Minnesota Whitewater River

Yeah Sure! 7 Class III to Class IV+  Rivers to Canoe in Minnesota

7 Minnesota (have to paddle) Whitewater Rivers

Baptism River - Classic North Shore Lake Superior River. Run from Eck-beck campground to Illgen falls for some great class III/IV whitewater fun. After a short warm up paddlers enter into “Confinement Canyon” class II +, enjoy the class II ride before the river picks back up and into “Kramer's Choice” class IV, followed by “Gustafson Falls” a class III+ 6 foot drop, a couple more enjoyable rapids and then start watch for Illgen Falls. Exit river left. -more MN whitewater

French River - One of the "easy" creeks on Lake Superior's North Shore. Plenty of class III and IV slides with an amazing run ending bonus, Machine Gun Rapids. Put in on county road 33, and get ready for nearly two miles of fun drop after drop after drop. -more at MN whitewater

Vermillion River - Minnesota is blessed with 2 Vermillion Rivers. One flows through the city of Hastings, just 30 miles south of St. Paul. At mid to lower levels the river is very playful with surfing at Railroad, S-bend, and Dough-nut. At higher levels get ready to hang on for a wild ride.
The other Vermiion River is in the far North of Minnesota, flowing north into Crane Lake. This is a wilderness river with class III+ whitewater. Table Rock Falls in the middle section and the Gorge in the third section are the highlights of this river. At Buyck, Minnesota turn off county road 23 to access the Middle run of the Northern Vermilion. - more at MN whitewater

Kettle River - Designated "Scenic and Wild" the river is a great resource for introducing paddlers to whitewater. Flowing through Banning State Park, the Kettle becomes class II and III at low to medium levels, and gets dangerous at the higher levels. The action starts fast on the Kettle, 100 yards below the put-it paddlers enter “Blueberry Slide” -more at MN whitewater

Stony River - A Northern Minnesota "wilderness" river, located between Babbitt and Ely, just south of the Boundary Water Canoe Area. Access the Stony from forest road 242, the river flows north 4 miles into Birch Lake. Class II and III whitewater warms a paddler up for the named drops; Always Right III+, Triple Drop III, the BOX IV+ and Desensitization Falls III. more at MN whitewater

St Louis River - Dam controlled the St Louis is runnable all summer. The Upper section is class II/III at normal level. The lower Louis is class V with sneaks to get by some of the gnarly drops. Thomson Reservoir separates the Upper run from the lower run.

-the UPPER- Access the river just north of county road 61 (put-in for the Upper St Louis River Whitewater) in the town of Scanlon, the city has built a very nice public river access. This four mile stretch
is runnable most of the summer and includes class III rapids, surfing waves and a river wide 6-foot, class III, drop - “electric ledge.” Take out on the south side of Thomson Reservoir.
-the LOWWER- To access the river from the UMD Outpost, river right just above the highway 210 bridge. Start with “Table Saw” and the “210 Drop” then comes the “Sisters” followed by “Octopus” Find you way through the “Bone Yards” and get ready for the action at the “Swinging Bridge Drop,” exit below the bridge or continue through “Fin Falls” -more at MN whitewater

Minnesota Whitewater

Minnesota Whitewater

Minnesota Whitewater Canoeing

Hard Water Sports is the source for whitewater canoeing in Minnesota.  Whitewater canoe rental, and training to get paddlers off the flat water.

The above photo is of canoeist Scott McKell surfing railroad hole on the Vermillion River in Hastings Minnesota.

Table Rock Falls on the Vermillion River, Northern Minnesota, 675 cfs

Open Canoe descent of a Northern Minnesota classic waterfall on a beautiful and wonderfully clean, North flowing river.

      Inspiration

            This could be you…

All you need are; the skills, the equipment, and the desire.  The Northern Open Canoe Access Project is here to connect you to the training and the gear.

                       Do you have the desire???

2012 Paddling Season

Ripping it up in 2012- I will say, for an open canoeist with moderate skills, I had quite a wonderful season of paddling.  Plenty of Northern Adventure paddling with a banner year of personal first descents.  

• Baptism River
• French River
• Knife River
• Stony River
• Jump River
• Northern Vermillion

My personal list of first descents (rivers that were new to me) starts with the Baptism, one of Minnesota’s Great Northern Rivers. I made a low water run of the Eckbeck to Iligen Falls.  Then carried up from the parking lot in Tettegouche State Park to run “Whole in the Wall” rapids and the final class III stretch into Lake Superior.

The first descents list continues with the French, and Fish Ladder on the Knife - two more Minnesota, North Shore rivers.

I was lucky to get in three runs on the Stoney River. A remote, wilderness river, in the far north of Minnesota, roughly half way between Ely and Babbit. 

When the Jump River is up, it’s time to JUMP. A short but very intense run of class III/IV whitewater in central Wisconsin. For my first day on the Jump River I hooked up with a few other open canoeist for 3 trips down the half mile run.

I also canoed on the Northern Vermillion River for the first time  A delightful, end of July day on the last section section of the river before it ends in Crane Lake, a stretch that includes the  “Shoot,” and the “Gorge.”  Quick break for lunch and then finished up with “Table Rock Falls.”

Throw in a few runs on the upper and Lower St. Louis, the ice off runs on the lower Verm, and to many to count days on the Kettle.  Add to that 3 trips to the Wausau Whitewater Park, and that equals a lot of days on the water.

   

Northern States of Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula are blessed with great whitewater and a wonderful paddling community.  Thanks to all the river guides and shuttle friends that helped to make this year so wonderful.

Whitewater Open Canoeist on the Stony River, Northern Minnesota