Washington whitewater - Cascade River, Northern Cascade Range, Skagit County

Skagit county, Mineral Park to Marble Creek Campground section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II     6 miles
 
Just attempted this section of river August 10th, 2006. Very dangerous. It is no longer a class 2 after the big washout in 2004. River is full of debris and log jams. At one particular log jam on the left fork of the split (the right fork was completely dammed up) our raft was sucked into a huge 4 foot waterfall that was blocked by logs. It destroyed our raft, and we lost all of our gear. I was sucked under for several seconds, barely managing to make it out alive. Luckily I was wearing a helmet because my head hit several logs under water in the falls.
    The vortex created by this logjam was immense. I somehow managed to pull my self onto a log and catch my breath. We had to hike through thick forest over 2 miles to the bridge on road 1550. Needless to say I am cut up, bruised, with a miled concussion. This stretch of river is
extremely dangerous. Do not attempt. There is no passage to get to Marble Creek Campground. You will be stuck in the deep forest. Says Curtis Jones

Did this section July 21, 2007 in a tandem canoe, at about 1850.  Had never done this section before.  The description above seems accurate.  Several large log jams, some completely blocking the river, forcing us to take some long and rough portages through thick brush and over huge piles of logs.  Even when the river is not blocked, there are serious strainers at every bend.  You really have to be alert
 
to avoid them.  A lot of work and danger for the few fun class II rapids you get within the first mile or so.  We spent nearly three hours on portages and scouting and only about one hour actually on the water.  Not recommended. Says

The natural beauty of Skagit County and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream attract people from near and far. Whitewater paddling here in the Northern Cascade Range is a great experience. Great exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors have people coming from far and near. The Mineral Park to Marble Creek Campground stretch of Cascade River in Washington is 6 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class II section. The sections for whitewater rafting and kayaking here in Washington are often more challenging than in other states, so if you're not from around here don't forget that a large number of rivers in this state are not easy. There's camping available near Cascade River. This stretch has has enough mileage, it's good length for a morning trip. 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 Mineral Park to Marble Creek Campground section is one of a few paddling sections in this river system. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, in this general area you'll find lots of paddling places.

Briefly about the general area:
The Hidden Lake Trail offers hiking at its best. During the warm days of summer here at Cascade River, high temperatures mostly get into the 70's; throughout summer nights temperatures are in the 50's. For the period of the winter highs are generally in the 30's while the cold winter nights at Cascade River are in the 30's. Cascade River is a quite wet place frequently with a good deal of rainfall; the month of December is the wettest with most of the rain while July is generally the driest month.

Cascade River, Mineral Park to Marble Creek Campground road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II
Length: 6 miles
Average Gradient: 25 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 48.50132
Longitude: -121.25061

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 48.53064
Longitude: -121.28061

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

Local climate location: NEWHALEM 9 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.






OTHER_INFO
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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.

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Books about whitewater paddling on Cascade River, Washington
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Cascade 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 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington, the metro area neareast to Cascade River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Cascade River.
 Whitewater Near Cascade River:
Cascade River, Skagit County , 6 miles away, Class V - 8.1 miles long (Marble Creek Campground to Bridge Close to Skagit confluence)
Skagit River, Whatcom County , 7 miles away, Class II-III+ - 8.9 miles long (Goodell Creek to Copper Creek)
Bacon Creek, Whatcom/Skagit County , 11 miles away, Class II+(IV) - 6 miles long (Falls Creek to Skagit River confluence)
Suiattle River, Snohomish/Skagit County , 12 miles away, Class III+ - 16 miles long (Sulphur Creek to Rat Trap Bridge)
Downey Creek, Snohomish County , 12 miles away, Class III-IV - 1 miles long (Downey Creek trail to Suiattle River)
Stetattle Creek, Whatcom County , 12 miles away, Class IV(V) - 4 miles long (Jay Creek to Gorge Lake)
Illabot Creek, Skagit County , 13 miles away, Class V - 5 miles long (to Rockport-Cascade Road)
Skagit River, Skagit County , 15 miles away, Class I-II - 16.4 miles long (Copper Creek to Rockport)
Whitechuck River, Snohomish County , 19 miles away, Class IV - 6 miles long (Bridge above Crystal Creek to Sauk River confluence)
Sauk River - North Fork, Snohomish County , 20 miles away, Class IV+ - 1.5 miles long (Above North Fork Falls)
 Ski Areas Near Cascade River:
Mt.Baker, Washington , 31 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Stephens Pass, Washington , 37 miles away, 1800 vertical feet
Alpental, Washington , 50 miles away, 2280 vertical feet
Snoqualmie, Washington , 52 miles away, 1100 vertical feet
Crystal Mountain, Washington , 74 miles away, 3100 vertical feet
Mission Ridge, Washington , 82 miles away, 2200 vertical feet
White Pass, Washington , 86 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Echo Valley, Washington , 88 miles away, 900 vertical feet
Loup Loup Ski Bowl, Washington , 94 miles away, 1240 vertical feet
Cooper Spur, Oregon , 144 miles away, 500 vertical feet
 Camp Grounds Near Cascade River:
Newhalem Campground, Whatcom County, 7 miles away
Goodell Campground, Whatcom County, 7 miles away
Mineral Park Campground, Skagit County, 7 miles away
 Trails Near Cascade River:
Hidden Lake Trail, Skagit County , 4 miles away,  5.8 hiking miles, 2693 feet elevation difference
Pyramid Lake Trail, Whatcom County , 12 miles away,  2.2 hiking miles, 1153 feet elevation difference
Sulphur Mountain Way, Snohomish County , 14 miles away,  3.8 hiking miles, 4270 feet elevation difference
Sourdough Lookout Trail, Whatcom County , 16 miles away,  16.4 hiking miles, 5982 feet elevation difference
Meadow Mountain Trail, Snohomish County , 16 miles away, 13.4 hiking miles, 4096 feet elevation difference
Fire Creek Way, Snohomish County , 17 miles away,  9.2 hiking miles, 1437 feet elevation difference
Fire Creek Trail, Snohomish County , 17 miles away,  23.2 hiking miles, 4244 feet elevation difference
 National Parks Near Cascade River:
Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, Sedro-Woolley - WA , 63 miles away
North Cascades National Park, Sedro-Woolley - WA , 63 miles away
 Lakes Near Cascade River

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Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater