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When it comes to tough put-ins, Box Canyon of the Sacramento will certainly leave an impression. If the spillway is not flowing, rafters are forced to line their boats down a hellacious slope to the river. If the spillway is running you are in luck; just toss your raft onto it by throwing it over the fence or simply shove it into the lake and wait for the current to catch it. Make sure you've got people below at the put-in waiting for your raft to shoot off the spillway so that it doesn't continue downstream without you!

The Box Canyon of the Sacramento is a great run for a raft; granted that you have good flows, the right boat, and are prepared for tight and technical drops.

Once on the river, you're treated to fun whitewater and spectacular scenery. Although there is no online gauge for Box Canyon, there is a stick gauge slightly upstream from the Cantera Loop river access point. Flows around 4'6 make for a class III+ run, 5' is good class IV, and getting closer to 6' makes for a stomping class IV+ run.

The first two miles of the run drop at an average gradient of 100 feet per mile. The remaining 5.5 miles to takeout (in Dunsmir at the I-5 overpass) drop at an average gradient of 45 feet per mile. There are alternative put-ins/take-outs. Inquire locally for the best directions.

Below: Enjoying whitewater and the sun on Box Canyon of the Sacramento