Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
63Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: Wind 6 kn gusting 18, Air 15 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Tue 3 · 64 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 66 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 62 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Fri 6 · 53 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 20kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 13.2 mm
Sat 7 · 68 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 55 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 24kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 9 mm
Mon 9 · 60 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 264, good
- Tue 364, good
- Wed 466, good
- Thu 562, good
- Fri 653, fair
- Sat 768, good
- Sun 855, fair
- Mon 960, good
- Tue 1021, poor
- Wed 1118, poor
The spot in two facts
- Moving waterthe water
- Best Jun–Sep7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 64, good | 3 kn | 10kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 64, good | 2 kn | 8kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 66, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 62, good | 6 kn | 18kn | 12°C | 0.9 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 53, fair | 8 kn | 20kn | 9°C | 13.2 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 68, good | 6 kn | 18kn | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 55, fair | 4 kn | 24kn | 10°C | 9 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 60, good | 1 kn | 15kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 21, poor | 4 kn | 35kn | 9°C | 27 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 18, poor | 7 kn | 43kn | 9°C | 31.2 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jun–Sep
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
Downstream Take-out and Launch Site on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Downstream Take-out and Launch Site
A launch. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler. For grade III paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is North Bend.
- Grade No source states its grade: check a guidebook before you paddle it.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,220–US$2,240 each
about US$1,220–US$2,240 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SEA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$517 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$81–US$127 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$349–US$584 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$376 |
| Total | about US$1,220–US$2,240 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: North Bend
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 40 min by car · 7 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About North Bend its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 7h
About 7h door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SEA, direct, then 55 min by road
Flights MDW → SEA on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in North Bend · GetYourGuideKayak hire in North Bend · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.