Little North Santiam - Salmon Falls to Elkhorn Campground

The put in here is at Salmon Falls County Park.  It can be reached by turning onto North Fork Road from HWY 22 heading east from Salem or west from Bend.  There is a flashing yellow light at the intersection.  stay left at the fork and follow the signs.  There are several areas where the road has washed out and been repaired, take it slow.  There is snow present for much of the winter and early spring.

The park is gated when closed, but there is enough room for some parking close by.  Do not trust that the bathroom will be open - or in any chape to be used by humans.

The falls at the put in has been run, but it is class V+ and only runnable at certain flows - be careful.

Elkhorn Valley Recreation Site is aBLM campgound on the banks of teh Little North Santiam.  This is one of many potential take outs on the the river, and is a good one because it allows you to take a good look at at least 2 of the significant rapids during the shuttle.

This campground closes during the best parts of the whitewater season, but there is a bridge with river access about 1/2 a mile downstream.  I personally walk past the gate to take a look at the class III rapids inside the park - you do as your conscience directs.

Here is a link (working as of 10/13/2015) to a BLM informational pdf about the park:

http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/files/brochures/Little_Santiam_Brochure_web.pdf

DIRECTIONS

From Salem, drive east on State Hwy 22, turn left on North Fork County Road (approximately 24 miles east of Salem). Elkhorn Valley is 8.5 miles up North Fork County Road. Traffic is high during the summer season.