Roaring River is a tributary of the
Clackamas River
The Clackamas River is an approximately tributary of the Willamette River in northwestern Oregon, in the United States. Draining an area of about , the Clackamas flows through mostly forested and rugged mountainous terrain in its upper reaches, a ...
in
Clackamas County, Oregon. Beginning near Signal Buttes on the western flank of the
Cascade Range, the river flows generally west through parts of
Mount Hood National Forest to meet the larger river from its mouth on the Willamette River.
The river's watershed generally overlaps the
Roaring River Wilderness
Roaring River Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Mount Hood National Forest in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. Southwest of Mount Hood, Oregon's tallest mountain, the area was created in 2009. The wilderness area is named after the ...
, a federally protected area established in 2009. The area is off-limits to commercial logging and mechanized recreation though still open to fishing, camping, hunting, hiking, and many other activities.
The entire length of Roaring River was named part of the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1988. Most of this was declared wild, though the last two-tenths of a mile were designated recreational.
Tributaries
Named tributaries in downstream order from source to
mouth are Cougar and Splintercat creeks, which enter from the
left; Plaza and Squaw creeks, from the right, and Shining Creek,
South Fork Roaring River
The South Fork Roaring River is a tributary of the Roaring River in Clackamas County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Beginning at Rock Lakes in the Mount Hood National Forest in the Cascade Range, it flows generally northwest along the base of Indi ...
, and Grouse Creek, all from the left.
The South Fork is also part of the wild and scenic rivers system.
Recreation
Whitewater
Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...
enthusiasts sometimes run the lowermost of the river, taking forest roads and a hiking trail to the put-in point and taking out at the bridge carrying
Oregon Route 224 over the river near the Roaring River Campground. This run is rated Class IV (advanced), on the
International Scale of River Difficulty. Dangers include ledges, boulders, and shifting wood hazards that require scouting and multiple
portages.
See also
*
List of National Wild and Scenic Rivers
This is a list of the designated National Wild and Scenic Rivers in the United States. Each river has been designated by Congress, or, if certain requirements were met, the Secretary of the Interior. A designation may include multiple watercourses ...
*
List of rivers of Oregon
This is a partial listing of rivers in the state of Oregon, United States. This list of Oregon rivers is organized alphabetically and by tributary structure. The list may also include streams known as creeks, brooks, forks, branches and prongs, as ...
References
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Rivers of Clackamas County, Oregon
Rivers of Oregon
Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States