Payette River System

season

Runnable most of the year but best Spring through Fall. Most of the summer the main stem starts at about 5,000cfs and works it's way down to about 2,000cfs by September.  Fall is still runnable, especially for packrafts, but can get boney and technical avoiding exposed boulders. 

GETTING THERE

Banks, Idaho, is "River Central" for the Payette system and lies at the confluence of the Payette's North Fork and South Fork. Banks is an 8 hour drive from Seattle.  There are numerous campgrounds and several hot springs along all three forks of the river.  Particularly in the Spring and Summer months, it is advisable to arrive midweek to secure a good campsite before the weekend crowds. The town of Crouch, at the confluence of Middle Fork and South Fork, and a 15 minute drive from Banks, has a market, restaurants, and accommodations. 

FEES

Most parking areas require a fee of $3.00/day or $20.00 season pass for the Payette system. Day passes can be purchased at the river access sites. Season passes can be purchased at the USDA Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management Interagency Visitor Center in Boise, Boise National Forest District Offices (Emmett, Lowman, and Garden Valley), and most outdoor sports stores in the area. 

RIVER FORKS AND SECTIONS

There are many good options for advance beginner to intermediate paddlers: the Lower Main (II+), the Upper Main (III+),  the North Fork's Cabarton Run (II-III), the South Fork's Swirly Canyon (II-III), the Middle Fork's Nozzle Section (II-III), South Fork Canyon (III-IV), and the South Fork's Grandjean (II-IV) run.  Beware of other river sections as there are also many class V runs for advanced paddlers only. 

UPPER MAIN

• Overview: Class III+, 7.2 river miles, gradient 17 feet per mile
• Rapids: 5 named class III rapids, the first and biggest is at 1.3 miles called "Go Left Or You're Fired" and the last one at 5.9 miles called "Adios My Friend" 
• Flow:  NOAA National Water Prediction Service's Payette River at Horseshoe Bend
• Put In:  Banks Access site can be a busy site, particularly on weekends. It serves as a take-out for those coming down the North Fork or South Fork and serves as the primary put in for both outfitters and the public. Located across the bridge at Highway 55 mile 78.8.
• Take Out: Beehive Bend.  This is the primary take-out for the Main Payette with a trail up to a large parking area. Located at Hwy 55 mile 71.5.
• For more information see American Whitewater's Payette 1. Banks to Beehive Bend (The Upper Main) page.

LOWER MAIN

• Overview: Class II+ (III),  5.5 river miles,  gradient 5 feet per mile
• Rapids:  one optional class III drop at mile 5.1 called Climax, three class II drops from river mile 3.5 to 4.7
• Flow:  NOAA National Water Prediction Service Payette River at Horseshoe Bend
• Put In:  Beehive Bend access area with parking also used as a take-out for the run upstream of this one. Located at Hwy 55 mile 71.5.
• Take Out: Horseshoe Dam Boat Ramp located at Hwy 55 mile 66.2.
• For more information see American Whitewater's Payette 2. Beehive Bend to Jet Boat Ramp (Lower Main) page.

NORTH FORK CABARTON RUN

• Overview: Class II-III,  9.8 river miles,  gradient 20 feet per mile
• Rapids:  there are 5 named class III rapids, the first and longest, "Trestle", comes at mile 2.5, the next at 6.0, and the final three equally spaced between mile 8.0 to 8.8. 
• Flow:  US Bureau of Reclamation North Fork Payette River at Cascade Idaho gauge
• Put In:  Cabarton Bridge. At Highway 55 mile 106.9 turn west on Cabarton Road and follow it 1.7 miles to the bridge. The access is on the downstream river left side of the bridge and parking is limited.
• Take Out: Smiths Ferry.  Located behind the Cougar Mountain Lodge. At Highway 55 mile 97.4 turn east on Smiths Ferry Drive and head 0.1 mile to the field on the downstream river right side of the bridge where ample parking is available for a $5 fee.
• For more information see American Whitewater's Payette, North Fork 4. Cabarton Bridge to Smiths Ferry page.

