SHAKE, PADDLE & ROLL

OGDEN RIVER

Put-In: Wind your way up Ogden Canyon (12th Street) about 2 miles until you see the Smokey the Bear sign. There is a large pull-off on the north side.

Poison Ivy Class III+

A sprinkling of poison ivy on the banks adds to the character of this rapid. This drop is the largest vertical drop of the run and has a very retentive hole at the bottom at most levels. The hole is hemmed in on river right by a cement wall that makes exiting very difficult. At high flows the lead-in to the rapid is pushy with crashing waves. Run as far left as possible but if you get pushed off-line you can save yourself from a beating by hugging the cement wall over the drop and riding a small ledge past the hole. At low water the hole has a tongue center-left.

The Waterfall Class III+

The waterfall drop has a beautiful lead-in with a 200 foot waterfall filtering down the river right cliff wall directly into the river. It can be very pushy, with ledge holes on river left at the top and a large pourover boulder at the bottom right. It’s very bumpy at low water but flushes out some at higher levels. At the very bottom of the rapid there is a fun corkscrewing tongue. There is some rebar in the water on the right side of the river here; run center-left. The water calms and takes a sharp left turn under the road. There is about a 1/4 mile of easier class II+ down to the narrows.

The Narrows Class IV

In the narrows, the river is constricted between the roadway and a cliff wall on river left. There are a couple of large boulders in the middle of the run that force you to choose between the narrow left slot or the wider right side with a large ledge drop. Wood always seems to hang up in one or both lines, so scout this area on the way up.

The Diversion Class III

Below the narrows, the river splits around an island at high water. The right fork has a fun diversion dam drop. Just before the take-out, the river turns sharply to the right and tumbles down some rocky class II+. 

Take-Out: Rainbow Gardens, at the mouth of Ogden Canyon. These are hands-down the best bathroom facilities at any river take-out in the state.

OGDEN KAYAK RODEO PARK

The Ogden Kayak Park offers an urban park-n-play experience two minutes from downtown Ogden. The park offers good fun from about 150 cfs up to 1000 cfs. The park was built in the year 2000 at the urging and with the help of local kayakers. As the first professionally designed play-park in Utah, it drew attention to the area as a kayaking destination. There is a bike trail on river left and a bridge just upstream of the first hole that provides a good vantage point for onlookers. Fifty yards upstream of the park is a changing room and low-head dam that can provide a good popup if one of the gates is open.

WEBER RIVER

The Weber River flows out of the Uinta Mountains and winds through the valleys of Summit County until it makes its final decent to the Great Salt Lake. It’s here in the last half of its journey that boaters have enjoyed this hidden playground for many years. There’s a seven-mile stretch between Henefer and Taggert Junction that affords boaters of all kinds a whitewater playground. The rapids are not big but there are many and in some areas they are right on top of each other, making the experience quite thrilling.

 
Put In: Coming from Ogden, take I-84 east all the way through the Weber canyon and get off at the first Henefer exit. Take a left to go under the freeway, and then take a right. This dirt road parallels the river and there are some large dirt parking areas to the left that make good put-in spots.

Boulder Garden Class II+

The river makes a slight right-hand bend into a mile of class II+ rock dodging. In high water, this section washes out. There always seems to be several large trees in the river, but the current is slow enough that they rarely become a problem. Beginners should be cautious. This is a great section to practice eddy hopping, S-Turns and stern squirts. Swims here often begin when a beginner broaches on one of the large boulders.

Croydon Wave Class II

You soon come to a section with a few waves that are bigger than anywhere else so far. This is the “Croydon Wave.” It’s a steep wave with eddy service that can give some fun surf and great eddy play. Below the Croydon Wave there are a couple of miles of flat water. Some locals like to take out at Croydon just to skip the flat water.

Slalom Rapid Class II

Slalom Rapid is made from a series of pillars holding up the freeway. You can run straight down the middle, but beware of a few holes and lots of unnatural junk in there. The pillars pose a serious broaching/wrapping danger.

Taggart Falls Class II+

After a bit of flat water and a few little drops, you’ll pass under a railroad bridge and the river swings left heading into Taggert Falls. Taggart Falls is a straight shot down the left in some waves, but you can also try your luck on the holes too, which take up the whole right side of the river. At high water they can get pretty nasty. There’s a pretty permanent log jam right behind the holes, so a run far right isn’t recommended. Take-out is about 200 yards after Taggart Falls and on the right.

Take Out: Get off at the Taggart exit and turn right; the river is right there and you can park anywhere. Taggart Falls is visible upstream.

RIVERDALE WAVE

Riverdale Wave is the destination of choice by the playboating crowd and is usually best during spring runoff. On sunny spring Saturdays the parking area can see a dozen or more rack-sporting vehicles lined up the street. Hit the wave while it’s up. Beginners without a good roll should avoid the Wave during very high flows. However, during medium and low flows, the Wave provides a great introductory wave experience. The slides coming into the Wave are exhilarating for beginners. For all levels, the slides make an exciting put-in for the mellow run down to the Ogden Kayak Park.