Washington whitewater, American River Lodgepole Campground to Hell's Crossing section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-III+     7.5 miles   If you're coming from Ellensburg it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, as you can see on the road map further down. The average Washington whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit harder to master than those in other states, so you'd better keep in mind that many of the sections here are not safe for beginners. There are plenty of other sections in this river system that can be paddled as well. This is a pretty     decent length section, suitable for an afternoon trip. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way in this general area you'll find lots of paddling rivers. The beautiful Northern Cascade Range scenery is an added bonus. Getting some good exercise and just hanging out with mother nature are great reasons to come. This stretch of American River in -blank- County is 7.5 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class II-III+ section. The wonderful -blank- County scenery and the cool fresh water attract people from near and far. The campgrounds here at American River are pretty good. The nearby hotels are a bit   away from the river, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. Briefly about the general area: Good hiking is available along the Goose Prairie Trail; when you're here it's always fun to pop by Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. And if that's not sufficient there's plenty more entertaining stuff to do in the Northern Cascade Range. Hit the slopes at Crystal Mountain close by, and you can go for a hike on the American Ridge Trail. This is such a fun river. At American River during the warm days of summer highs are in the 70's, and all through summer nights temperatures are in the 40's. American River, Lodgepole Campground to Hell's Crossing 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 American River.   Whitewater Near American River: Bumping River, Yakima County, 4 miles away       Class II - 10.5 miles long (Bumping Reservoir to American River) American River, -blank- County, 4 miles away       Class II-III+ - 7.5 miles long (Lodgepole Campground to Hell's Crossing) American River, Yakima County, 4 miles away       Class III-IV - 4.7 miles long (Hell's Crossing to American Forks) Little Naches River, Yakima/Kittitas County, 9 miles away       Class II-III+(IV) - 9.5 miles long (Matthew Creek to Little Naches Campground) American River, Yakima County, 11 miles away       Class II+ - 5 miles long (American Forks to Sawmill Flat) White River, Pierce County, 15 miles away       Class III - 10 miles long (Silver Springs Campground to West Fork White) Summit Creek, Lewis County, 15 miles away       Class V+ - 5 miles long (Soda Springs to Highway 123) Chinook Creek, Pierce County, 16 miles away       Class IV-V - 5 miles long (Deer Creek to Cedar Flats) Naches River, Yakima County, 16 miles away       Class II-III - 34 miles long (Sawmill Flat to bl. Town of Naches) Greenwater River, Pierce/King County, 16 miles away       Class II(IV) - 7.2 miles long (FR 7030 Bridge to Highway 410)   Ski Areas Near American River: Crystal Mountain, Washington , 10 miles away, 3100 foot drop, 11 lifts, 50 runs White Pass, Washington , 15 miles away, 1500 foot drop, 6 lifts, 32 runs Summit at Snoqualmie, Washington , 23 miles away, 2280 foot drop, 26 lifts, 96 runs Alpental, Washington , 25 miles away, 2280 foot drop, 5 lifts, 19 runs Stevens Pass, Washington , 36 miles away, 1800 foot drop, 10 lifts, 37 runs Mission Ridge, Washington , 66 miles away, 2250 foot drop, 6 lifts, 36 runs Cooper Spur, Oregon , 75 miles away, 500 foot drop, 2 lifts, 10 runs Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon , 79 miles away, 2777 foot drop, 12 lifts, 87 runs Timberline Lodge, Oregon , 80 miles away, 3590 foot drop, 6 lifts, 32 runs Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, Oregon , 83 miles away, 1500 foot drop, 9 lifts, 65 runs   Hotels Near American River: Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum , 26 miles away Best Western Snowcap Lodge, Cle Elum , 28 miles away Timber Lodge Inn, Cle Elum , 30 miles away Econo Lodge Near Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum , 30 miles away Salish Lodge Spa, Snoqualmie , 45 miles away   Campgrounds Near American River: Pleasant Valley Campground, Yakima County, 0 miles away Salmon Cove Group, Goose Prairie, 4 miles away Lodgepole Campground, Yakima County, 4 miles away   Trails Near American River: American Ridge Trail, Yakima , 2 miles away, 31 hiking miles, 4759 feet elevation difference Goose Prairie Trail, Yakima , 3 miles away,  9.6 hiking miles, 3246 feet elevation difference Crow Lake Trail, Yakima , 4 miles away,  21.2 hiking miles, 3248 feet elevation difference Cougar Valley Trail, Yakima , 5 miles away,  4 hiking miles, 587 feet elevation difference Goat Creek Trail, Yakima , 5 miles away,  8 hiking miles, 3879 feet elevation difference Middle Fork Trail, Yakima , 6 miles away, 7.2 hiking miles, 3118 feet elevation difference Union Creek Trail, Yakima , 6 miles away, 7.9 hiking miles, 3404 feet elevation difference   Public Lands Near American River: Mount Rainier National Park, Ashford - WA , 46 miles away Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington , 13 miles away Lake Easton State Park, Washington , 18 miles away Iron Horse State Park, Washington , 23 miles away   Lakes Near American River Granite Lake, Yakima , 6 miles away Flat Iron Lake, Yakima , 10 miles away Rimrock Lake, Yakima , 19 miles away