Alaska whitewater - Windy River / Rocky River, Kenai Peninsula Borough

Kenai Peninsula county, 3 miles above Windy/Rocky confluence to tidewater section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS IV     11 miles
 
You better be a little more than pretty ok if you're going to try a class IV rapid in an alaskan river and live to tell about it. if your lawyer knew you guys were saying this crap he'd have a heart attack! Says brent foster

(...) Check with American Whitewater or Andrew Embick's book ''Fast and Cold''. The rapids are NOT similar throughout this section and vary from easy II to an unrunnable 50' waterfall. The lower section near tidewater is extremely braided through dense alders with numerous sweepers/strainers and not recommended (more portaging
    than floating). The steep canyon section (one mile long)is for creekers only and only after thorough scouting and preparation. A fun 3-mile section of class II-III lies between the confluence of Windy and Rocky Rivers (end of steep canyon section) and where the river starts to
braid in the lower flats. A trail runs along the length of the river but is washed out and overgrown in places. Be prepared to bushwhack! The class II-III section is great for packrafters! (mostly class II/II+ at normal spring runoff when the river is runnable). Says Kevin Renfro

This stretch of Windy River / Rocky River in Kenai Peninsula Borough is 11 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class IV section. The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking here in Alaska are often tougher than in other states, so keep in mind that quite a few
 
of the sections here are not easy. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. The beautiful scenery of Alaska and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water have people coming here. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. If you hurry you can run this section in a day but why not make it an overnighter, so why not pack your camping stuff too. The 3 miles above Windy/Rocky confluence to tidewater stretch is the only paddling stretch along Windy River / Rocky River. Getting your paddling muscles activated and just being out on the river for a while have people coming from far and near.

Briefly about the general area:
Summer at Windy River / Rocky River arrives with high temperatures in the 60's. Once the sun is down it drops down to the 40's. The wintertime brings highs down to the 20's while the cold winter nights at Windy River / Rocky River are in the 10's. From a rain point of view Windy River / Rocky River is a reasonably common place; September is the month that gets the most rain; April on the other hand is the driest.

Windy River / Rocky River, 3 miles above Windy/Rocky confluence to tidewater road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: IV
Length: 11 miles
Average Gradient: 54 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 59.41299
Longitude: -151.45151

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 59.27999
Longitude: -151.40612

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Current weather conditions at Windy River / Rocky River, Alaska
WXPort

Local climate location: HOMER 4 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Lands End Resort, Homer
9 miles away
Homer Alaska's only beachfront hotel. Spectacular location at the very tip of the Homer Spit. Panoramic views of Kachemak Bay, the Kenai Mountains and it's glaciers. Eighty clean, comfortable rooms...

Beluga Lake Lodge Homer, Homer
12 miles away
Centrally located in the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World! Beluga Lake Lodge, a Magnuson Hotels affiliate, is conveniently located to all that Homer has to offer including Beluga Lake Float Plane ...

Halcyon Heights Bed And Breakfast Inn, Homer
13 miles away
Just six minutes from downtown Homer, Alaska, the several acres of the Halcyon Heights Bed and Breakfast/Inn offer views of the Grewingk Glacier, Kachemak Bay, the mesmerizing Homer Spit, and more. Fl...



OTHER_INFO
  All Alaska Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Alaska.
Books about whitewater paddling on Windy River / Rocky River, Alaska
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Windy River / Rocky River, Alaska.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Alaska

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Kodiak, Alaska
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Kodiak, Alaska, the metro area neareast to Windy River / Rocky River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Windy River / Rocky River.
 Ski Areas Near Windy River / Rocky River:
Hilltop, Alaska , 133 miles away, 294 vertical feet
Alpenglow At Arctic Valley, Alaska , 139 miles away, 1400 vertical feet
Alyeska, Alaska , 170 miles away, 2500 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Windy River / Rocky River:
Lands End Resort, Homer , 9 miles away
Beluga Lake Lodge Homer, Homer , 12 miles away
Halcyon Heights Bed And Breakfast Inn, Homer , 13 miles away
The Ocean Shores, Homer , 14 miles away
Best Western Bidarka Inn, Homer , 14 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Windy River / Rocky River:
Homer Spit Campground, Homer, 9 miles away
Kachemak Shores Bed and Brkfst, Homer, 12 miles away
Ocean View RV Park, Homer, 14 miles away
 National Parks Near Windy River / Rocky River:
Alagnak Wild River, King Salmon - AK , 45 miles away
 Lakes Near Windy River / Rocky River

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater