John Day River -- Service Creek to Clarno

John Day River Trip -- Service Creek to Clarno

The John Day River in northeastern Oregon from Service Creek to Clarno Launch is an excellent choice for beginning whitewater rafters. This section is a 48 mile trip that can be completed in 3 days, with only three Class II rapids and one Class II/III. Overall, it is a slow moving river perfect for its scenery, wildlife viewing, and fishing, however, the rapids should not be underestimated, particularly in higher flows. We put in at Service creek in May at a barely runnable flow (around 1,000 cfs). Another (downstream) section from Clarno to Cottonwood contains Class II-IV rapids (Clarno Rapid III-IV) and can be floated in around 7 days.

From Service Creek to Clarno Launch you can expect to float through a substantial amount of disturbed ranch land. However, there are sections with spectacular scenery, particularly in the early morning or late afternoon. Geologic features include colorful painted hills of the Morrison formation, basalt cliffs, and formations from ancient pyroclastic flows.

Basalt Cliffs

The John Day River is the second longest free-flowing river in the contiguous United States, after the Yellowstone River, and the water levels can vary widely depending on the snow pack of the Blue Mountains. Starting at its headwaters in the Strawberry Mountain range, the river flows 281 miles to the Columbia River. You can expect to see a variety of raptors and songbirds. Bald eagles, herons, killdeers, Canada geese, western tanagers are a few of the species we spotted. Bank Swallows nest in huge colonies in cliffs along the river. The video below has footage from one well-used hillside:

The river was named for American hunter, John Day, a member of Wilson Price Hunt's Astoria overland fur trapping expedition of 1811 and 1812. There was evidence of beaver dams all along this section of the river which also provides habitat for many endangered fish species, including wild steelhead, Chinook salmon, and bull trout. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs own the Pine Creek Conservation Area at river mile 129, which is managed for wildlife and fish habitat.

Upland view of the John Day River

The Oregon Natural Desert Association is working to obtain wilderness designations for more than 130,000 acres of the river corridor and upland fish and wildlife habitat. This would include a Cathedral Rock Conservation Area of 17,000 acres.

Approaching Cathedral Rock

More volcanic formations

There are many campsites along the river for both groups and individuals. At the time we were there, few boaters were on the river and we had the place mostly to ourselves.

The most notable rapid between Service Creek and Clarno Launch is Burnt Ranch Rapids, which is about 11.5 miles downstream of the Twickenham boat launch and the last rapid you will encounter on this section. In low water, it is a bit rocky and drift boats can grab the rocks.

Overall, this is a relaxing trip and a nice opportunity to see some beautiful landscapes in northeastern Oregon. While we didn't do any hiking, there many places on BLM land to explore.