Boulder Creek (California Sierras)
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| | Raps:8-12, max ↨300ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Required 70 min Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Best season: | Aug-Sep
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36.8025, -118.8031
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Introduction[edit]
While the short lower portion of Boulder Creek may have at one point been used for short guided trips (and I guess could be done as a short trip if you really, really wanted to?) Boulder Creek itself presents a very demanding, and quite extended canyoneering trip that descends 3,000 feet of elevation over 6 miles. While most of this descent is non-technical, it is highly scenic, includes a few good jumps, some extremely high quality slides, and a middle technical section with big, impressive, and exciting drops.
Note that the canyon can be descended with 200 foot ropes, but a 300 foot rope will make things easier, and more fun.
Also most of the technical canyon is not friendly Sierra Granite, it is instead, an often sharp and angular Schist. Creep your ropes!
Approach[edit]
- The Kanawyer trail (leaves from Kennedy Meadows TH) offers a way to drop you into Boulder Creek shortly above the more technical section of Boulder Creeek, skipping some fun sections of canyon higher up. This would be the best option for parties trying to complete Boulder Creek in a single day, but unfortunately, the Kanawyer trail is still closed from the Rough Fire, despite the rest of the area being open.
To get to the upper drop-in, drive out FS road 14S02 from the Quail Flat turn off of General's Highway to the end of the pavement and park. Hike down the dirt road a few minutes to where it curves right on top of a ridge, then hike down this ridge a short distance to Boulder Creek. You should find a good spot to suit up and jump in. Note that the amount of water flowing down this should look rather low. ~3cfs is plenty for excitement. Anything much over 5cfs would probably require you to find a way to bypass the best drop.
Descent[edit]
Upper Section:
Almost immediately down canyon a technical section begins where large boulders have fallen into the granite gorge. Many options are available here as you climb, rappel, and perhaps occasionally jump your way down canyon.
A large sliding waterfall is probably too shallow at the very base to actually slide, although some good jumping options are available. The low angle slide below here also looks quite risky, and you will likely agree is best to walk around.
After a bit of creek hopping you will encounter a beautiful granite gorge. The first drop is a rappel. Note that under the current of the initial drop, is a hanging pothole, with a lip that is apparently very difficult to get out of. This is probably best bypassed by rappelling down canyon left.
Below here you walk through a chute, to a sliding drop, that as of our descent, made for an excellent slide. I forget the exact order of things below here, but there is a big waterfall with jumping options, and another fun, long slide. Also definitely some non-slides in there as well.
Below this gorge the gradient slackens as you enter a scenic, yet somewhat tedious gorge with slow hiking on uneven slippery surfaces and some short, shallow jumps. There is one nice jump as you near the bottom of this section, which is best done from up on the right. This section ends in an cool non-technical gorge of what I assume is marble.
Below this exit into the trees on the left for the most pleasant walking along the creek. There's good camping potential in these trees, particularly as you first enter them (last camping before the wilderness boundary). Downstream the forest ends and you are pushed back into a gorge, this time with relatively easy walking.
Not far below this at a sharp left hand bend, just before reaching the Kanawyers trail, a camp is on the left at the inside of the bend. This camp has been equipped with some camping equipment, such as a frying pan, a grill, a coffee pot, and some other random items, which could be useful for us canyoneers and our packs that are often ill-suited for overnights.
Main Section:
The Kanawyers trail (very faint) crosses just downstream from this camp, and not far down is an amazing waterslide, over a 100 feet long! This slide isn't perfect, and has a little bumpy section in the center, near the bottom that is a bit unpleasant if you go in, though several of us did this, and no one was actually hurt. This bumpy bit is avoided by starting the slide to the right, which actually throws you to the right of the slide for the funnest, smoothest line. Should make sense once you see it.
Hiking downstream through the gorge the next thing you come upon is a ~25 foot waterfall. Rappel from a tree on the right, or jump from the left.
A bit further, and you'll start to get excited. Next comes the best drop. A 270 foot drop that slides through a slot, then falls out of a cliff into a big amphitheater below. If the water is high, you may have to find your one way around (try the right?). Rocks are sharp, creep your rope! Bolts are set down canyon left. (Note: One of these bolts is a spinner: 3/8ths sleeve style bolt, hole was not drilled quite deep enough. Oops! Lots of canyon karma to whoever fixes it). You can rappel this as one large drop with a 300 foot rope, or, you can rappel 70 feet down into a pocket on the right, set an anchor off of boulders there, and rappel the last 200 feet. Also, there is a ledge 40 feet off the deck, down canyon left, which you can use to get off rappel if you do not want to, or have enough rope to go all the way down.
Next big drop can be dealt with by climbing up to the left, one short rappel down to a big ledge off a tree, and another big rappel down off of another one. Next drop cuts left into a slot, rappelled from trees on the left, then carefully scout the landing for the short jump that follows.
