Nooksack River
Glacier to Maple Falls, Class III—IV
9 miles - 5 hours overall, June?, July & August

A glacier fed river dropping from the slopes of Mt. Shuksan and Mt. Baker. The narrow steep gorge in the upper third of the trip contrasts sharply with the casual reaches of the remaining five miles of the Nooksack. Excitement and fun for the whole family with two departures daily, 9am and 1pm meet times, during June - August. Okay for energetic beginners. The views of Mt. Baker and other peaks in the rugged area can be spectacular and we encourage other activities available such as hiking, photography and sight-seeing.

Reserve this river now!

Nooksack River Rendezvous Instructions

Where to Meet:
Take I-5 to Bellingham and take the Mount Baker HWY #542 heading east for 26 miles. After passing through the towns of Deming and Kendall and Milepost #25 go into Maple Falls, take a right into the open meadow between the Juanna Mexican restaurant and the Maple Fuels Gas, Grocery, Espresso, & Laundry. Drive approx. 100 feet and park in the open field and parking area. Look for the River Riders guides, vehicles and signs. We’ll have your wetsuit/booties waiting for you from our “rolling rental shop” (no presizing needed!) so just show up with a swimsuit or T-shirt/running shorts (something that can get wet) under your street clothes and we’ll take care of you from there when you get signed in.

Lunch:
We provide everything you could possibly want for lunch on the river whether carnivore of vegetarian. Our caterer prepares a scrumptious and varied array of food including BBQ’d meats, burgers, dogs or veggie burgers, fresh vegetables and dip, melons and fruits, breads, chips/salsa, and water or lemonade to drink. No alcohol is served. If you have special dietary needs just let us know and we'll be happy to try to accommodate you. The morning trip meets at 9am, goes rafting and finishes with the BBQ afterwards - and for the 1pm trip come hungry at 1pm for the BBQ then rafting later in the heat of the day.

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Weather

What You'll need

Lodging

Gallery