This roadside run has 3 rapids seperated by stretches of class II. The take out is only 10 minutes from Pacific City (Oregon Coast).
The first rapid is long, about half a mile of fun and technical moves. Most of this can be scouted from the road. At low flows there is one tricky drop halfway down that requires creative route picking.
The next rapid is Stella Falls, which can be scouted from the left. It can be difficult to run this one with style, but it is fun and forgiving.
The last rapid is a Upton Falls, a 6 foot drop that has been altered to help with fish migration. It can be recognized below Stella falls the second time the river is forced slightly right and away from the road by some bedrock. Be cautious not to get blown into the drop. The line is straight forward, but the consequences are severe. Set safety or walk on either side, eddying out high on the right is the best choice.
The take out is just downstream from Upton Falls on the left across from a big wall on river right that can be seen while scouting Upton Falls. It's a good idea to scout which fisherman's trail you want to use while setting up shuttle.
The gauge is attached to the downstream side of the river right bridge pylon at the end of the first section of whitewater, 1 mile downstream of the put in.
1.3' is low, runnable.
2' is medium.
The run has been done down to 1' on the bridge gauge, which it is usually flowing at when the main
Nestucca@Beaver gauge is around 1,000 cfs. While the main rapids still go at that flow, the rest of the run gets pretty boney. 2' cleans up the run nicely, with the option to add plenty more water. The run is typically around 2' when the Nestucca gauge is around 2,000 cfs.
Trip Report at Into the Outside.