Put-in: Located at State Park picnic area the Hwy 256 Bridge about 10 miles East of the Hwy 71 intersection near Vandervoort.
Take-out: Reached by taking first road to the right on the East side of the bridge. Signs will direct to Ed Banks, Sandbar Bridge, Falls and Hwy 278 access points.
This run is fairly continuous class II with a hint of class III. A nice mixture of rock gardens and ledges sprinkle the run. Swims can generally be recovered in short calm sections between the rapids. Beware of the current under the Ed Banks low water bridge. Be aware and head to the bank with room to spare.
If the water is high (above 4.5 feet) check out the
upper section or
Brushy Creek for some fun continuous class II+ water.
This is a nice warm up for the lower Falls section or alternate run for those not ready for the
Falls section. Another popular run is Hwy 246 to the Falls Campground. This makes a 5.4 mile run, which includes the class III 'Esses'.
There are nice but small campgrounds at the Falls and at Hwy 278. Both campgrounds offer nice tent sites and tables, the Falls has a restroom and campsite fees. Hwy 278 currently only has a portajohn and no fees. Primitive free camping is available near Ed Banks Bridge and Sandbar Bridge above the Falls.
More info at the
Cossatot River State Park - Natural Area site.