Benham Falls to Dillon Falls
Oregon – US
- Class
- V- to V+
- Length
- 2.5 Mile(s)
- Gradient
- 43.3 FPM
- Put-in elevation
- 4,150 Feet
- Take-out elevation
- 4,042 Feet
- Typical season
- January to December
Current Flow
Visual or unknown
No gauge reading is available for this run — check it on site.
- Primary gauge
- VISUAL Gauge detail & alternatives
Recommended levels
| Minimum | 800 |
| Average | 1,500 |
| Maximum | 3,000 |
Recommended use
- Kayaking
- Rafting
- Canoeing
- SUP
- Packrafting
- Fishing
Struck-through craft are not recommended for this run.
Flow history — last 6 days
No gauge history recorded in the last 6 days.
Photos
No photos added for this run yet.
Description
Up until this point, the upper Deschutes is mainly a fishing and scenic mellow float. Things change drastically here as the river has significant elevation drop over the next couple of miles.
Expert boaters should only consider floating this run. Always check for wood and stay away at high or flood flows to be extra safe.
Flow info is currently obtained at the Bureau of Reclamations site located here (http://www.usbr.gov/pn-bin/graphrt.pl?beno_q).
Rapids
| # | Rapid | Class | Recommended flow | Description | Scout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Banham Falls Entrance Rapid | III to IV | 800–3,000 | The action starts with a couple of river wide waves and holes. |
Scout or portage from the trail on river left. |
| 2 | Benham Falls | V to V+ | 800–3,000 | After some rough water getting to this point the river makes a small right hand bend and you encounter the falls. This has some really squirly water with several unclean landing areas. Make sure to scout and hit your line if you decide to run this. Expert kayakers only should go after this. |
Scout and portage river left. For thos not wanting to run the falls, putting in below the falls will give you a nice class III-IV runout without the consequence of having to run the falls and missing your line. |
| 3 | Below Benham Falls 1 Rapid | III to III+ | 800–300 | Right below the falls the river is split into 2 channels by a small island. The right channel is typically blocked with wood so the recommended line is the left channel. This is pretty straightforward here (especially if you just ran the falls) |
Scout/portage river left |
| 4 | Below Benham Falls 2 Rapid | III to III+ | 800–3,000 | Run this left to right avoiding rocks in the center of the rapid towards the bottom of the rapid. Follow the wave train around the bend. |
Scout/portage on river left. |
| 5 | Below Benham Falls 3 Rapid | III- to III | 800–3,000 | One last little rapid leads to calmer water. Hug the right bank and follow the wave train here. |
Read and run. |
Access
| Type | Name | Elevation | Camping | Water | Boat ramp | Vehicle access | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Put-In | Benham Day Use Access | 4,150 Feet | No | No | Yes | All Vehicles | The day use access lies just above Benham Falls. You won't have much time to get comfy on the water as the action starts right away. Turn off Highway 97 at the cottonwood road intersection and head west. Then follow Crawford Road to the putin. |
| Put-In | Slough Access | 4,045 Feet | No | No | No | All Vehicles | If you want to bypass the whole Benham Falls drama this is a good putin option. Access is on river left. |
| Take-Out | Dillon Falls Access | 4,042 Feet | No | No | Yes | All Vehicles | Unless you want to run Dillon Falls (not recommended for most boaters) you NEED to take out here. Acces is on river left just above the falls. There is a small turn about and a single lane ramp here. |
Camps
No river camps added yet.
Permit
No permit is required, or permit info hasn't been added yet.
Fishing
No fish species have been associated with this run yet.
External Links & Resources
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Community Run Notes
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