This section begins below Cascade Lake where the North Fork of the Payette moves from the valley area into the canyon. Cabarton is a great intermediate run for those wanting to get on the North Fork without having to deal with the class V carnage that lies below here.
The run begins by entering a small canyon and you are away from the main highway for a while. Most rapids fall in the II to III range at normal flows and are fairly forgiving as they tend to be seperated by pools for the most part.
If you are in the area and are kayaking you should spend some time surfing at Kelly's Whitewater park upriver from here. For rafters doing an overnighter here you will need to pack out everything (ie Groovers needed). Most run this as a day run though.
| Class | II to III |
| Current Flow |
1810.0 CFS 05-19-2024 16:00 |
| Recommended Flow |
Minimum: 750.0 Average: 1500.0 Maximum: 3500.0 |
| Typical Season |
Begins: May Ends: September |
| Recommended Use |
Kayaking: Yes Rafting: Yes Canoeing: No SUP: No Packrafting: No Fishing: No |
| Primary Gauge | NF PAYETTE RIVER NR BANKS ID |
| Length | 10.0 Mile(s) |
| Gradient | FPM |
