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Whitewater Rafting
Methow River


Photo courtesy Blue Sky Outfitters

Click here for a listing of guides and outfitters rafting the Methow River.

In the heart of the Okanogan Valley, on the Cascade Loop, just north of Lake Chelan and south of the Old West town of Winthrop, the Methow River is an Eastern Washington gem. The Methow flows out of the North Cascades National Park and journeys through farmland and orchards along its way to the Columbia River. The Methow River is loved for its big water, rollercoaster waves, long rapids, and (usually) sunny, hot, dry Eastern Washington weather. The best water levels are in May and June.

The commercially rafted part of the river is a class 3 to 4 section, usually the last 15 miles or so of the river before it flows into the Columbia River at Patreos. It's a great stretch for beginning to intermediate rafters. Most trips start off in calmer water with mostly class 1 and 2 rapids, making for a good warm up. The real action starts with Engle's Slide, a class 3 rapid. The most challenging section of the river is next, a class 4 drop named Black Canyon. Here Black Canyon Creek flows into the Methow and the river narrows within the canyon while dropping quickly in elevation, creating fantastic waves and The Black Hole. Directly following is the ledges of Staircase with its powerful waves. The action continues with Corner Rapids and Another Roadside Attraction.

*The river description above courtesy of Blue Sky Outfitters.

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