Class VPayette River Corridor, ID

North Fork Payette River

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2,570 CFS→
High Optimal

About this run

The North Fork Payette is among the top Class V runs in North America — a 15-mile, all-day sufferfest of continuous, powerful whitewater that starts at Smiths Ferry and ends in the town of Banks. Juicer, Golf Course, Jaws, and a dozen more named Class V rapids arrive without pause. This is big western water at its most unrelenting. The NFP is not a river you run to relax — it's a river you run to prove something, and it demands your best game every single mile.

Known Hazards

  • Jaws Rapid — Class V+, multiple lines, powerful hydraulic on the left wall
  • Golf Course — long Class V rapid with multiple consequential holes
  • Continuous gradient means no recovery after a swim — roll or portage
  • High water above 3,000 CFS transitions to Class V+ throughout — serious upgrade in consequence

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Current Flow

2,570CFS→

stable

Too LowOptimal RangeHigh
Current2,570 CFS
Optimal Min800 CFS
Optimal Max3,000 CFS
StatusHigh Optimal

7-Day Flow

05/232,790 CFS05/28

River Info

RegionPayette River Corridor
StateID
DifficultyClass V
USGS Gauge13235000
RunnableYes
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