Whitewater Run KY Class II(III)

Forks of Elkhorn, Church lot below US460 Bridge to Knight's Bridge on KY1900 (6 miles)

Elkhorn Creek

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Gauge Conditions
Elkhorn Creek near Frankfort, KY Downstream Primary
Runnable: 250.0 – 6,500.0 CFS

Optimum range

Data from American Whitewater & USGS
Run Map
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Description
The 'Elkhorn Gorge' begins at the confluence of the north and south tributaries at the _Forks of the Elkhorn_ bridge on US 460 just east of Frankfort (about a 45 minute drive from Lexington). Filled with class II (and occasional class III) rapids, the Elkhorn has plenty to satisfy the novice or experienced whitewater paddler, making it an excellent ww classroom and play run for paddlers from Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. Wide enough to _generally_ stay free of strainers, the Elkhorn has a large watershed, allowing it to keep its flow longer after a rain when others in Central Kentucky have dropped too low. The Jim Beam Distillery dam was removed in the summer of 2021, so paddlers no longer have portage around a deadly low-head dam. To read more about the creek (and how the takeout land was obtained, and history of the paddler/land-owner interactions), click this link for the online American Whitewater Journal article that appeared in the March/April 2000 issue: >>>  'AW Acres: The Elkhorn Saga'

Hazards & Portages (1)

Caution: The following locations may require scouting or portaging. Always check current conditions.
Distillery Dam (NOW REMOVED!) Hazard
Distillery Dam (NOW REMOVED!)
0.9 mi
Difficulty
Class II(III)
Length
7.6 mi
Gradient
10 ft/mi
Rapids
8
1 Hazard
Access Points
Put-in
38.2147, -84.7984
Take-out
38.2680, -84.8158
Shuttle Info
**Putin:** Forks of the Elkhorn Bridge on US 460 about 3 miles east of Frankfort,KY. Parking next to the bridge costs $3 - pay at the [Elkhorn Creek Campground](http://elkhorncampground.com/index.html) office just upstream on the South Fork of the Elkhorn. **Takeout:** From the Forks Bridge take US 460 west towards Frankfort and take a right at the stoplight onto KY 2822. Go about 1 mile on KY 2822 to the stop sign. Go right onto Steadmantown LN (actually a continuation of KY 2822) for about 2.5 miles to the stop sign at the intersection with Peaks Mill Rd (Ky 1900). Go about 4 miles and look for AW Acres takeout on the left just before Knight's Bridge over the Elkhorn.
Difficulty Classes
I Easy II Novice III Intermediate IV Advanced V Expert/Extreme VI Unrunnable
Current Conditions
5-Day Forecast
Whitewater data from
American Whitewater