Paddling on the Muskeg River

Muskeg River - Great slow river to paddle! Class 1 moving water with a couple class 2 sections including a nice Class 2+ play wave about half way down. Lots of wood on this river so be well aware of those hazards. There are some steep walls too, so if one ever were to swim, must be comfortable swimming in moving water.

Muskeg River - An easy flowing section with distinct eddies and straight forward river running as is a great section to take beginners down. There is the odd sweeper and/or strainer on this section to watch for. A quick paddle, easily completed in under 1 hour (but can be made longer with more surfs).

Muskeg River - See "Upper Muskeg" for the paddle to Mason Creek. Below Mason Creek, the gradient increases, and features become more pronounced. Intermediate paddlers will find this section challenging, especially when it comes to the 15' seal launch around Little Muskeg Falls. Rapid Description Fraser's Ledge is the first class III+ -IV drop below Mason Creek where the river funnels and deflects river right through a broken 5' ledge drop. This drop should be scouted, as the landing is full of rocks and sketchy at best. Scout and portage on river right. Tumble Weed is a small hole / wave feature downstream of Fraser's Ledge which gets a lot of play time. This spot is great for practicing freestyle wave moves on the river left side, and hole moves on the river right of the feature. Groups will spend a lot of time here, and it makes for a great spot for a break before heading down to Little Muskeg Falls. Little Muskeg Falls is a two stage class IV+ -V drop which drops into flat recirculating holes. You will be able to identify it ahead when the river constricts significantly. The drop has been run in the past, but it is wise to portage on the river left side. The portage is sketchy in wet weather, as the sloping rock leading to the seal launch becomes very slippery. There have been incidents in the past where people have lost their footing here, and have fallen into the class IV below. Wapiti Whitewater Kayakers has identified this spot as being extremely hazardous, and has launched some funding with the Alberta Whitewater Association to place a fixed bolt cable handrail for paddlers to use to help with the portage to the seal launch. The seal launch is about 15 feet off of an overhang landing in the large pool below. The take out is downstream a short ways just past a small class II. There is a calm stretch of river and the main falls can be heard here. Take out anywhere along the left short, and make your way back to the take out via a very steep 1.5km trail.

Muskeg River - The lower Muskeg is a fun, but long, class II run with the occasional class III- drop. This 22 km section is very scenic, and is a good long day for beginners and intermediate paddlers. However, there are sweepers and strainers along this stretch, so be aware. In 2024 a large landslide created a river wide hazard and a mandatory portage (portage river right) with a seal launch.