Split Rock, Minnesota, US

Superior Hiking Trail to Hwy 61 (2.9 miles)

River Description

Land around both East Branch and West Branch is posted against trespass. Some attempts to put-in on the East Branch have resulted in confrontations with a gun toting land owner with an ATV who has been known to 'escort' groups until they are beyond his property.

As a result, this reach is commonly accessed by carrying/dragging up a good trail from Hwy.61 (starting about a quarter mile the other side of the river/bridge from the wayside/parking). It is a long, sometimes strenuous hike, but once you see the river, you'll realize why most think it's worth it.

Put in is normally at a spot where the Superior Hiking Trail used to cross the river near the bottom of a great sliding, twisting drop. (The footbridge was washed out in a flood, but the bridge footings are still evident, and the site has a sign directing hikers to a footbridge a half mile upstream. As of spring of 2001, this too has been swept off its footings.)

The run consists of an amazing assortment of big sliding drops. All are runnable, at least at favorable levels, by boaters with confidence and skill. Most are surprisingly forgiving, in spite of their impressive size.

The final drop is probably of the most concern. A steep, broken slide leads to a wall of rock which diverts the river ninety-degrees left, to spill through a narrow slot, across some shallow splines of rock and large boulder rubble, before hitting the calm water below. The usual route slides down the right, into the 'elbow', then slides along the right-side rock wall (avoiding potential piton/hammer rocks in the left of the final chute), then rock-dodging through the pool below.

From this point downstream, there is barely more than riffles, rips, and shoals, so fish (and people fishing) tend to congregate below this drop.