Rosebud Creek, West, Montana, US
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Emerald Lake to Pine Grove Campground
| Usual Difficulty |
III-IV+(V) (for normal flows) |
| Length |
3 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient |
150 fpm |
| Max Gradient |
200 fpm |
Rosebud
RosebudPhoto by Stephen Strange taken 06/15/02 @ 660 cfs
Gauge Information
River Description
provided by Ron Lodders, photos by Dave Gulbrandson
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INTRODUCTION
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The West Rosebud is a rambunctious creek dropping out of a spectacular glacier-carved
valley along the front of the Beartooth Mountains of Montana. Lined with huge orange tiger
lilies and other wildflowers, this creek drops quickly through several steep sections of
whitewater interspersed with fast but flat scenic flows. It offers two class V+ rapids,
long and continuous stretches of class IV water, short class III canyons and lazy floats
through scenic meadows. Flows are controlled by releases from Mystic Lake Dam and
Powerplant, which have historically made this run available to paddlers during the long,
warm days of July and August rather the colder days of Montana�s usual spring creek
season. The Mystic Lake Dam will be relicensed by FERC in 2009, and all paddlers have a
stake in making sure adequate flows are preserved and perhaps improved in both volume and
predictability so this outstanding recreational resource remains accessible to boaters from
across the country.
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Mike boofing at Stump
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LOGISTICS
To get to the West Rosebud, take Highway 78 south from Columbus to Fishtail, Montana.
Approximately one mile south of Fishtail, turn left onto West Rosebud Road. The pavement
ends in about nine miles at a junction; a left turn continues up the West Rosebud Road on
gravel, crossing the West Rosebud for the first time shortly after turning left. The
takeout for the Lower run is a short walk from the end of a very faint dirt road turning
right off the West Rosebud Road approximately 1.6 miles from the end of the pavement. To
get to the put-ins, continue 13.5 miles up the West Rosebud Road to Pine Grove Campground,
crossing the river a second time. The river gage and the put-in/takeout between the Upper
and Lower runs is at the bridge into the Campground. The gage is located on the downstream,
river right side of the bridge. The Upper put-in is located at Emerald Lake, roughly 2.8
miles further up the road.
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Head waters at Grasshopper Glacier
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DESCRIPTION
The West Rosebud is usually divided into two distinct sections by local paddlers. The short
but fun Upper run is about two and a half miles long and contains almost continuous
whitewater. The longer Lower run is more than 10 miles long, with most of that distance in
a wilderness setting. Although this lower stretch begins with the two most difficult rapids
on the river and ends with a mile of fun Class IV, it has long sections of scenic flat
water. In combination, the West Rosebud offers a unique opportunity for a full range of
creeking conditions during warm summer days.
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The put-in for the Upper run is easy and beautiful---just slide into Emerald Lake and enjoy
the spectacular view of the still snow-covered peaks of the Beartooth Mountains while the
slowest member of the party is still struggling with boating gear. The West Rosebud ramps
down quickly from the outlet of Emerald Lake. The first half- mile of the run drops at an
average rate of about 150 fpm through two rapids. The first rapid, �Spillway,�
tends to be rocky at almost any level as the river widens and sweeps around a right turn
visible from the road on the way to the put-in. A big eddy on the left turn near the bottom
of the rapid also marks the beginning of the more difficult second rapid, �Triple
Tongue.� At higher water levels, this rapid can become pushy.
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Spectacular Put-In
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After a half mile of fast and increasingly interesting water, the river enters the second
steep section. This stretch, over a mile long, contains the best rapids on the Upper run.
The first horizon line leads to an island and marks �Snake,� where the line is
usually down the left channel. The hardest rapid on this run, �Stump,� is also
marked by a horizon line and deserves a scout the first time down. At higher water levels
(above 2.5 on the bridge gage), this rapid is a class V with three large, offset holes.
�Snag� is not far below, again marked by an island, and usually run down the
narrower right channel. Finally, �Goat Boy� is a long rapid with several large
holes near the end. At present, a partially submerged log spanning the entire creek makes
the upper part of the rapid more hazardous.
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Carla at Snake
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The West Rosebud is much easier from �Goat Boy� down to the takeout at Pine Grove
Campground. This run is usually done several times in one day if paddlers don�t decide
to continue on down the lower West Rosebud
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The Lower run begins with slow, flat water with occasional logjams after leaving Pine Grove
Campground. Not long after the river re-enters forested hillsides, it turns left and drops
over an obvious horizon line. The West Rosebud drops over 100 feet in the next 800 yards,
creating two Class V+ rapids. The first, �Thorpe,� presents a technical line down
to a constriction against the left wall and a benign-looking hole that always seems
bottomless. After a short section of flat water, the second rapid, �Terminal
Moraine,� is almost always portaged on the right. This rapid, immediately above
another island, presents the full array of hazards, including obstructions, drops and wood.
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Ron at Goatboy
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The river regains a quieter mood after �Terminal Moraine.� With the exception of
two short canyons with Class III water, the river offers a scenic float for nearly four
miles down to the second bridge that was traversed on the way up to the put-in. Below the
bridge, the pace picks up again, and the West Rosebud drops 160 feet in the next mile in an
exhilarating Class IV finish. Portions of this section are visible from the road on the way
up to Emerald Lake, and should be checked for wood. The takeout is marked by an irrigation
diversion on the right bank. A short walk from the river brings paddlers back to the
shuttle vehicle parked in a small, flower-filled meadow.
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Ron at Goatboy
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StreamTeam Status: Not Verified
Last Updated: 2007-06-25 23:48:37
Editors
No rapids entered. If you know names, and locations of the rapids please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. 
User Comments
river description is accurate. Drops are worth scouting... if you have never seen/run them. Goat
Boy has a pin spot on river left that unscouted is not good. If you go with someone that knows the
river well, then I could see not having to scout. Boogie though is an under statement. I would give
it IV+/V- at flows above 600 cfs... it would be a mistake to go into this run thinking you were
getting a simple class IV boogie.
Campground. The average gradient is near 150fpm with the beginning a little bit steeper. There are
no significant individual drops, just 2.something miles of non-stop class III-IV boogie water. The
water quality was beautiful when we were there, and the scenery at the put-in was great. It's in
the guidebook, "Montana Surf".