SOUTH FORK SWIRLY CANYON

• Overview: Class II-III,  8.6 river miles,  gradient 20 feet per mile
• Rapids:  One named class III rapid, "Swirly", at mile 2.0 about 1/2 mile in length
• Flow:  Payette South Fork below Deadwood Confluence gauge
• Put In:  Danskin Station. At Highway 55 mile 106.9 turn west on Cabarton Road and follow it 1.7 miles to the bridge. The access is on the downstream river left side of the bridge and parking is limited.
• Take Out: Alder Creek Road Bridge.  At Highway 17 mile 11.7 (just west of the airstrip) head south 0.2 miles on Alder Creek Road to the bridge. The access is the downstream river left side of the bridge.
• For more information see American Whitewater's Payette, South Fork 3. Danskin Station to Alder Creek Bridge page.

MIDDLE FORK NOZZLE SECTION

• Overview: Class II-III,  2.7 river miles,  gradient n/a
• Rapids:  Two named class III rapids, the "Nozzle", at mile 1.0 followed by "Steps" at mile 1.2
• Flow:  NOAA National Water Prediciton Service  Middle Fork Payette River at Crouch gauge. The run is best done in the spring, while run-off provides higher flows (~800 to 1,500 cfs). Best in Late April - Early July. The Middle Fork relies totally on snow-pack and run-off, resulting crystal-clear but frigid waters.
• Put In:  Middle Fork Road Bridge. From Banks, turn east onto the Banks-Lowman Hwy. Follow this for about 8 miles and turn left at the sign for Crouch, onto Middle Fork Road; continue for about 11 miles to the bridge and park just past the bridge on your right side, just across from Hardscrabble Campground. 
• Take Out: Tie Creek Campground. A few short miles down Middle Fork Road from the put in. For a slightly longer run, drive down Lightning Creek Road (a right off Middle Fork Road) about 1/2 mile and leave it near the Bridge.
• For more information see American Whitewater's Payette, Middle Fork 2. Nozzle Section page.

SOUTH FORK GRANDJEAN RUN

• Overview:  Class II-IV,  35 river miles,  gradient 40 feet per mile. Don't miss Kirkham Hot Springs on river left at mile 27.5 into the run. 
• Rapids:  The only class IV rapid, "Canyon Creek Rapid", comes at mile 6.0, and can be avoided if putting in at Bonneville Access, 3 miles down river.  The other major drop on the run is a class III+ called "Alcatraz" at mile 12.0.  After this, there are only two named class III rapids. At mile 26, "Wake Up Gorge", can be portaged at the FR-542 bridge. "Kirkham", at mile 27.3, is a long class III ramp bending left.  If breaking the run up into two or three days, Warm Springs Guard Station Access at mile 11.7 and Helende Campground Access at mile 21.7 are camping options and accessible by car. 
• Flow:  Gauge used is Payette, South Fork below Deadwood Confluence. 
• Put In:  Grandjean Campground. Take ID-21 to the end of the road. 
• Take Out:  Deadwood River Access. Located at road mile 29.9.
• For more information see American Whitewater's Payette, South Fork 1. Grandjean to Deadwood page. 

SOUTH FORK CANYON

• Overview: Class IV,  12 river miles,  gradient n/a
• Rapids:  Starting at mile 4.0, there are five class IV drops, two class III rapids, and one portaged class VI falls at mile 6.0.Pine Flats Campground, at mile 3.2 into the run, is the last easy exit before the point of no return. EVERYONE IN THE GROUP MUST BE COMFORTABLE WITH CLASS IV RAPIDS IF CONTINUING DOWN AND WITH EDDYING OUT IN CLASS II BEFORE THE CLASS VI DROP.  
• Flow:  Gauge used is Payette, South Fork below Deadwood Confluence. 
• Put In:  Deadwood River Access. Located at road mile 29.9. Kayakers sometimes use the alternate put-in access at Pine Flat Campground at road mile 27.9 which cuts off the first couple miles of warm up class III.  If doing a road scout you can see Little Falls at road mile 22.7, Big Falls from the overlook at road mile 25.0, and S Turn from the pull out at road 25.7.
• Take Out: Danskin Station  Access. Located at road mile 19.5. This is a formal access site with a set of steep stairs from the river to the parking lot. 
• For more information see American Whitewater's Payette, South Fork 2. Deadwood River to Danskin Station page. 

• Suitable Activities: Packrafting
• Seasons: April, May, June, July, August, September, October
• Weather: View weather forecast

• Difficulty: Class II River, Class III River, Class IV River
• Length: 82.0 nm

• Land Manager: Land Manager Varies
• Parking Permit Required: see Land Manager
• Recommended Party Size: 10
• Maximum Party Size: 12
• Maximum Route/Place Capacity: 12