A BIG horizon line comes next. Approaching it you see a big sliding waterfall. If you go left, you can cut down to a tree hanging off the edge of a cliff, and rappel ~120 feet to bypass this waterfall. A more enjoyable option would likely be to rappel into the down canyon right pocket above this waterfall, set an anchor off the big rock horn there, and then rappel the waterfall down to the bottom. We think that a 300 foot rope would do it, but this is not confirmed.
Last rappel can go from a tree way up to the left, surrounded by some inconvenient brush.
With the technical section over, you still have a ways to go. Progress through here can be quick though, and there are occasional slides or short jumps to keep things fun, and the canyon is still overall quite pretty. Less than half a mile from the end you will reach an old bridge column. Here you can decide on your exit.
Lower Section
A trail cuts out to the left and heads for Boyden Caverns. This trail is currently closed, but please don't let that force you into risking your life, as the alternative to the trail is crossing the South Fork of the Kings River at a potentially dangerous spot. The trail can be reached from further down canyon, and I recommend continuing down, as you will miss a really nice little section by cutting out here.
This lower section is mostly a hike, and goes past what is almost an awesome slide, but seems like it has potential for shattering your tail bone, so it's probably good to give it a pass. Closer to the river, the canyon enters a short, narrow gorge via a ~10 foot tall sliding waterfall. The best way down, is to climb up to the left. This is a bit of a difficult move, but the first person up can climb a bit higher to set a safety line for the rest of the party. From this ledge, a ~20 foot jump into the chamber below is easy. Another short jump downstream should be carefully scouted.
Below here is a rappel from a tree (surrounded by poison oak) into a pool below a waterfall. Just above it, on the left, you can cut up a mere 120 feet of elevation to reach the trail to Boyden Cavern. If you rappel from this tree, and don't ascend back up, you are more or less committing to the river crossing.
Exit[edit]
The trail mentioned, is in awful shape. You'll encounter way more poison oak than you ever wanted to see, cross parts that are exposed (one 20 foot area could be considered 4th class), cross sections calving away, traverse loose debris flow, and climb over and around many downed trees. The burnt bridge (the reason for the trail being closed) is apparently the least of your worries, as the steel I-beams and wood railing (river side) are fully intact. BUT, this is absolutely still the safer of your two options.
Swiftwater river crossing skills (canyoneering in 15 cfs does not prepare you for rivers running at 500 cfs) are necessary to cross the river. Lifejackets are a good idea, but likely you'll just have your pack with all your stuff, and be swimming with that. We crossed the river here at 336 cfs. At this level we had mixed results, with some of our party making it across easily, others getting across a little more narrowly, and one member making use of a well tossed rope. I wouldn't recommend crossing at any higher levels, and I'm not entirely sure I'd recommend crossing at this level. At <200 cfs I suspect it might be fairly simple for those experienced with swift water.
More specifically, this involves floating through current down along the cliff on river left (easy at this level), and pushing off the wall to make a quick ferry after the last bit of flow hits against the wall. This last bit of flow (which is the largest channel of the river) will push you into the wall, so starting against the wall seems the best bet. Alternatively, I was able to climb out of the current onto a ledge on the wall, climb ~12 feet up, and jump out into maybe 5 feet of water, clearing a good bit of the flow, and getting a head start on the swim. I preferred this method.
Again, please, please, please make good choices here, and strongly consider just taking the hike out on the terrible trail. It'll be over quickly, even if the poison oak you get won't.
Note from willie92708 about the poison oak and using the trail: You will be back to your shuttle vehicle quickly enough. Take 10 minutes and a bottle of Technu, Campsuds, and or Dawn Dishwashing soap, stroll down to the Kings River and wash the poison oak oil off your gear, wetsuit, pants, pack, shoes, socks and yourself. Do this before you get into your vehicle and get the oil all over it. This really does work to prevent breaking out with a rash later. I did this after hiking this trail 9/10/2017 and wading through all the poison oak, I'm highly allergic to it, and yet not the slightest bubble 4 days later. Trust me, quick soaping and washing everything really does work!
Note from willie92708 about the river crossing: You could split the group (part going all the way down the canyon, others taking the trail) and have the trail group drive back and assist with the river crossing. With a proper weighted throw rope, a person on the road side could get a line across to ferry lifejackets (PFD's) even frog feet to the Boulder Creek side. The line could then be reversed to ferry packs and people to the road side of the river. This allows extra safety gear to be used for the river crossing without having to haul it through the canyon.
Red tape[edit]
Both the Kanawyers trail, and the trail from Boulder Creek to Boyden Cavern are closed from the Rough Fire. However I cannot imagine anyone will fault you for hiking out the trail to Boyden if you felt like the river crossing would be too dangerous.
Also technically if you spend the night in the wilderness area, you are supposed to have a wilderness permit from the forest service. But there is a good camping area in the trees just before you get into the wilderness area, and if you camp there and continue the next day, then it's just day use!
Beta sites[edit]
Trip reports and media[edit]
Background[edit]
10 of us descended Boulder Creek in September of 2017. The only evidence of other descents were two manky fixed lines dangling off the tree for the last rappel. Apparently Boyden Caves may have done some guiding in this lower section at some point in history.
