East Fork Kaweah River (Atwell Mill)
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| | Raps:0-3 + jumps, max ↨30ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Required 13 min Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Best season: | Aug-Oct
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36.4548, -118.6747
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WaterflowIntroduction[edit]
Like the lower sections of the East Fork, the Atwell Mill section is a semi-technical canyon with beautiful gorges, deep pools, and clear beautiful water.
Unlike the lower sections, this part gets really narrow. Like, 3 feet wide in spots. We did it with very low water, and found some drops a little challenging to downclimb with the flow. With more water, the challenge would definitely increase, and ropes might be required?
The character of this upper part is also enhanced by big sequoia trees (and logs) down in the canyon. It might be the most scenic section. It is also the most remote, and requires a pretty serious ascent back out of the gorge.
Approach[edit]
Spot a car at the gate (don't block it) here: 36.446902,-118.704314
Drive 3 miles up to Atwell Mill campground (park at the hiker parking if you aren't camping) and head down the Atwell-Hockett trail. We started bushwhacking down off the trail fairly shortly to shortcut to the East Fork, but in retrospect it might be easier to go down from the bridge?
Descent[edit]
The canyon starts out somewhat open downclimbing beside waterfalls. A little ways down it enters a set of very narrow gorges, likely very dangerous at high water but almost certainly bypassable. It then drops into a beautiful bedrock gorge with small waterfalls, jumps and slides then opens up again.
Further down the is a gorge with two large drops, waterfalls pouring off of either side of giant chock stones. This is probably the highlight of the canyon. Both are jumps. The first is straight forward. The second requires that you jump not very far out, and land in between two underwater shelves.
Below there a beautiful redwood log lays across the canyon, before it enters another very pretty gorge that is climbed down. The canyon opens up a bit with some boulder hopping for a while, then enters a final set of waterfalls and gorges. A waterfall ends in a wide pool with streams and boulders downstream marking the end of the canyon.
Exit[edit]
After that waterfall (36.437049,-118.699906) you'll need to find a way up to the right. It's pretty cliffy... I'm not sure if it goes. We missed the exit, and went too far downstream and it kind of sucked. It looks like there should be a way in between the cliffs.. maybe?
If you can't or don't want to try to get out there, go a quarter mile downstream.
The trick is, you want to cut back to that ridge and get here: 36.438965,-118.701011
This is where there is an old fireline which you can follow up with relatively minimal bushwhacking to your car. If you don't find this fireline, you might end up dead buried under manzanita? Feel free to update this page or let me know so I can if you do it and find a good route!
