Snoqualmie River (Middle Fork - Middle Middle): Concrete Bridge to Tanner

FLOW

• NOAA Gauge: MF SNOQUALMIE--NEAR TANNER (TANW1)
• 900 - 1,500 CFS: low runnable
• 1,500 - 3,000 CFS:  medium runnable
• Gradient: 43 feet per mile

PUT-INS

• Concrete Bridge at Granite Creek:  Take Exit 34 off I-90 and drive north on 468th Ave for 0.5 miles. Turn right onto Middle Fork Road. Drive 5 miles to the Granite Creek Access (aka Concrete Bridge). Park in the large paved parking lot on the left side of the road. Walk 200 feet up the road to a gravel path and kiosk leading down to the river. 
• Mine Creek Access: This is the most popular access site for short after work runs. In late summer the site becomes an access point for swimmers and water play. This put in makes for an approximately 5 mile trip and is at Road Mile 3.5. There is parking for several cars and one of several short trails lead to the river.  Most put in just below Island Drop Rapid.

TAKE-OUT

• Tanner River Road:  Most boaters meet at the take-out. To get there, take exit 32 off I-90 and head north for 0.6 miles. At the T-junction, turn right onto North Bend Way and continue for 0.7 miles. Just past where the river runs near the road, turn left onto SE Tanner Road. Follow this road for 0.5 miles to a parking area for river access. The powerlines crossing the road and leading to the river mark the access corridor. A green gate maintained by the county prevents you from driving directly to the river, requiring a short 50-yard hike.

ON THE RIVER

Starting at Concrete Bridge, it is a wide, shallow class II boulder garden until at 0.9 miles  you reach Cable Car Drop.  Next up is Mine Creek Rapid (III) at 1.8 miles.  At 3.5 miles is A-Frame Drop (III), a fun drop that starts where the river takes a hard bend to the left before turning right at a bedrook headwall at the bottom of the rapid.

At 4.3 miles is Surprise Drop (III).,  named for a surprise hole to the center left at the bottom of the drop. At 4.8 miles is Right Angle Drop (III), the lead in rapid to House Rocks; the easier line is right of center but you can weave through the holes and hydraulics to the left of center. At moderate flows a good recovery pool allows you to get ready for House Rocks. At higher flows this rapid quickly transitions into House Rocks creating one long continuous sequence.

At 5 miles is House Rocks (IV), the most challenging drop on the run. Most paddlers start their run to the left of center at the entrance drop but you can find options to the right. The next sequence has a fun line left of center or you can find an easier line further to the left. Then it is back to center for the first big boulder where you can find a good eddy on the right to collect. The final sequence is generally run down the center working your way towards the right at the bottom and finishing right of the biggest boulder at the bottom of the rapid.

At 5.8 miles is Second Island Drop (III),  which has fun options down the left; if you head too far right you will run out of water as the river passes over shallow rocks, particularly at lower flow.  At 7.0 river miles you reach the Tanner access. 

NOTES

• The 2 mile entry section to Mine Creek is often skipped in lower flow. 
• It is possible to scout some of the upper half of the run from Middle Fork Road. 
• Learn more on American Whitewater's Snoqualmie, Middle Fork 4 - Concrete Bridge to Tanner (Middle-Middle) page.

• Suitable Activities: Packrafting
• Seasons: January, February, March, April, May, November, December
• Weather: View weather forecast

• Difficulty: Class III+ River, Class IV River
• Length: 7.0 mi

• Land Manager: Land Manager Varies
• Parking Permit Required: see Land Manager
• Recommended Party Size: 7
• Maximum Party Size: 12
• Maximum Route/Place Capacity: 12