Beaver River: Taylorville Stretch

The Taylorville section of the Beaver River is the perfect training ground for aspiring creek boaters. It's short and sweet, allowing paddlers to bite off as much or as little as they want while working on getting comfortable with slides, horizon lines, boulder gardens, and ledges. The river is best suited for kayakers and whitewater canoers, but could accommodate a very small raft or shredder. Unfortunately, this section only releases on weekends in September, limiting access significantly.

While most people begin their descent in the pool above the Great White Slide, those seeking to test their skills can find their way to an upper put-in right at the outflow of the dam. The ferry out of the swirling eddy is harder than you might expect, and it commits paddlers to a Class V slot that leads right into the worst hole on the river.

To avoid all this, simply carry your boat a few hundred yards down a wide gravel path to the first section of flatwater. Drop the boat here, and continue walking downstream to get a look at the slide. 

The Great White Slide is truly great. Dropping about 30 feet over its 60-foot length, it's an intimidating rapid for those using Taylorville as a step-up run. With that said, it's a remarkably forgiving rapid with several lines and a powerful but flushy hole at the bottom. The slide ends in a large slowly moving pool, so potential swimmers have plenty of time for rescue before the next rapid. Best of all, it's incredibly easy to hike back up the river right side to go run it again!

Next, the river splits around an island. The left side shallows out in a series of shelves, so most people opt to run the right side through a narrow, twisting rapid that pours over several holes. This right side is called Dogleg and can be scouted from the right or the left. It's a great place to practice eddy hopping as the boulder garden run out is great for ferries and surfing small holes.

Where the left channel rejoins the river, a steep and narrow slot called Mindscrambler offers an extra challenge for those willing to walk their boats upstream a short ways. The folding currents here challenge many paddlers, but the landing zone is relatively deep.

After a short pool, another horizon appears. This is Powerline. On the left, a steep slide drops about 15 feet into a powerful hole. The further left you go, the better. In the middle, a tricky boof offers extra challenge.

The next rapid is unnamed, but it is the longest on the run. Paddlers typically begin right of center and stay there as the river drops over ledge after ledge. In the middle, a tiny island on the right offers a place to scout the crux, a 4-foot boof over a hole. The rapid continues a short ways, before emptying into another large pool. 

The final rapid is a steep surf wave with great eddy service. There is also a small hole to surf just behind the wave. Take out on the left, following the well worn path back to the parking area by the power house.

A brief discussion of some of the notable rapids on this run follows, but please consult a river map for specific locations and information.

• Upper Chute (V): Putting in directly below the dam leaves paddlers in a swirling eddy with a very challenging ferry and chute. Most people put in below.
• The Beaverator (IV+): The Beaverator is an easy move with significant consequence. The ledge creates a serious hole thats backed up by an underwater ledge. Many people put in below.
• The Great White Slide (IV-): The Great White Slide is an approximately 60-foot-long slide that drops roughly 30 feet. Several lines of varying difficulty exist. The hole at the bottom is powerful but flushy.
• Dogleg (IV-): A narrow channel on river right drops over a series of holes before cutting sharply back to the left. This is a great place to hone eddy catching skills.
• Mindscrambler (IV-): An even narrower channel on river left, typically run by hiking up after running Dogleg. Tricky folding currents challenge new creekers.
• Powerline (III+): A steep slide dropping about 15 feet, the easiest line is down the left, while those seeking a challenge can try the boof in the middle.
• Unnamed Class IV-: The longest rapid on the run features several holes and short ledges. The climax is in the middle where a 4-foot boof lands in a spicy hole.
• Takeout Waves (III-): The waves at the takeout are a great place to surf.

For shuttle: Return to the fork on Taylorville Road and turn sharp right on the dirt road. Find parking when the dam comes into view.