At the downstream end of the Scott Valley west of Fort Jones, the Scott River abruptly changes character from an easy, valley-bottom stream to a whitewater river that flows through a beautiful and deep forested canyon. The Scott is a designated state and national Wild and Scenic River.
Unknown to most boaters and rarely run, this is a high quality and fun section that begins at the top of the Scott River's canyon and continues for nearly five miles, offering up many Class II and III rapids plus some stunning views along the way. The run is suited for kayaks, packrafts, IKs, rafts, and similar crafts.
The upper half of the run flows through private lands before the river enters the Klamath National Forest a little ways upstream of Jones Beach.
Be sure to scout the take-out if you do not intend to continue on downstream through the Class V Boulder Creek Falls and the more challenging water of the main Scott River Canyon downstream.
Flows & Season
The Scott River’s hydrology is heavily impacted by its history of post-settlement development and, in particular, by ongoing agricultural diversions and groundwater pumping in Scott Valley, compounded by a drying climate and declining snowpack. It once had reliable winter and spring flows, predictable and regualr enough to support several whitewater rafting outfitters. However, since the early 2000s, boatable flows have become increasingly rare and unpredictable. While nearby streams a fraction of the Scott’s size may run at 1,500 cfs, the Scott itself often trickles by at a mere 100 cfs. It doesn’t reach boatable flows every year, but in wet years, it can run fairly regualrly—feast or famine.
In good years, the Scott may start running in late December or January, usually after warm rain with a snowmelt component. If the valley’s depleted aquifer recharges during winter then late winter and spring rains and snowmelt are more likely to produce sustained boatable flows. As spring arrives with warmer temperatures and less rain, the river transitions from rainfall-driven flows to a greater reliance on snowmelt. If winter has been wet and snowpack is solid, a spring runoff season in April and May can occur—though agricultural diversions and groundwater pumping resume on April 15. In exceptional years, the Scott may even run into late May or early June.
More often, however, the Scott fails to reach boatable flows until late winter or spring, if at all. When it does, the window is short, with flows spiking and dropping rapidly, usually related to a storm. Watch the gage and be ready to seize the opportunity. Water quality can also be poor in these years due to a lack of flushing flows. If flows are too low, nearby alternatives include the Salmon River, the creeks near Happy Camp, or the Klamath.
Once in the cell-free Scott River canyon, you can check the latest flow reading using the public phones at the Bridge Flat River Access or in Scott Bar, which also has free WiFi at the post office. Call
Waterline at 1-800-452-1737 and enter 063492 for the Scott River near Fort Jones.
The USGS gage is at the put-in for this run so it provides a direct reading of flows for this run.