Spring snowmelt and summer dam releases supercharge the St. Louis River, creating a surging, roaring spectacle for hikers and waterfall-watchers—and a playground for whitewater junkies.
Born near Hoyt Lakes, the St. Louis carves a fishhook shape through northern Minnesota and empties into Lake Superior. While the minimum flow on the St. Louis is about 350 cfs (cubic feet per second), the flow nearly doubles to 600 cfs during peak times, which makes running rapids more challenging and more fun.
April and May comprise the peak season for Superior Whitewater, a company that has offered whitewater rafting adventures on the St. Louis for 25 years. The full rafting season stretches from April to September.
Kayakers, rafters and whitewater canoeists alike relish the colorfully named cataracts that stud the St. Louis. With the International Scale of River Difficulty, rapids are rated on a scale from Class I (obvious obstacles and glorified ripples) to Class VI (deadly and virtually unrunnable). Skilled whitewater paddlers often thread their crafts through the Class I-III+ rapids between Scanlon and the UMD Outpost (a mile east of Carlton), while advanced paddlers take on the Class IV-V whitewater below Thompson Dam and take out near the swinging bridge at Jay Cooke State Park.
Only a few kayakers have ventured beyond the swinging bridge to the multi-tiered falls known as Oldenburg Point.
“When you look over the edge there, 99.9 percent of the population would think you shouldn’t take your kayak down that,” says Randy Carlson, coordinator of kayak, canoe and kiting at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. “It’s definitely not what most people think of as fun because it’s really challenging and can break your kayak or worse.”
Fortunately, you can encounter whitewater without risking your neck running a waterfall. For a low-risk yet thrilling introduction, consider rafting.
“Guided rafting is suitable for a person who has never done it before,” says George Stefanyshyn, owner of Superior Whitewater. “It’s totally different from kayaking. You’re on a more stable boat, of course. Kayaks flip much easier than a raft.”
Superior Whitewater trips start about four miles upstream of Jay Cooke State Park. In roughly 2 1/2 hours on the river, you will run six rapids: Wave Train, Two Hole, the ominously named Boat Smear, Hidden Hole, Electric Ledge and Little Kahuna. “Each rapid gets a little more interesting. As you proceed on the river, the rapids get more challenging.”
If the roar and rush of whitewater paddling exhilarates you, buy or borrow a kayak (consult knowledgeable sources to get one to fit your size and goals) and necessary accessories like paddle, spray skirt, PFD and helmet, and dive in.
“There’s a progression,” Carlson says. “You want to get started on flatwater and refine your strokes and boat control, develop a kayak roll, and then start moving after the more energetic settings. Take it step by step. Have people around who can help you out. It’s helpful to take a class, but ultimately you want to make some friends who are kayakers.”
