NF Nooksack River Canyon - Packrafting WA - 1000cfs - Class III

After finally getting some water in the riversheds, it was time to take my new Rodeo out on something that wasn't just a Skagit lap. The North Fork Nooksack bumped up to a reasonable level and so we set out for a classic Canyon to Warnick run. The Canyon of the North Fork Nooksack has experienced several changes since I first floated it in early 2021. The biggest everchanging factor in here is wood, this run used to be a nice clean class II-III run with a couple logs here and there but nothing of major concern until the November 2021 floods ravaged the riverbed with over 12,000cfs of flow. Starting off at the Doug Fir Bridge, the rapid upstream used to be a good extra challenge but now has wood in several places and though runnable is no longer worth putting in above it. Wood has been off and on from here down to Mini Landslide, which has wood spanning across the right channel we were able to duck under at these flows but much higher and it would create a problem, though the river left channel would likely fill in a lot. The rapid itself is a fun jumbly boulder garden with some good waves. After a short flat stretch the cabins on the left come into view and you're at The Nozzle, the most dynamic rapid on the run. There were some channel spanning logs we had to portage around and we chose to do so on river left although I have heard most people portage right. Below the wood there is some quick class II boogie down to Turtle Rock, which has always had a great deal of wood on river right but is usually clear river left. NOTE: As of me writing this (11-23-2025) there have been reports of channel spanning wood river left of Turtle Rock, approach with the utmost caution. Below Turtle Rock there are a couple of fun rapids that the flow channelizes over some holes into pools along the right wall, the second of the two packs a little more punch. After another class III rapid and some more boogie Launch Pad lurks just downstream. The wavy run in is fun but can make you lose your speed for the main feature, a boulder picket fence that has multiple lines depending on flows and skills. My favorite is either the boof center right or the swoop just to the left of it. Wiggled a little on my boof cause I'm still getting used to the new boat in creekier water. Some more class II boogie leads into Landslide, the messiest but longest rapid on the run. The rocks here are a little sharper than in the canyon upstream so they tend to catch you more and put you off line, and the flow spreads out a bit so rocks get shallower. Usually middle left is good but wood has also been a factor in the past so use caution. Below Landslide the river calms down quite a bit and there is one small gravel bar rapid before Glacier Creek pours in from the left, marking the official end of this run. Technically on AW the official end is Gallup Creek, but Glacier Creek is easier to see, easier to get back to the parking spot, easier to park, and sections off this run from the gravel bars run downstream more distinctly. If you are running the gravel bars and the flows are high enough, you can even put in on Glacier Creek! Anyways, this run was recorded on 10-25-2025 and there were several wood hazards on the run as discussed above, do not use this video as a guide to any current wood hazards, always check local pages or paddle with someone who knows the run. This section took the two of us probably 30 minutes to complete with one portage and a couple quick eddy stops.