 |
| |
Other Whitewater Trips on the Willow Creek
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Lodging in Alaska
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
::
::
::
::
:: Lower Canyon Whitewater Kayaking & Canoeing Trip
|
Lower Canyon Whitewater Kayaking & Canoeing Trip on the Willow Creek |
|
Related River Guidebooks on AllAboutRivers |
|
|
|
|
Lower Canyon Info
Use this information at your own risk. See our legal notices. |
| Put In: |
8.6 Mile Willow-Fishook Rd. |
| Take Out: |
Shirley-Town Rd./5.6 Mile Fishook Rd. |
| Difficulty: |
Class III
, Class IV
At Flood
|
| Gradient: |
72ft/mile |
| Run Length: |
5 Miles |
| Good Level: |
4 feet and up |
| Streamflow Comments: |
Play comes in at 4 feet |
| Season Comments: |
May, June, July, August, September
|
| Primary Season: |
Peaks in early-late June with snow melt, but good throughout summer with rain |
| Permit: |
Not at this time |
| Character/Similar To: |
Lower Matakitaki, Lower Deschutes, Lower Trinity, Upper Chilliwack |
| Hazards: |
None at this time |
| Water Craft: |
kayak |
| Land Ownership: |
Private owner's who demand respect |
| Wilderness: |
Houses and road near by but don't be surprised by moose or bears |
| Camping on River: |
At take-out |
| Location: |
In the Pacific Region (AK), 71 Miles North of Anchorage |
| Area Name: |
Southcentral |
| Shuttle Logistics: |
Driving north from Anchorage, turn right on the Willow-Fishook Rd where you'll see a drive thru espresso stand. At mile 5.6 Shirley Town Rd will be on your left and will take you down to the bridge and the take out. After dropping your shuttle rig, continue up Fishook Rd another three miles. The road will go up a fairly steep hill, curve to the left then immediately make a long curve back to the right and steepen again with a guard rail starting on the left. Halfway through the long right hand curve will be a yellow, right arrow sign, park 50 yards short of the sign on the right and look for the trail on the opposite side of the guard rail. A tether for your boat is wise, especially if the ground is wet, as the trail is exceptionally steep. Dont let the rundown homesteader cabin halfway down deter you. |
|
| Lower Canyon on the Willow Creek |
Willow Creek is a majestic, crystal clear stream flowing down from the jagged granite peaks of the Talkeetna Mountains. At most flows the trickiest part of the whole run is finding the put-in and making it safely down to the creek. Once at the creek you can either put on or hike up the worn path up to the final drop of the class VI upper canyon, a beautiful staircase rapid with a small but quite nasty recirculating waterfall at the end. The first two rapids below the waterfall set the tone for what the lower run will be like. Pretty straight forward rapids followed by nice pools of clear, cool, blue-green water. The scenery, like all Alaska runs, is astounding, and at good flows the play will keep you on the water most of the day. Look for the wave/hole on river right below The House Rapid for a great eddy service play session. Willow Creek is a classic Alaska Creek run, great practice for intermediate boaters and always a superb day no matter what your skill level.
For a raft assisted kayak expedition trip or kayak lessons visit Kayak Alaska. |
Last Edited by allanwarren on 10/1/2007
|
Towns near Lower Canyon Kayaking |
|
|
|
|
