Rock Creek (South Cascades)
| Rating: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Raps:8, max ↨50ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Optional 10min Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Start: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shuttle: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Condition Reports: | 19 May 2024
"Great day descending Rock Creek from Alt Rock. That means we skipped the first three rappels. Water was moderate-high so we stayed adjacent/on the edg |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best season: | Jul-Sep (avg for this region)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regions: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
_Banner.jpg)
45.7849, -122.0701
45.7525, -122.0482
45.7620, -122.0402
Search nearby locations
Weather forecast
Waterflow
-20170511022658_pic.jpg)
-20170724160859_pic.jpg)
-20190705142440_pic.jpg)
Introduction[edit]
Rock Creek is a major drainage flowing into the Columbia River in the town of Stevenson. The upper headwaters of the creek, however, sports a canyon with a number of waterfalls in quick succession. Rock Creek holds good water late into the summer. Rock Creek would get run all the time if it weren't such a long hike in and out. Recommend an early start and be prepared for a long day out.
- This page describes the classic approach to Rock Creek.
- Alt Rock can be used as a "shortcut" approach. This will drop you in right above R4 in Rock Creek's technical section. Sadly, however, this approach doesn't spare you the hike out.
Approach[edit]
Directions: Lower Trailhead[edit]
From the Bridge of the Gods, turn right on Hwy 14 and continue 1.5mi east to turn off left/north towards Skamania Lodge on Rock Creek Dr. Turn left again in 0.3mi onto SW Foster Creek Rd. Continue 0.4mi and continue straight onto SW Ryan Allen Rd for another 0.5mi before turning left again onto Red Bluff Rd (becomes gravel). Follow Red Bluff Rd for 5.7mi to a bridge across Rock Creek. (Steep Creek Falls is just upstream / left of the bridge.) Continue west on Red Bluff Rd for 1.5mi to a junction where the main road swings left to cross a second bridge over Rock Creek. (This is probably the best checkpoint for flow on the creek.) Continue up the main road for another 1.75mi to where the PCT crosses the road. Watch carefully as it’s not well signed, but the trail is obvious.
Directions: Upper Trailhead[edit]
From the PCT trailhead, hike or short shuttle hop up the road about 1mi to Rock Creek Pass where the road crosses the path and abruptly begins to descend. Find a place to park off the road.
Hiking In[edit]
From the pass, turn right on an ATV track that climbs steeply up the hill. The track winds around the southern end of a local high point and then heads off northwest. The track is obvious and mostly easy to follow; the going is pretty quick. Follow up and down along the ridgecrest for about 3mi. On reaching about 3000ft elevation (approx UTM 10 571947mE 5070147mN), break north off the road and descend wherever is easiest (bushwhack) down into the drainage. Expect somewhat thrashy forested terrain through huckleberry and vine maple, but it’s only a quarter-mile to the creek. We entered the creek about UTM 572121mE 5070611mN.
Descent[edit]
About 10min downstream encounter a short downclimb.
- R1: 35ft.
- R2: 20ft. Big plunge pool can be skirted DCL.
- R3: 50ft into a pool. A short distance downstream is a mandatory pool.
Bit of a hike to the next falls.
- Reach another drop (25ft). Can downclimb DCL or rappel.
Canyon opens up with an enormous slabby cliff-face visible on the right. Enter an area of bedrock: a giant ramp / cascade leading downwards. Not far ahead a tributary enters on the left; this is "Alt-Rock". Ahead there are five waterfalls in the next 0.5mi. All of the lower falls can be rappelled out of the water if the flow is high.
- R4: 35ft. Funnels into a chute with horsetail at the bottom.
- Low water: anchor on a tree far back DCL to run the chute.
- High water: tree DCR.
- R5: 45ft highly photogenic falls.
- Low water: anchor on a tree DCR. Given the width of the falls, may be possible to run in the flow most of the year.
- High water: tree on the edge DCL.
- R6: 20ft. Use anchor DCL to drop down narrow chute to the right of the main falls. Another deep pool below and interesting cave-like space.
- R7: 45ft. Two-tier drop into a swimmer. Hanging pothole between the tiers is chest-deep. Use one of several trees DCL.
Short walk from R7 to the next falls.
- R8: 30ft. Another giant plunge-pool at the bottom. Anchor is tree high DCL. In higher flow, it may be possible to duck down and rappel under the jet.
_r4.jpg)
_r5.jpg)
_r6.jpg)
_r7.jpg)
_r8.jpg)
Exit[edit]
Below the last falls it's a 2mi hike downstream to the PCT footbridge. Expect it to take a couple of hours. This is not your average streamwalk as there are numerous sections of bedrock, short narrows, giant boulder gardens, and a couple of logjam obstacles to keep you busy. It's some of the best / easiest creek walking you'll find in the PNW. You will pass the Indie-Rock and Post-Rock tributaries on the way out.
- Logjam: Climb under a giant old-growth log DCR, then up on top of it. Use it as a ramp to do a descending traverse to the DCL side of the falls and drop into a pool. Or rappel from tree high DCR.
- Big Logjam: Bear DCR and climb up and over the logjam heading DCL. This one is relatively close to the footbridge.
When you see an obvious blue-green cliff DCL, this is a sign you're approaching the end. Upon reaching the footbridge, easiest exit from the creek up to the bridge is DCL.
Cross the bridge and follow the PCT SW (DCR). They're a short climb out of the drainage, but then the route is mostly flat. Follow for about 0.5mi back to your car.
Red tape[edit]
While no signs are present, canyoners have been ticketed at the Lower Parking area (PCT trailhead on Red Bluff Rd). Apparently a Washington State Discovery Pass is required for parking here. The road is patrolled occasionally by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
- Tip: You can avoid the need for a pass by parking at the trailhead for Alt Rock. This requires a slightly longer shuttle.
Beta sites[edit]
CanyoneeringNorthwest.com (archive.org) : Rock Creek
Trip reports and media[edit]
Background[edit]
The main stem of Rock Creek was likely first descended by Evan Topinka. Date is not known.