In spring and early summer, when water levels are at their annual
high, there’s challenging river kayaking and rafting on the Chehalis
River. The Chehalis is a geologically young river, prone to changing
its course from one spring runoff to the next. Be as mindful of sweepers
as of boulder gardens.
The Chehalis
River flows south from Chehalis Lake into the Harrison River. Whitewater
adventurers seek out the Chehalis in May and June when water levels
are high. Experienced paddlers put their canoes and kayaks in at
an obscure point just above the river’s confluence with Statlu Creek
near marker 14. The presence of vehicles beside the road is a tip-off.
Unfortunately,
the Chehalis’s red-rock canyon, waterfalls, and caves are hidden
from sight by dense stands of scrub forest. You must run the river
to view them.
For information
on guided rafting and kayak trips on the Chehalis, contact the Mission
Info Centre, (604) 826-6914.
For a thorough,
rapid-by-rapid examination of the Chilliwack and Chehalis Rivers,
consult Betty Pratt-Johnson’s WhitewaterTrips British Columbia,
Volume 2.
Nearest Town: Mission,
Agassiz, Harrison
Hot Springs
Nearest Lake: Chehalis Lake
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