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

Kittitas county, Cle Elum Dam to confluence with Yakima River section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II     7.8 miles
  This section of Cle Elum River in Kittitas County is 7.8 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class II section. The wonderful Washington scenery and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way this area has a large number of paddling rivers. Whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state is often more difficult than elsewhere, so you'd better keep in mind that many of the sections here are not safe for
    beginners. There are some good sections to paddle in this river system, the Cle Elum Dam to confluence with Yakima River section is one of them. Getting a good workout and spending some quality time in nature have a lot of people coming here. This is a pretty decent length section,
suitable for an afternoon trip. The put-in location is a reasonable drive from Ellensburg, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. There are some good hotels near the river, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. Whitewater paddling here in the Northern Cascade Range is a great experience. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby.

Briefly about the general area:
All through the summertime, highs regularly are in the 60's at Cle Elum River. Once the
 
sun is down it descends down to the 40's. For the duration of the winter highs are in the 20's with temperatures at Cle Elum River dipping down into the 10's throughout winter nights. If the weather is pleasant here at Cle Elum River, you can go for a hike along the Hicks Butte Trail, and the North Fork Taneum Trail is a perfect hiking trail close by.
Cle Elum River frequently gets a large amount of rainfall; during the month of January you get the most snow around here; July meanwhile is the driest month. All year is a perfect time in the Northern Cascade Range if you adore the outdoors.

Cle Elum River, Cle Elum Dam to confluence with Yakima River road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II
Length: 7.8 miles
Average Gradient: 24 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 47.24052
Longitude: -121.06471

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 47.19105
Longitude: -121.01684

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

Local climate location: STEVENS PASS 10 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum
3 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
6 miles away
Carat Hotel Dusseldorf GmbH 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 furnitu...

Best Western Snowcap Lodge, Cle Elum
6 miles away
Discover this Cle Elum, Washington hotel offering warm and comfortable accommodations near the Cascade Mountains. Welcome to the Best Western Snowcap Lodge where the service is friendly, the amenit...



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:
Cle Elum River, Kittitas County , 9 miles away, Class II - 4 miles long (Salmon La Sac Creek to Cle Elum Reservoir)
Cooper River, Kittitas County , 10 miles away, Class IV-V - 1.5 miles long (Waterfall to Cle Elum River)
Cle Elum River, Kittitas County , 11 miles away, Class IV-V - 8.5 miles long (Scatter Creek to Salmon La Sac Creek)
Waptus River, Kittitas County , 11 miles away, Class II-III+(IV) - 4 miles long (Waptus Lake trail to Salmon La Sac)
Little Naches River, Yakima/Kittitas County , 12 miles away, Class II-III+(IV) - 9.5 miles long (Matthew Creek to Little Naches Campground)
American River, Yakima County , 13 miles away, Class II+ - 5 miles long (American Forks to Sawmill Flat)
Teanaway River - North Fork, Kittitas County , 14 miles away, Class III+ - 3.9 miles long (Johnson Creek to Stafford Creek)
Teanaway River, Kittitas County , 15 miles away, Class II+ - 7 miles long (North Fork Teanaway to East Masterson Road)
Box Canyon Creek, Kittitas County , 16 miles away, Class III-IV+(V) - 2 miles long (to Kachess Reservoir)
American River, Yakima County , 17 miles away, Class III-IV - 4.7 miles long (Hell's Crossing to American Forks)
 Ski Areas Near Cle Elum River:
Summit at Snoqualmie, Washington , 27 miles away, 2280 vertical feet
Stevens Pass, Washington , 29 miles away, 1800 vertical feet
Alpental, Washington , 29 miles away, 2280 vertical feet
Crystal Mountain, Washington , 33 miles away, 3100 vertical feet
White Pass, Washington , 36 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Mission Ridge, Washington , 44 miles away, 2250 vertical feet
Echo Valley, Washington , 76 miles away, 900 vertical feet
Mt.Baker, Washington , 88 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Cooper Spur, Oregon , 93 miles away, 500 vertical feet
Loup Loup Ski Bowl, Washington , 96 miles away, 1240 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Cle Elum River:
Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum , 3 miles away
Stewart Lodge, Cle Elum , 6 miles away
Best Western Snowcap Lodge, Cle Elum , 6 miles away
Howard Johnson Snoqualmie/Summit, Snoqualmie Pass , 27 miles away
Best Western Icicle Inn, Leavenworth , 31 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Cle Elum River:
Trailer Corral, Cle Elum, 3 miles away
Wish Poosh Campground, Kittitas County, 4 miles away
Morgan Creek Campground, Kittitas County, 6 miles away
 Trails Near Cle Elum River:
Hicks Butte Trail, Kittitas County , 4 miles away, 1.4 hiking miles, 271 feet elevation difference
North Fork Taneum Trail, Kittitas County , 5 miles away,  18 hiking miles, 2630 feet elevation difference
Fishhook Flats Trail, Kittitas County , 6 miles away, 2 hiking miles, 581 feet elevation difference
Sasse Mountain Trail, Kittitas County , 7 miles away, 12 hiking miles, 4012 feet elevation difference
Frost Mountain Lookout Trail, Kittitas County , 7 miles away, 4.6 hiking miles, 2361 feet elevation difference
Little Creek Basin Trail, Kittitas County , 7 miles away,  8.2 hiking miles, 1369 feet elevation difference
Domerie Peak Trail, Kittitas County , 8 miles away, 9.2 hiking miles, 2254 feet elevation difference
 National Parks Near Cle Elum River:
Mount Rainier National Park, Ashford - WA , 69 miles away
 Lakes Near Cle Elum 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