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 stretch of American River in Yakima County is 4.7 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class III-IV section. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. The Hell's Crossing to American Forks section is one of a few paddling sections in this river system. This stretch has has enough mileage, suitable for an afternoon trip. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking there are lots of good places for that around here. The river winds through the Northern Cascade Range and you get great
    scenery. The beautiful scenery of Washington and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream attract people from near and far. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, and if you make reservations in advance you're
all set. The average Washington whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be harder to run than those in other states, so if you're not from around here don't forget that lots of rivers here are not for beginners. A good workout and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great attractions for lots of people.

Briefly about the general area:
All the water falling down from the sky makes American River a wet place; the month of January is the wettest with most of the rain; the driest month is July. Through the summer months, highs ordinarily
 
are in the 70's at American River. For the duration of the moonlight hours it's typically in the 40's. Through the winter highs are generally in the 30's, and nighttime lows at American River through the wintertime regularly descend into the 20's.
Good hiking is available along the Fifes Ridge Trail, and hiking is a popular thing to do around American River; Goat Creek Trail is a fine local trail. Life's too short to enjoy all the amusing things in the Northern Cascade Range.

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
Best Western Lincoln Inn & Suites, Ellensburg , 46 miles away
Nites Inn Motel, Ellensburg , 47 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