Patterson Creek
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| | Raps:9, max ↨250ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Required 20 min Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Granite | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 5 Jul 2025
"This is a decent route with nice scenery and lots of rappels. Low trickling flow. 2 very brief swims. Very little water exposure. Many of the large ra |
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| Best season: | April to October
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36.9149, -119.0790
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Introduction[edit]
Patterson Creek drops into the NF Kings about 1/8 mile upstream of Balch Powerhouse at the start of the final Boulder Maze in Jump Trip (Lower). The views into the NF Kings are spectacular, but this creek delivers plenty of excitement on its own. The big 350 foot waterfall is in a unique and beautiful location.
Approach[edit]
The Black Rock Road to the Jump Trip put in, crosses Patterson Creek below the obvious two tiered Patterson Waterfall on the left end of the Patterson Bluffs right. There is enough room to park a few vehicles at the crossing. The creek can be entered easily on the uphill side of road and then going under the bridge.
The creek enters a short spice bush jungle which will need periodic pruning to maintain a passageway. Pruning shears will probably need to be on the equipment list for subsequent parties for awhile or at least for the first trip or two each year.
Descent[edit]
From the parking area walk 20 feet to the creek on the upstream side of the road, then go through the tunnel under the road and follow the creek down through the spice bushes. After a very short distance the bushes end and bedrock slabs start. Walk down past a series of steep slides, through a few more bushes, then out onto a wide expanse of granite that is the top of a dome. The dome is low angle at the top but gradually steepens below. The bottom is invisible.
Rap 1[edit]
Look for two bolts about 6' to the right of the water course. This rap is 120 ft, but very low angle. Rap next to the water or in it. End at a 2 bolt station in a small lower angle area on LDC just before the waterfall gets steep. There is enough room for several people.
Alternate Rap 1: Look for a single bolt on low angle slabs 30 or 40 feet to RDC. The rappel is low angle for most of the distance but is steep and overhanging for a short distance near the end. A 200 foot rope reaches a low angle slab leading to a large ledge. Walk down from the ledge bypassing rap 2. This was the original line but is less interesting than the new rappel line which stays in the watercourse.
Rap 2[edit]
2 bolts LDC, 190'. This rappel will be in or next to the water the entire distance. Land in waist to chest deep water which might be deeper after periods of high flow. Swim across pool to exit.
From the bottom of the dome, follow the creek over log jams and through bushes alternating with open creek bed and a few small down climbs.
Rap 3[edit]
About 25 feet from a slung tree, DCL. This little waterfall is just slightly too tall to downclimb on the rock, and downclimbing around the edge puts one into poison oak.
Rap 4[edit]
At the halfway point the creek gets exciting. The creek drops into a ten foot wide slot and disappears. A huge terrace can be seen far below. It looks like 600 feet but this waterfall is about 350 feet.
Two bolts on DCL - 110 feet. From the obvious ledge step down to a small pothole that forms the final lip. The bolts are on the left wall. About halfway down you will straddle the waterfall for a short ways before being directly in the waterfall. Disconnect in a deep but very narrow pool at the bottom of the waterfall. With high flows this could be a very dangerous location. Our 200' rope doubled was a bit short, and had to be extended on the pull side. Make sure you can pull the rope here as sticking seems to be a problem. After you climb out of the crevice pool at the base of this rap there is a fairly large and comfortable waiting area.
Rap 5[edit]
Two bolts DCL, 250 feet. The bottom of the rap 5 cannot be seen, but the football field sized ledge is obvious. You will be in the waterfall or in its spray for most of this rappel. If your rope is short, there are irregular ledges DCR (rappeller's left). With a 200' rope we found on a small ledge and slung a tree to finish with a 40 foot rappel into bushes (June 4, 2016).
The rock along this rappel is blocky, irregular and has many crevices where a rope can get stuck. While pulling the rope, walk out onto the huge ledge a good distance so the rope falls away from the waterfall when it pulls free.
Rap 6[edit]
Slung horn, DCL, 110 feet. From the bottom of the big waterfall, walk down the huge slab to where the creek drops down a series of steps with loose rock. Scramble down several steps while looking for a slung horn DCL. There is potential for other natural anchors.
Rap 7[edit]
DCL, Slung Tree, 70 feet?. It looks like you could continue downclimbing to DCR, but it gets too steep at a place with no natural anchors.
Rap 8[edit]
Single bolt, DCR 70 feet.
Rap 9[edit]
2 bolts, DCR 90'. This is the final rappel into the NF Kings. There is a good overhang, then the rope lands on a ledge about 20 feet above the river. Continue rapping into the river.
See Lower Jump Trip last section for a description of the Boulder Maze and jumps in the short section of the NF Kings.
Exit[edit]
At the Balch Powerhouse, find a trail next to the cliff on the right. The trail climbs up along the cliff till it is above the powerhouse. The trail meets a chain link fence then descends steeply to a dirt road and a big parking area.
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
Trip reports and media[edit]
I did bring pruning shears on this descent and cleaned out fairly nice tunnels in the bushy areas along the creek. Pruning shears will probably need to be on the equipment list for subsequent parties for awhile are at least for the first trip or two each year. With good tunnels through the spice bushes it is mostly an easy and pleasant trip alternating with bedrock and bushy creek. There is a big dome early in the trip where we did a 165 ft rappel off a single bolt to the right of the water course. The dome is mostly low angle but rounds off to steep down below. The water course looks interesting with a nice looking and possibly deep pool at the bottom, but a rap route in or next to the water course would be pretty long, would require two raps and could be pretty awkward. At the halfway point the creek got exciting. "Holy F#$%!!!" exciting. The creek drops into a ten foot wide slot and disappears. A huge terrace can be seen far below. It looked like 600 feet to us but fortunately we were wrong and it was only about 300 feet. We rappelled first to a big ledge about 100 feet down. Our 70 meter rope made it from the ledge to the bottom with some left over, so I think a 200 foot - 60 meter rope will be adequate. There are small ledges and irregularities in this lower section so an additional anchor could be established if really needed. >From the bottom of this big waterfall a series of easy bedrock downclimbs and short rappels lead down the NF Kings. I think the longest rappel in this lower section was maybe 110 feet or so. The final rappel into the NF Kings was about 80 feet with a nice overhang. I think I used 5 bolted rap anchors and 3 or 4 natural anchors. I could have used natural anchors for almost all drops but the angles and pulls would be more awkward.
Patterson Creek took about from noon to 7 pm, but now that most of the pruning has been done and anchors placed it should go pretty fast as well. Getting through the Boulder Maze on the NF is probably the hardest part of the trip. The views into the NF from this creek are spectacular.
Background[edit]
Initial information on this canyon was extracted from an email Paul Martzen sent to some friends in June 2013, reproduced here with permission from the author.