Trip Report
Humptulips River (East Fork)
A surreal journey down whitewater chutes and ladders and in and out of multiple polished Basalt gorges through the Olympic rain forest. We ran the Falls Section and Gorge Run at 459 CFS and wouldn't want to go any lower than that.
Logan DeGrand
- Sun, Apr 26, 2026
- Humptulips River (East Fork)
- Packrafting
- Successful
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- Road recommended for high clearance only
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The streamflow gauge on the Humptulips River near Humptulips was at 661 one week before our trip date. It was 472 CFS the night before our trip. The morning of our trip it was 459 CFS, very close to our stated no-go level of 450. As this was everyone in the group's first trip on this river, we wanted to be at low flow. But when the flow is too low things get more difficult as more rocks are exposed and there are more opportunities to get pinned or get beached on shallow water.
In the Falls Section we had to portage twice due to shallows, twice around riverwide fallen trees, and once around The Falls. We scouted the first couple of ledge drops until we got more confident boat scouting. All told we had five portages. In the Gorge Run we got beached and lined our boats twice, we did one wood portage for wood, and we portaged a class III+/IV drop. In higher water most likely none of this would have required portaging.
We collectively decided that this was a very fun level to run this river, but would not want to go below 450 CFS. It will be very fun to run it again at higher flow. Our total river time was 5.5 hours and the track recorded 11.7 miles. With slightly higher water making for fewer portages and less scouting from the shore, the time could easily be one hour less.
A boney section approaching the take out point.
Here we successfully snuck around a strainer.
A stupendously fun and picturesque river the likes of which can only find on the Olympic Peninsula. Rain forest dripping with moss. Crystal clear water. Super fun short ledge drops. Low stakes chutes into pools. Good to practice the boof stroke.
One of the more technical boulder gardens in the Gorge Run. Obviously, with more water it would be easier to go down.
The scenery within the confines of the rock walls is surreal. Serenity is found in between the inviting roar of the rapids. The large suspended tree trunks a testament to the height and power of high flow. 
The Falls is a class V drop into a deep hydraulic and recirculating pool. Considered a mandatory portage for packrafts. It is very tempting to drop the ledge right before it, but then you would be committed to something you may not come out of. Notice the person for scale.
