About
Sandy River, Oregon — 1805 Lewis and Clark Quicksand, 1988 Wild and Scenic, Mt Hood, Bull Run. Marmot Dam removal in 2007 returned 56 miles of free-flowing river to the Clackamas and Multnomah peoples who called it Sandy River for millennia before European contact. The Sandy now runs unimpeded from Mount Hood's glacial melt through Class I-III drops at an average 1400 CFS, with optimal flows between 500-3000 CFS on gauge 14142500. The upper Sandy from Zigzag to Brightwood offers mountain whitewater at Class II-III, while the Sandy River Gorge section downstream provides the most popular technical runs. Below that, Dodge Park to Lewis and Clark State Park mellows to Class I-II family water. Wild & Scenic designation since 1988 protects the corridor, and Blue Sky Rafting runs commercial trips through the whitewater sections. Dam removal restored salmon runs and opened habitat that had been blocked for nearly a century, transforming what was once a series of slack pools back into the continuous rapids and riffles that define this Cascade drainage.
River conditions are community-verified. CFS ranges, difficulty ratings, and access points may not reflect every flow level or seasonal change. Always check current conditions, scout unfamiliar rapids, and paddle within your skill level.