	First good campsite on the right

37

Hazard! Fish counting apparatus with steel cables across the creek, a decapitation risk. (2011)

37.2

First bridge over the creek. The Bennett guidebook says parking is available nearby, but local shuttle drivers do not agree. Frequent but non-continuous rapids occur, like a normal river, as the creek drops thru ranch country.

39.7

Take out just below the second bridge across the creek, at the parking area for public fishing access. The Grande Ronde confluence is about two miles further, but there is no good river access on the Grande Ronde until 2.2 miles below the confluence.

Shuttle Directions

From Enterprise, take highway 82 east towards Wallowa Lake. In 3.5 miles, turn left onto Crow Creek road (dirt). After 1.1 mile, take the first right (uphill) to stay on Crow Creek road. Stay on this road as it twists and turns. Continue slightly uphill along Prairie Creek to a low summit, then slightly downhill along Crow Creek. In 27 miles, shortly after crossing Chesnimus Creek, turn left onto J0seph Creek road, which looks like a driveway. (Elk Creek road, possibly snowbound, joins on the left 1 mile before Chesnimus Creek, which provides most of the flow.) Continue at least 6 miles along J0seph Creek road. Land ownership alternates between private and USFS. At one point you come to an unlocked gate amidst a mud puddle. The final locked gate is just past Cougar Creek. If that put-in looks too brushy, go back upstream and find a good spot. This leg of the shuttle takes about 80 minutes.

The Bennett guidebook describes the Elk Creek route, which is only a few minutes faster, and could be snow-bound, so the above directions recommend a lower-elevation route.

To reach take-out from Enterprise, drive on highway 3 north 42 miles to the state line, then (the number changes) on highway 129 north 36 miles to the town of Asotin. From Asotin, take the Snake River road 25 miles south to Grande Ronde road, then another 5 miles to J0seph Creek road. The take-out is at a fishing access just below the downstream bridge. Another bridge is upstream, with unknown parking status: the Bennett guidebook recommended it, but shuttle drivers do not. This leg of the shuttle takes about 3:15, but can be shortened to three hours (avoiding Asotin) if Montgomery Ridge road is open.

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