Washington whitewater - Nisqually River, Northern Cascade Range, Thurston County

Thurston county, McKenna to Yelm Hydro Plant section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS III     7 miles
  This stretch of Nisqually River in Washington is 7 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class III section of whitewater. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside this state you might find the rivers here a bit more challenging, so if you're not from around here don't forget that many of the rivers here are not very forgiving. The beautiful scenery of Washington and the playfulness of the water are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. Getting a good workout and a chance to spend some time outdoors have people
    coming from far and near. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, there are lots of good rivers for that around here. The
put-in location is a short drive from Olympia, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. The wild scenery of the Northern Cascade Range is great. There are campgrounds quite near the river where you can camp. The McKenna to Yelm Hydro Plant section is one of a few paddling sections in this river system. This is a pretty decent length section, it's perfect for a one day trip.

Briefly about the general area:
Nisqually River commonly gets a lot of rainfall; the month of December is the wettest with most of the rain; July
 
meanwhile is the driest month.
For the period of the summer months highs here at Nisqually River reach the 70's, and during summer nights temperatures are in the 50's. The wintertime comes with highs in the 40's; night lows at Nisqually River during the wintertime regularly drop into the 30's.

Nisqually River, McKenna to Yelm Hydro Plant road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III
Length: 7 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 46.93999
Longitude: -122.56

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 46.97
Longitude: -122.57

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

Local climate location: GRAPEVIEW 11 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Thornewood Castle Inn And Gardens, Lakewood
9 miles away
Nestled on four acres at American Lake and dotted with old growth fir trees is Thornewood Castle. Built in 1911 by Chester A. Thorne, this 27,000 square foot manor is of the Gothic Tudor style and is ...

La Quinta Inn & Suites Lakewood, Lakewood
10 miles away
You will find accommodations at the BRAND NEW HOTEL - La Quinta Inn & Suites Lakewood packed with all of your travel needs. This Lakewood hotel is located only 2 miles from Tacoma. We are also locate...

Best Western Lakewood Motor Inn, Lakewood
11 miles away
This charming Tacoma, Washington hotel is a 100% non-smoking property offering a complimentary continental breakfast and meeting space for up to 65 people. Hidden away in Washington's Lakewood Colon...



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

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Nisqually River.
 Whitewater Near Nisqually River:
Deschutes River, Thurston County , 7 miles away, Class II - 9.3 miles long (Vail Loop Road to Military Road)
Nisqually River, Thurston County , 9 miles away, Class II - 14 miles long (Mashel River to Mckenna)
Nisqually River, -blank- County , 17 miles away, Class V - 1.9 miles long (La Grande Reservoir to Mashel River)
Mashel River, Pierce County , 19 miles away, Class II-IV - 7.5 miles long (Eatonville to Nisqually River confluence)
Tilton River, Lewis County , 19 miles away, Class III-IV - 11 miles long (Bremer to Ike Kinswa State Park)
Little Nisqually River, Lewis County , 20 miles away, Class IV+ - 5.7 miles long (Winston Creek to Alder Lake)
Tilton River - North Fork, -blank- County , 21 miles away, Class IV - 2.5 miles long (above Tilton confluence)
Tilton River, Lewis County , 23 miles away, Class II-III - 8.5 miles long (Morton to Bremer)
Cowlitz River, Lewis County , 23 miles away, Class I-II - 10 miles long (salmon hatchery to Blue Creek access)
Puyallup River, Pierce County , 23 miles away, Class I-II - 6.1 miles long (McMillin to Puyallup)
 Ski Areas Near Nisqually River:
Crystal Mountain, Washington , 75 miles away, 3100 vertical feet
Hurricane Ridge Ski Lodge, Washington , 82 miles away, 100 vertical feet
Alpental, Washington , 82 miles away, 2280 vertical feet
Snoqualmie, Washington , 82 miles away, 1100 vertical feet
White Pass, Washington , 83 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Stephens Pass, Washington , 95 miles away, 1800 vertical feet
Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, Oregon , 96 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Timberline Lodge, Oregon , 97 miles away, 3590 vertical feet
Cooper Spur, Oregon , 98 miles away, 500 vertical feet
Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon , 99 miles away, 2777 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Nisqually River:
Thornewood Castle Inn And Gardens, Lakewood , 9 miles away
La Quinta Inn & Suites Lakewood, Lakewood , 10 miles away
Best Western Lakewood Motor Inn, Lakewood , 11 miles away
Econo Lodge Tacoma, Tacoma , 13 miles away
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Tacoma, Wa, Tacoma , 13 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Nisqually River:
Rainier Villa Mobile Park and RV, Spanaway, 11 miles away
Oaknoll RV Park, Lakewood, 11 miles away
Nisqually Plaza RV Park, Olympia, 12 miles away
 National Parks Near Nisqually River:
Mount Rainier National Park, Ashford - WA , 42 miles away
 Golf Courses Near Nisqually River:
Nisqually Valley Golf Course, Yelm , 3 miles away
 Lakes Near Nisqually 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