Offers a remote feel with green, mossy canyon walls and huge trees.
Put-in / access: Above Kootenai Falls (48.4525, -115.7683)
Take-out: Below the Gorge (48.4619, -115.8125)
Difficulty: Class I-IV (Falls are Class VI/Unrunnable for most)
Mileage: Varies
Season: Summer.
Hazards: Kootenai Falls is a massive, deadly waterfall that must be portaged by all but the absolute elite extreme kayakers. The gorge below contains powerful Class IV water.
Permits: None required.
Guided trips: Very limited.
Camping: Kootenai Falls County Park.
- Offers a remote feel with green, mossy canyon walls and huge trees. 2. Yaak Falls can be run at lower flows than the rest of the river. 3. Features challenging rapids like Stonechest and Good To The Last Drop, attracting experienced kayakers from the region.
Visitor Access
- Nearest town: Troy
- Difficulty: Class IV-V
- Season: April-July (peak flows around May 31)
- Mileage: 9.1 miles
- Permits & fees: None explicitly mentioned in available resources.
- Hazards: Stonechest (crux rapid with log pile, scout river left, portage river right, portage impossible at high flows), Good To The Last Drop (Class IV boulder garden, stay right), wood hazards/strainers (especially at 1500 cfs), and a river-wide ledge below GTTLD at high flows.
- Guided trips: None explicitly mentioned in available resources.
- Camping: Yes, a USFS campground is south of Hwy 2 below the bridge, and a small primitive campground is available at the put-in (Yaak Falls Campground). Confirm current flows, closures, AIS inspections, and land-manager rules before you put in. Cold water and wood hazards kill—this guide is informational, not instruction.