Washington whitewater - American River, Northern Cascade Range, Yakima County

Yakima county, Hell's Crossing to American Forks section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS III-IV     4.7 miles
  The Hell's Crossing to American Forks section of American River in Washington is 4.7 miles long and has been rated as a class III-IV section by American Whitewater. The beautiful scenery of Yakima County and the water flowing gracefully down American River make the trip here worthwhile. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. This is one of a small number of paddling stretches in this river system, there are a few others too. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way this area has a large number of paddling places. A
    bit of exercise and just being out on the river for a while are sure to keep you coming back for more. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. The river winds through the Northern Cascade Range
and you get great scenery. This stretch has has enough mileage, good for a one day paddling trip. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside this state you might find the rivers here a bit more challenging, so don't forget that lots of rivers here are not for beginners.

Briefly about the general area:
Through the warm months at American River highs are frequently in the 70's, and all through summer nights temperatures are in the 40's. For the duration of the winter highs are generally in the 30's with winter lows in the 20's overnight here at American
 
River. Having a delightful time in the Northern Cascade Range is uncomplicated.
A great deal of precipitation falls at American River; January is when you get the most rain here while July is the month with the least amount of precipitation. The Fifes Ridge Trail offers hiking at its best; why not take a refreshing hike along the Goat Creek Trail.

American River, Hell's Crossing to American Forks road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III-IV
Length: 4.7 miles
Average Gradient: 82 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 46.96514
Longitude: -121.26658

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 46.97792
Longitude: -121.16763

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Current weather conditions at American River, Northern Cascade Range, Washington
WXPort

Local climate location: GREENWATER 12 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum
19 miles away
Set on the sunny eastern slopes of the Cascades alongside the sparkling waters of the Cle Elum River and surrounded by pristine pine forest-Suncadia offers the ultimate luxury mountain resort experien...

Stewart Lodge, Cle Elum
21 miles away
The Stewart Lodge offers a wide range of rooms and amenities to make us your recreational or business spot all year around. Our rooms are exceptionally large and include unique pine furniture, microw...

Best Western Snowcap Lodge, Cle Elum
21 miles away
The contemporary Best Western Snowcap Lodge is centrally located on the eastern slopes of the cascade mountains. We are easily accessible from Interstate 90, just a short 90 minute drive from Seattle....



OTHER_INFO
  Northern Cascade Range Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Northern Cascade Range.

Northern Cascade Range Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Northern Cascade Range.

All Washington Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Washington.
Books about whitewater paddling on American River, Washington
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on American River, Washington.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Washington

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

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near American River.
 Whitewater Near American River:
Bumping River, Yakima County , 2 miles away, Class II - 10.5 miles long (Bumping Reservoir to American River)
Little Naches River, Yakima/Kittitas County , 5 miles away, Class II-III+(IV) - 9.5 miles long (Matthew Creek to Little Naches Campground)
American River, Yakima County , 6 miles away, Class II+ - 5 miles long (American Forks to Sawmill Flat)
American River, -blank- County , 8 miles away, Class II-III+ - 7.5 miles long (Lodgepole Campground to Hell's Crossing)
Rattlesnake Creek - Naches Tributary, Yakima County , 17 miles away, Class III - 7.7 miles long (North Fork to Nile Road Bridge)
Cle Elum River, Kittitas County , 17 miles away, Class II - 7.8 miles long (Cle Elum Dam to confluence with Yakima River)
Tieton River - South Fork, Yakima County , 17 miles away, Class IV(V+) - 5.7 miles long (Grey Creek Campground to Rimrock Lake)
Box Canyon Creek, Kittitas County , 19 miles away, Class III-IV+(V) - 2 miles long (to Kachess Reservoir)
Tieton River, Yakima County , 20 miles away, Class III+ - 11.5 miles long (Rimrock Reservoir to Windy Point Campground)
Cle Elum River, Kittitas County , 21 miles away, Class II - 4 miles long (Salmon La Sac Creek to Cle Elum Reservoir)
 Ski Areas Near American River:
Crystal Mountain, Washington , 18 miles away, 3100 vertical feet
White Pass, Washington , 20 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Snoqualmie, Washington , 25 miles away, 1100 vertical feet
Alpental, Washington , 27 miles away, 2280 vertical feet
Stephens Pass, Washington , 35 miles away, 1800 vertical feet
Mission Ridge, Washington , 58 miles away, 2200 vertical feet
Cooper Spur, Oregon , 78 miles away, 500 vertical feet
Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon , 83 miles away, 2777 vertical feet
Timberline Lodge, Oregon , 85 miles away, 3590 vertical feet
Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, Oregon , 87 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
 Hotels Near American River:
Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum , 19 miles away
Stewart Lodge, Cle Elum , 21 miles away
Best Western Snowcap Lodge, Cle Elum , 21 miles away
Cle Elum Travelers Inn, Cle Elum , 23 miles away
Mandarin Oriental Washington, Washington , 38 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near American River:
Pine Needle Campground, Yakima County, 1 miles away
Soda Springs Campground, Yakima County, 2 miles away
Cougar Flat Campground, Yakima County, 3 miles away
 Trails Near American River:
Fifes Ridge Trail, Yakima County , 0 miles away, 13 hiking miles, 4581 feet elevation difference
Goat Creek Trail, Yakima County , 3 miles away,  8 hiking miles, 3879 feet elevation difference
Nile Ridge Trail, Yakima County , 4 miles away, 5.6 hiking miles, 3162 feet elevation difference
South Fork Trail, Yakima County , 5 miles away, 5 hiking miles, 2365 feet elevation difference
Mount Cliffty Trail, Kittitas County , 6 miles away,  9.8 hiking miles, 3795 feet elevation difference
Richmond Mine Trail, Yakima County , 6 miles away,  10 hiking miles, 3203 feet elevation difference
Middle Fork Trail, Yakima County , 7 miles away, 7.2 hiking miles, 3118 feet elevation difference
 National Parks Near American River:
Mount Rainier National Park, Ashford - WA , 54 miles away
 Lakes Near American 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