Whitewater Run KY Class II(III)

KY 1005 to Kentucky R. at Frankfort (5.1 miles)

Benson Creek

Linked via: Unknown Synced 3mo ago

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Gauge Conditions
Runnable: ? – ? CFS
Approximate reading: This gauge is 3.5 miles away on Benson Creek. Use as a general reference only.
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Description
Scout the falls, then choose whether to put in above or below the falls. There are 3 possible lines. At high water you can run off the left side of the falls, and at low levels you can start center and move left. (You do not want to run the down the center of the drop or you will find a nasty hole waiting to rip you out of you boat!) Or try the river right line by hugging the bank right at the lip. Missing the line could result in some carnage. About a half mile down you will find a riverwide playhole. At high levels righty cartwheels are possible. After the hole you will come to a long pool and what looks like a dead end at an island. It is best to run down the first chute to the right as you will encounter much less wood. Your next rapid will be the dam which is usually run off the river-right edge, avoiding the hole at the base of the dam. This hole is a very good but shallow playspot -- go vertical here and you will tag bottom for sure. At high levels things get dynamic, with most rides consisting of blunts and spins. Following the dam you will come to a ledge that has a hydraulic spanning most of the creek.  This can be the most dangerous rapid on the creek! Run left-of-center down the big tongue, then stay left to avoid the next big hole in the center of the rapid. Be ready to surf because you are almost right on top of the wave after missing the second hole. This playspot is named the park and surf. You can get to this wave by driving up Benson Valley Road. Some people take out at the park and surf but you can continue to the boat ramp, adding a few rapids and almost a half a mile of flatwater.
Difficulty
Class II(III)
Length
4.5 mi
Gradient
15 ft/mi
max 30
Rapids
4
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