Elk River (Lower Canyons)

Class: II/III

Quality: 5

Location: Elko, East Kootenays, BC

Trip Time: 2 – 4 hours

Level: The Lower Elk is always running but is class IV big water at high flows and can form ice bridges and freeze in sections during the winter.

Put-In: 49°15’42.9″N 115°05’41.1″W

Take-Out: 49°10’44.7″N 115°10’04.2″W

The Lower section of the Elk starts just outside of Elko, immediately downstream of the Middle Canyon. If you don’t paddle the Middle you have to hike down a huge set of rough stairs to descend into the Canyon. You’ll need to be pretty fit to get your boat down to put-in for this run.

The Lower is a long and scenic run that is usually class II/III but can get harder at high flows. The first rapid, Roller Coaster, starts just downstream from put-in. This is one of the longer and bigger rapids on the run. The class III wave train continues for about 200 meters under a huge cliff face.

The next several bends in the river bring a number of easier class II and III rapids. At high water these rapids are short splashy class III pool drop but at low water you’ll need to do more rock dodging than crashing through waves. After a few kilometers the canyon begins to tighten up and you are approaching the canyon rapid. “The Canyon” is the biggest rapid on the run. The Canyon begins with big boily eddies in a tight canyon before the entire river all goes into a big crashing wave. Some more boils follow before a big pool at the end of the rapid.

Just downstream of The Canyon is The Landslide Rapid. At low flows this rapid is only a few class II currents moving in between some boulders but at high water this becomes the biggest rapid on the run. At peak flows the whole river flows into a ginormous river wide hole. Punch the left shoulder or portage on the left if you’re not feeling up to it.

The river has a few more smaller class II/III rapids over the next few kilometers. Enjoy the views and quality rapids before the rapids end and a kilometer or two paddle out ends the run. The take-out is easy and impossible to miss. The highway goes over the river on a huge bridge just before the Elk flows into Lake Kucanoosa. There’s a number of parking options under and next to the bridge right at river level.