Minnesota whitewater, St. Louis River Carlton county, Highway 61 to Thomson Reservoir section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-III     3.4 miles   Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in this state tend to be more challenging than the national average, so don't forget that rivers here are not as easy as elsewhere. If you're coming from Duluth it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. There are some good hotels near the river, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. There     are some good stretches to paddle in this river system, the Highway 61 to Thomson Reservoir stretch is one of them. The Highway 61 to Thomson Reservoir stretch of St. Louis River in Carlton County is 3.4 miles long and has been rated as a class II-III section by American Whitewater. This is a short paddling stretch so you'd better be prepared to walk your kayak back to put-in a few times. Getting a good workout and spending some quality time in nature have a lot of people coming here. The beautiful scenery of Carlton County and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream beats anything. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this is   an area with plenty of places for that. Briefly about the general area: Here at St. Louis River there are plenty of folks from Esko; the snow is great at Spirit Mountain. You without doubt ought to go to Jay Cooke State Park since you're here at St. Louis River. The amount of rainfall that falls at St. Louis River is close to the national average. The month of June is the wettest with most of the rain while February is ordinarily the driest month. The warmest time of the year brings highs in the 80's to St. Louis River. For the duration of the moonlight hours it's ordinarily in the 50's. St. Louis River, Highway 61 to Thomson Reservoir road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near St. Louis River.   Whitewater Near St. Louis River: St. Louis River, Carlton County, 1 miles away       Class II-III - 3.4 miles long (Highway 61 to Thomson Reservoir) St. Louis River, Carlton County, 1 miles away       Class II-V - 3.25 miles long (CR210 to Oldenburg Point) Midway River, Scanlon County, 3 miles away       Class I-II - 4 miles long (Highway 61 to Thomson Reservoir) Cloquet River, St. Louis County, 13 miles away       Class I-II - 11 miles long (US Route 53 to US Route 2) Black River, Douglas County, 21 miles away       Class II-III(V+) - 4.8 miles long (Little Manitou Falls to Rail Road bridge) Upper Tamarack River, Douglas County, 26 miles away       Class I-II(III) - 13.3 miles long (Radigan dam to Markville) Lower Tamarack River, Pine County, 28 miles away       Class I-II - 10.2 miles long (Highway 25 to Highway 48/77) Amity Creek, St Louis County, 29 miles away       Class IV-V - 2.4 miles long (Skyline Pkwy to Lester River) Kettle River, Carlton/Pine County, 29 miles away       Class I-II - 25 miles long (CR4 to CR52) Lester River, St. Louis County, 30 miles away       Class IV-V - 2 miles long (Lester River Road to Superior St.)   Ski Areas Near St. Louis River: Spirit Mountain, Minnesota , 13 miles away, 700 foot drop, 9 lifts, 22 runs Giants Ridge, Minnesota , 43 miles away, 500 foot drop, 6 lifts, 34 runs Wild Mountain, Minnesota , 63 miles away, 300 foot drop, 8 lifts, 25 runs Trollhaugen, Wisconsin , 65 miles away, 260 foot drop, 9 lifts, 22 runs Christie Mountain, Wisconsin , 90 miles away, 350 foot drop, 6 lifts, 23 runs Afton Alps, Minnesota , 91 miles away, 350 foot drop, 18 lifts, 41 runs   Marinas Near St. Louis River: Spirit Lake Marine, Duluth , 14 miles away Harbor Cove Marina, Duluth , 17 miles away   Hotels Near St. Louis River: Super 8 Cloquet, Cloquet , 4 miles away AmericInn Cloquet, Cloquet , 4 miles away AmericInn Carlton, Carlton , 4 miles away AmericInn Duluth South, Duluth , 12 miles away Best Western Plus Spirit Mountain Duluth, Proctor , 13 miles away   Campgrounds Near St. Louis River: Knife Island Campground, Esko, 1 miles away K O A Kampgrounds, Cloquet, 2 miles away Cloquet/Duluth KOA, Cloquet, 2 miles away   Public Lands Near St. Louis River: Saint Croix National Scenic River, Saint Croix Falls - WI , 62 miles away Jay Cooke State Park, Minnesota , 4 miles away Pattison State Park, Wisconsin , 21 miles away Moose Lake State Park, Minnesota , 25 miles away   Golf Courses Near St. Louis River: Pine Hill Golf Course, Carlton , 5 miles away Cloquet Country Club Golf Course, Cloquet , 5 miles away Wilderness Hills Golf Course, Wrenshall , 5 miles away   Lakes Near St. Louis River Chub Lake, Carlton , 4 miles away Horseshoe Lake, St. Louis , 8 miles away