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   I noticed you would like a little info on rafting the Nisqualy river. I raft the river alot every year and would say it is a very mild float. From Mckenna to the Nisqualy pines park in yelm is very mellow and there are no places to worry about. You can make this float with minimal knowledge in almost anything that floats. There are 3 small/fun rapids sections. Says Yelm-ite I would like to know if anyone has been down this and can let me know of any log jams that are on the Mckenna-Hydro stretch that need to be avoided. Says Lori The McKenna     to Yelm Hydro Plant section of Nisqually River in Thurston County is 7 miles long and it is classified as a class III section by American Whitewater. The put-in is not too far from Olympia, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. The natural beauty of Washington and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. Getting a good workout and spending some quality time in nature will make you glad you came. 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, suitable for an afternoon trip. There are campgrounds quite near the river where   you can camp. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Washington tend to be more challenging than the national average, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that rivers here are less forgiving. When you're paddling down a Northern Cascade Range river like this one you always get great scenery along the way too. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this is an area with plenty of rivers for that. Briefly about the general area: Nisqually River sees pretty high levels of rainfall; the month with most of the rain is December, and the driest month of the year is July. Summertime highs at Nisqually River mostly tend to be in the 70's while night lows are generally in the 50's. For the duration of the winter this place gets highs in the 40's while Nisqually River night low temperatures during the wintertime are in 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 Paddler input for Nisqually River, Washington: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Nisqually River, Northern Cascade Range, Washington 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 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 located just 2 miles from... 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...   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.       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