| Green — 3. Paradise to Flaming Geyser State Park (Lower Gorge)™ © |
Class II+/III
6.1Miles
Avg Gradient 54 fpm
River Mapplet
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GPS/GIS |
Maps |
| Put In Longitude : |
-121.94985 |
Putin |
| Put In Latitude : |
47.301078 |
| Take Out Longitude : |
-122.02308 |
Take Out |
| Take Out Latitude : |
47.273464 |
| County : |
King |
Shuttle
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Gauge Information (Professor Paddle updated levels from GREEN RIVER AT PURIFICATION P at 12/13/2024 8:42:28 PM)
| Gauge |
Forecast |
Height |
Current Flow |
Authority |
Physical Update |
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GREEN RIVER AT PURIFICATION P
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n/a |
5.09 |
597 cfs
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USGS - NWIS |
2024-12-13 20:00:00 |
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Minimum Recomended Level: 600 cfs Maximum Recomended Level: 3000 cfs
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AccessMost people meet each other at Flamin Geyser State Park (the Take Out) to set shuttle. Each vehicle that parks here needs to display a Discover Pass. It costs $30 annually or $10/day. Or you can use the take out for the Yo-Yo stretch about 2mi. downstream.
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Putin DetailsThe Put in is located at the Paradise Parking Lot. From Flaming Geyser head back to HWY 169 and take a left, heading north. Drive to Black Diamond and hang a right between the Gas Station and the Mexican Food Place. Stay on this road until it you come to a one lane bridge. Just before the one lane bridge is the gravel parking lot on the right, commonly known as the Paradise Parking Lot. If you gotta few smart ones with you, they'll know the combo for the gate. It's private property so close the gate behind you. Park here and head down to the River. You can take the steep slippery trail straight down to Paradise Ledge, or hike around the yellow gate and down the 1/4mi. trail to the river. |
Takeout DetailsFlaming Geyser State Park. Once on HWY 169 just follow the signs to this park. Take out any where you like. Most whitewater peeps take the first t.o. opportunity on R. Left by the picnic pavilions. Make sure any rigs parked at Flaming Geyser State Park display a Discover Pass. See "Access" above for details. |
 River Alerts ( Add Alert ) |
Pinned Forum Threads |
 Big log just below first rapid past paradise below big rock in center blocking most of river. River left channel wide open. - Posted by: kevinh on 1/15/2014 9:41:00 PM -
[Remove Alert]
Tree on river right below bridge carrying water main. At hard left bend at base of wall. - Posted by: otterend on 2/1/2016 7:14:00 AM -
[Remove Alert]
River spanning log right before the massive clay wall rapid. Blocks entire width. Easy to see at 740cfs but no great eddies close to the jam. Multiple logs. Portaged river left. - Posted by: dcheyette on 11/26/2016 10:59:00 PM -
[Remove Alert]
The river wide tree above Grand Canyon of the Green has been cut out and is passable on the left. There are multiple (3-4) new large trees in this section. I''''m sure they''''ll be moving once the river gets some water again. All are visible and avoidable at 730 cfs 12-25-16, keep a keen eye! - Posted by: megspk on 1/2/2017 3:10:00 PM -
[Remove Alert]
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Fun Facts The annual Green River Cleanup takes place in spring every year and is coordinated by Washington Recreational River Runners and Friends of the Green River. |
Run Description [Season: Fall and Spring]The lower gorge is much easier than the upper, but is still a very fun run with some great scenery.
If you put-in at Paradise, you can enjoy some great play. See the description of Paradise Ledge for more details. The Put-In here is steep and slippery, though, and a rope is recommended. Novice paddlers may want to put-in using the 1/4mi. trail described above.
The first couple of class III- rapids have deep channels and large mossy boulders. A great place to work on fundementals such as catching eddies and ferrying across the current between them. One such rapid is "Coal Bucket", named after a rusty coal bucket that lurks behind a big boulder on R. Left. Keep an eye out for large chunks of wood that sometimes collect through here. Somewhere there is a warm spring on river left. Not the most lovely spring by any stretch of the imagination, but it can be a nice find on a cold day.Some of the best rapids are in the first half of the run and then it mellows to long stretches of flat water and a few class 2 rapids in the bottom half.
Somewhere in the middle of the run you'll encounter the beautiful "Big Left Wall" of sanstone on R. Left. Not long after you arrive at "Big Wall Right". Here you can go center left for a straight forward class III line, or kick it up a notch and go along the sandstone wall on R. Right. This is more of a class III+ line with the potential of class IV consequences: the "Big Right Wall" is undercut at the bottom, and the current pushes into it. Be careful here if you take this route or are leading someone.
While most of this stretch is class II and great for practicing a forward stroke, somewhere in here lies "Island Rapid". It is one of the cruxes on this run. Swing out to the outside of the turn, left of the island. You'll see a chunky boulder sitting in this left channel near the island. You can go to either side of it, but you may find more water to the right of the rock, between it and the island at lower flows (under 1000cfs). After the boulder are a few rocky pourovers, so stay on your toes. That's a busy little class III+. There are big eddies below this rapid if someone swims.
After you go under the high bridge (Rt.169), you'll soon come to another sandstone wall on R. Right. There can be a great surf wave here, but playboats may likely get only one shot at it at higher flows. Catch on the fly. But if you got a longer boat and some basic attainment skills you can ferry back out and catch that wave again and again from the gravel bar eddy on R. Left. Just below this wavetrain there's a cool little cave on R. Right, and the sun is often out here when other parts of the lower gorge are in shadows.
It's mostly class II from here to the take out. Most people take out at the earliest opportunity on R. Left in Flaming Geyser State Park, but there are a few other t.o. options further down.
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