Picture coming soon!

  photo: ©Fields

Picture coming soon!

   photo: ©Fields

In the home stretch of the Siuslaw part of the Lake Creek Run is the last of Lake Creek destination play spots the Red Hill Wave. The Red Hill Wave has two playable windows and goes out completely between these two windows.

The lower of the two playable window is what this play spot is best known for, a sweet dynamic green wave. This green wave is fun just to front surf and grind, but it will also let paddlers get in a variety of wave moves if they the skills. The wave is very narrow and tall and very easy to surf off of if too strong a move is thrown. There is also a small hole just upstream from the wave that can be fun to wrestle with.

The Red Hill Wave comes in again after The Grassy Lawn Hole's eddy is almost gone and Mill Wave has long since flushed out. At these levels The Red Hill Wave is about the only play spot with good eddy service on The Lake Creek Play Run. This playable window for The Red Hill Wave requires paddlers to surf through a pretty stout hole in order to get on the wave on the outside margin of the feature. As water levels climb surfing across the hole to access the wave gets more interesting as the hole gets more thrashy and powerful. The lines can be quite long here since it is really the only eddy served feature in.

There is perfect eddy service for the Red Hill Wave. The eddy is hard to miss.

10.5 to 11.6 feet:  This is when the Red Hill Wave is a nice dynamic green wave.

14.7 feet 19 feet:  The high water version of the Red Hill Wave is in. Paddlers have to surf through a strong hole to access the wave.

Above 19 feet: Just ask yourself if paddling Lake Creek is such a good idea. There is most likely some awesome play in some where else around Eugene.

Siuslaw River at Mapleton.

Rainy season October to May.

Anyone with a solid roll and the skills to catch the wave will probably have fun here in the low window (10.5 to 11.5 feet). Experts only for the high flow window (above 15 ft).

For the run, make your way to the town of Mapleton, Oregon on Oregon Highway 126 between Florence and Eugene. From Mapleton head upstream on Oregon Highway 36 toward Triangle Lake, along the Siuslaw River to the Sleepy town of Tide, OR (5.4 Miles). The modest riverside park and boat ramp is the take-out for Lake Creek. From Tide continue to drive upriver past the Mill and town of Swisshome. to the boat ramp at Indiola, this is the typical put-in. Too access the Red Hill Wave you will have to the run, trust me there are more catch on the fly waves and hole than you can shake a stick at.

Mapleton, OR should have everything you need otherwise head back to Eugene.

Head to the McKenzie or hike and creek on Sweet Creek just down the road.

There are some undeveloped campsites near along the river. However the weather is generally miserable when the play is in.

Get there early on the weekends to avoid the afternoon crowds. At 10.5 feet to 11.5 feet you can catch The Grassy Lawn, The Mill Wave and Red Hill Wave all in at the same time.