Red Rock River
: Paddling & Rafting.gif)
Floating
the Red Rock River? A Sea
Eagle Inflatable Kayak
is an ideal fishing boat for the Red Rock River, as it is
easily maneuverable on this twisty and narrow river and can
effortlessly be paddled through lakes and slow water.
Quality
Sea Eagle Iinflatable Kayaks & Canoes
 The
Red Rock River is not a prime river for floating or rafting,
especially the section of river above Lima Reservoir. The
river is very narrow, frequently slow, and windy conditions
are common down in the open and arid Centennial Valley.
However, for those
willing to deal with the slower currents and difficult access,
the Red Rock River can provide a very scenic float, free of
virtually any crowds above Lima Reservoir and with only occasional
floating parties below it.
Floating the Red
Rock River can begin where the Red Rock River empties into
Upper Red Rock Lake. The river is to narrow, shallow and irregular
to provide for consistent floating above this section (the
Red Rock is more of a stream than a river upstream from the
wildlife refuge).
A canoe is without
question the best boat to use when floating through Red Rock
Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. The river is very slow between
the lakes, and the lakes themselves need to be paddled across.
The lakes are also quite large, especially when taken into
consideration that they are located in an otherwise arid valley.
The river flows
through the refuge for twelve miles before it runs into a
small dam that forms Lower Red Rock Lake.
Below the dam,
the river meanders very slowly through private property. Brundage
Road crosses the river eight miles downstream from the dam.
The next road crossing is Lyons Road, which crosses the river
just upstream from Lima Reservoir, more than twenty-two miles
away. Due to the high winds, twisting nature and its narrowness,
a canoe or inflatable kayak is the best boat to use on this
stretch. A small raft might work tolerably well if you don't
mind some rowing and if wind conditions are favorable.
After passing through
Lima Reservoir, floating conditions become quite a bit better
as the Red Rock River makes its way towards Clark
Canyon Reservoir. The current is faster, and the river
is somewhat wider, allowing rafts to better float the river.
A couple of fences cross the river, so any floater will need
to be alert to avoid running into them. Before floating this
section, check current river flows, as during late summer
the river level can become quite low.
River Miles
Origin at Lillian
Lake: 131
Upper Red Rock Lake Inlet: 113
Upper Red Rock Lake Outlet: 110.5
Lower Red Rock Lake Inlet: 104
Lower Red Rock Lake Outlet: 102
Brundage Road Bridge: 94
Lyons Road Bridge: 73
Lima Reservoir Inlet: 71
Lima Dam: 58
Country Bridge: 47
Lima town bridge Access: 40
Red Butte Bridge: 28
Briggs Ranch Road Bridge: 21
Interstate 15 bridge over river: 8
Clark Canyon Reservoir Inlet (end of river): 4
Clark Canyon Dam: 0
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