Washington whitewater - Cle Elum River, Northern Cascade Range, Kittitas County

Kittitas county, Salmon La Sac Creek to Cle Elum Reservoir section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II     4 miles
  The Salmon La Sac Creek to Cle Elum Reservoir stretch of Cle Elum River in Kittitas County is 4 miles long and it is classified as a class II section by American Whitewater. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. The river winds through the Northern Cascade Range and you get great scenery. Getting a good workout and just being out on the river for a while have a lot of people coming here. There are a few other stretches in this river system that can
    be paddled as well. The wonderful Kittitas County scenery and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water make the trip here worthwhile. This stretch has has enough mileage, good for a one day paddling trip. The campgrounds here at Cle Elum River are pretty good. The rivers for
whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state are often tougher than in other states, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that many of the sections here are not safe for beginners. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, there are lots of good spots for that around here.

Briefly about the general area:
Lots of rain falls at Cle Elum River; the month of January is the wettest with most of the snow, and the driest month is July. Salmon la Sac is always fun to check out, and don't leave Cle Elum River
 
without first checking out China Point.
You definitely have to have a thing about the Northern Cascade Range. Little Salmon la Sac is a magnificent local attraction, and hiking is a popular thing to do around Cle Elum River; Davis Peak Lookout Trail is a tremendous local trail. This river has so much to offer. There's glorious hiking along the Red Mountain Trail. High temperatures at Cle Elum River throughout the warm days of summer are in the 60's, and through the night it cools down to the 40's. High temperatures through the wintertime are normally in the 20's while the cold winter nights at Cle Elum River are in the 10's.

Cle Elum River, Salmon La Sac Creek to Cle Elum Reservoir road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II
Length: 4 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 47.40293
Longitude: -121.09755

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 47.35523
Longitude: -121.10735

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

Local climate location: STEVENS PASS 4 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum
9 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
13 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
14 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 Cle Elum River, Washington
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Cle Elum 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 Cle Elum River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Cle Elum River.
 Whitewater Near Cle Elum River:
Cooper River, Kittitas County , 2 miles away, Class IV-V - 1.5 miles long (Waterfall to Cle Elum River)
Waptus River, Kittitas County , 2 miles away, Class II-III+(IV) - 4 miles long (Waptus Lake trail to Salmon La Sac)
Cle Elum River, Kittitas County , 3 miles away, Class IV-V - 8.5 miles long (Scatter Creek to Salmon La Sac Creek)
Cle Elum River, Kittitas County , 9 miles away, Class II - 7.8 miles long (Cle Elum Dam to confluence with Yakima River)
Box Canyon Creek, Kittitas County , 10 miles away, Class III-IV+(V) - 2 miles long (to Kachess Reservoir)
Deception Creek, King County , 15 miles away, Class V+ - 6.5 miles long (Fisher Creek to Tye River)
Teanaway River - North Fork, Kittitas County , 16 miles away, Class III+ - 3.9 miles long (Johnson Creek to Stafford Creek)
Little Naches River, Yakima/Kittitas County , 17 miles away, Class II-III+(IV) - 9.5 miles long (Matthew Creek to Little Naches Campground)
Tye River, King County , 17 miles away, Class V - 3.25 miles long (Surprise Creek to Alpine Falls)
Martin Creek, King County , 18 miles away, Class V+ - 3 miles long (along FR 6710)
 Ski Areas Near Cle Elum River:
Stephens Pass, Washington , 20 miles away, 1800 vertical feet
Snoqualmie, Washington , 21 miles away, 1100 vertical feet
Alpental, Washington , 23 miles away, 2280 vertical feet
Crystal Mountain, Washington , 33 miles away, 3100 vertical feet
White Pass, Washington , 40 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Mission Ridge, Washington , 49 miles away, 2200 vertical feet
Echo Valley, Washington , 77 miles away, 900 vertical feet
Mt.Baker, Washington , 79 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Loup Loup Ski Bowl, Washington , 95 miles away, 1240 vertical feet
Cooper Spur, Oregon , 98 miles away, 500 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Cle Elum River:
Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum , 9 miles away
Stewart Lodge, Cle Elum , 13 miles away
Best Western Snowcap Lodge, Cle Elum , 14 miles away
Cle Elum Travelers Inn, Cle Elum , 15 miles away
Aspen Suites at The Icicle Village Resort, Leavenworth , 31 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Cle Elum River:
Red Mountain Campground, Kittitas County, 1 miles away
Salmon la Sac Campground, Kittitas County, 1 miles away
Cayuse Campground, Kittitas County, 1 miles away
 Trails Near Cle Elum River:
Red Mountain Trail, Kittitas County , 2 miles away,  4 hiking miles, 3318 feet elevation difference
Davis Peak Lookout Trail, Kittitas County , 3 miles away,  7.4 hiking miles, 4439 feet elevation difference
Sasse Mountain Trail, Kittitas County , 3 miles away, 12 hiking miles, 4012 feet elevation difference
Jolly Mountain Lookout Trail, Kittitas County , 3 miles away,  10.4 hiking miles, 4410 feet elevation difference
Domerie Peak Trail, Kittitas County , 4 miles away, 9.2 hiking miles, 2254 feet elevation difference
Lake Michael Trail, Kittitas County , 6 miles away,  20 hiking miles, 2568 feet elevation difference
Kachess Ridge Trail, Kittitas County , 6 miles away, 13.8 hiking miles, 4071 feet elevation difference
 National Parks Near Cle Elum River:
Mount Rainier National Park, Ashford - WA , 68 miles away
 Lakes Near Cle Elum River

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