Washington whitewater - Elwha River, Olympic Mountains, Clallam County

Clallam county, Aldwell Reservoir to river mouth section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II     4.9 miles
  The starting point is not too far from Port Angeles, as you can see on the road map further down. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Washington tend to be more challenging than the national average, so if you're not from around here don't forget that many of the sections here are not safe for beginners. The nature scenery of Washington and the cool fresh water attract people from near and far. This is a pretty decent length section, you can easily run it on an afternoon. The Aldwell Reservoir to river mouth section of Elwha River is 4.9 miles
    long and has been rated as a class II section by American Whitewater. The beautiful Olympic Mountains scenery is an added bonus. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way this is an area with plenty of spots for that. Getting some
good exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors are sure to keep you coming back for more. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. The campgrounds here at Elwha River are pretty good. There are some good stretches to paddle in this river system, the Aldwell Reservoir to river mouth stretch is one of them.

Briefly about the general area:
Summertime brings highs in the 70's to Elwha River. All through the dark hours
 
of summer temperatures drop down into the 50's. Throughout the winter highs are in the 40's; nighttime lows at Elwha River through the winter ordinarily descend into the 30's. The high level of precipitation makes Elwha River a pretty wet spot; most of the rain falls through December, and July meanwhile is the driest month.
Yeah, come up here to the Olympic Mountains for a magnificent time. Why not take a look at Angeles Point also since you're here, and Olympic National Park is a magnificent location nearby.

Elwha River, Aldwell Reservoir to river mouth road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II
Length: 4.9 miles
Average Gradient: 17 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 48.09661
Longitude: -123.55513

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 48.14789
Longitude: -123.56498

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Current weather conditions at Elwha River, Olympic Mountains, Washington
WXPort

Local climate location: ELWHA RANGER STATION 15 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Quality Inn Uptown, Port Angeles
9 miles away
Below the mountains, above the harbor, Quality Inn is located on the bluff overlooking the Port Angeles Harbor, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island. Hotel is within close proximity of the ...

Red Lion Hotel Port Angeles, Port Angeles
9 miles away
Guestroom renovations were completed in May 2006. The Red Lion Hotel Port Angeles has been setting the standard for Olympic Peninsula hospitality for over 30 years. Situated on the shores of Hollywood...

Days Inn Port Angeles, Port Angeles
11 miles away
The Days Inn Port Angeles is located in an area known for its year round breathtaking scenery and hiking trails. It is just 2 miles from the city center and the ferry terminal bound for Victoria, BC a...



OTHER_INFO
  Olympic Mountains Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Olympic Mountains.

Olympic Mountains Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Olympic Mountains.

All Washington Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Washington.
Books about whitewater paddling on Elwha River, Washington
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Elwha 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 Port Angeles, Washington
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Port Angeles, Washington, the metro area neareast to Elwha River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Elwha River.
 Whitewater Near Elwha River:
Elwha River, Clallam County , 5 miles away, Class II-III(IV) - 4.5 miles long (Mills Reservoir to Highway 101)
Elwha River, Clallam County , 8 miles away, Class V - 8.5 miles long (Grand Canyon)
Lyre River, Clallam County , 18 miles away, Class IV-V - 3 miles long (to Lyre River Campground)
Quinault River - North Fork, Jefferson County , 22 miles away, Class V - 3 miles long (Geoduck Creek to Kimta Creek)
Quinault River, Jefferson County , 25 miles away, Class IV-V - 3 miles long (Pony Bridge to Graves Creek)
Soleduck River - North Fork, Clallam County , 26 miles away, Class IV - 5.3 miles long (North Fork Trail Bridge to FR 2918 Bridge)
Soleduck River, Clallam County , 27 miles away, Class IV - 3.1 miles long (Salmon Cascade to FR 2918 Bridge)
Soleduck River - South Fork, Clallam County , 28 miles away, Class IV+ - 3.2 miles long (FR 2920 Bridge to FR 2918 Bridge)
Gray Wolf River, Clallam County , 28 miles away, Class IV-V - 9.5 miles long (Deer Park to Dungeness Forks Campground)
Goodman Creek, Clallam County , 29 miles away, Class III+(V) - 1.3 miles long (FR 2931 100 spur access to Soleduck River)
 Ski Areas Near Elwha River:
Hurricane Ridge Ski Lodge, Washington , 7 miles away, 800 vertical feet
Cypress Mountain, British Columbia , 64 miles away, 2410 vertical feet
Grouse Mountain, British Columbia , 67 miles away, 1260 vertical feet
Mount Seymour, British Columbia , 71 miles away, 1083 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Elwha River:
Quality Inn Uptown, Port Angeles , 9 miles away
Red Lion Hotel Port Angeles, Port Angeles , 9 miles away
Days Inn Port Angeles, Port Angeles , 11 miles away
Super 8 Port Angeles, Port Angeles , 11 miles away
Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, Port Angeles , 29 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Elwha River:
Elwha Dam RV Park, Port Angeles, 1 miles away
Altair Campgrounds, Clallam County, 6 miles away
Welcome Inn Trailer Court/rv, Port Angeles, 6 miles away
 Trails Near Elwha River:
Hurricane Hill Trail, Clallam County , 6 miles away, 5.9 hiking miles, 5674 feet elevation difference
Little River Trail, Clallam County , 6 miles away, 7.5 hiking miles, 5188 feet elevation difference
Lillian River Trail, Clallam County , 8 miles away,  25.4 hiking miles, 4030 feet elevation difference
Long Ridge Trail, Clallam County , 9 miles away,  40.2 hiking miles, 5708 feet elevation difference
Happy Lake Ridge Trail, Clallam County , 11 miles away,  17.2 hiking miles, 4377 feet elevation difference
Lake Creek Trail, Clallam County , 11 miles away,  4.4 hiking miles, 557 feet elevation difference
Boulder Lake Trail, Clallam County , 12 miles away,  11.6 hiking miles, 2971 feet elevation difference
 National Parks Near Elwha River:
Olympic National Park, Port Angeles - WA , 5 miles away
 Lakes Near Elwha 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