Bluestone River Water Trail
our river
Overview
The Bluestone can be thought of in six sections: Bramwell, Rock, Spanishburg, the Upper Gorge, Middle Gorge, and Lower Gorge. These sections have different characteristics and are appropriate for different paddling abilities. Here, you will find information on each section, including maps, to help you select a paddling itinerary and complete your adventure. Before diving in to the maps, however, please read through the following general information you need to know to paddle the Bluestone safely and have a great time while doing it.
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Safety and General Guidelines
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Water quality: Like many rivers, the Bluestone suffers some issues with water quality. Paddlers should be aware and avoid areas with unsafe bacterial levels. Refer to the EPA website to find out what is considered safe. Below, find information about recent e. coli levels. Please use this information to plan your trip.
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Date: 6/13/24
River state: 2.52 ft
1.5 miles upstream of Old School Grocery: 135 colony forming units per 100 ml
Old School Grocery (just upstream of Lorton Lick): 135 colony forming units per 100 ml
Montcalm Fire Department (just downstream of Lorton Lick): more than 2419 colony forming units per 100 ml
Eads Mill: 9.7 colony forming units per 100 ml
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1. WARNING: YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR SAFETY ON THE RIVER.
2. The Bluestone River Water Trail is an ongoing project. Access points are primitive. This means, you may have to walk down steep, muddy, rocky banks to access the water.
3. There are many hazards on the River, including rapids, dams, undercut rock ledges, fallen trees, sweepers and strainers. These hazards are dangerous. This website has been designed to help you choose an appropriate paddling adventure, but any paddling adventure carries inherent risk. You must be able to see and avoid hazards at all times. If you are about to enter a swift flowing section (i.e, and section that is flowing too fast for you to stop and paddle upstream), you must be able to see all the way to the end of it. If you can't, get out and scout. Make sure that there is a clear line to safe water.
4. There is no signage on the River. You are responsible for accessing it at appropriate locations and ensuring you paddle at your ability level. To help, direct links to the Google Maps locations for parking and access are included in each section. The GPS coordinates are also included in the map, but they may be difficult to copy and paste.
5. Enjoyable paddling on the Bluestone is dependent upon water levels. All water levels are based on the Pipestem Gauge. Generally, the River levels out around 3 ft. At that state, paddling Bramwell and Spanishburg are doable, but you will scrape along in some sections. They are more enjoyable around 3.5 ft (you'll still bottom out from time to time). Rock and The Gorge require at least 4.5 ft. When it rains, the River will rise then gradually descend. Experienced paddlers seeking to do the harder sections must wait for the right time and catch it when conditions are right.
6. River sections have been broken up with a simple, informal difficulty scale. It's designed like ski slopes: novice - green circle, intermediate - blue square, expert - black diamond. Novice does not mean first time paddler. Even in the novice sections, you need to be able to confidently maneuver your boat to avoid obstacles, and you need to have a plan in case you go for a swim. Intermediate can be quite difficult and requires planning, experience, the right equipment, and proper conditions. Expert speaks for itself (hopefully).
7. If you go for a swim, quickly maneuver onto your back, feet pointed downstream. Lift your toes out of the water. This helps avoid getting your feet trapped on an underwater obstacle. If you can, hold onto your boat and paddle, but do not put yourself at risk trying to retain equipment. When safe to do so, paddle toward a spot on the shore where you can get out.
8. Never paddle alone.
9. The links you will need to paddle the Bluestone have been included in the maps and a few other places, but for simplicity sake, please find them all here:
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Bluestone River Water Trail Map
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River Sections and Itineraries
With that in mind, you're ready to select a section to paddle! Below, please find a general description and some helpful information about each section.
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Bramwell (Novice, 7.6 miles)
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Fun novice section. The start at Coopers is a little challenging, as it starts right above a swift section. Best to do an upstream ferry to River Left, then go down the deeper channel. Approaching the end of this section, paddle toward River Right to avoid rocks on River Left. Ends in a long calm section. A bit further one, there is a six inch drop. Take it in the center of the River. You'll most likely get wet on this drop.
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For an easier start, put in at the Bramwell Firehouse. Or, stop at Bramwell for a snack and to see the historic town. In any case, the horseshoe bend around Bramwell is fascinating, with dozens of mansions rising along the Riverbank.
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Rock (Intermediate, 13 miles)
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Rock is a pretty challenging section, not appropriate for novice paddlers. The River is shallow and swift. At low water levels, it is slow going with lots of scraping along. It's possible for this section to take way longer than expected and paddlers could get stranded. Although it is bordered by Rock River Road the whole way, it feels like a remote section, and getting help could be challenging.
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At higher water levels (at least 4 ft), this should be a fun novice section around class 1 - class 2 whitewater.
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With all that said, this is a beautiful section of River and has a touch of the "Wild and Scenic" flavor of the Gorge. Access is good at Rock River Road, where an easy walk over a couple boulders leads to a nice access point River Right under the bridge. With adequate training, the right equipment (read: whitewater boats), and appropriate conditions, this would be a lovely section.
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Spanishburg (Novice, 6.6 miles)
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Spanishburg is (in this writer's opinion) the loveliest section of the entire Bluestone. The River gently winds its way through rich bottomland, where cow farms and hay fields grace the shoreline. It is also in this section where slate cliffs begin to rise 200 feet above the River beyond the fields. This section is generally free of hazards, although a couple swift sections should be approached with caution. Remember, if you can't see a clear path all the way though a swift section, get out and scout. There is a low-water bridge at mile 23.5. It is an easy portage River Right. Around mile 24.5 the paddler encounters a small fun rapid about fifty feet long. It can be very shallow at 3 ft, so expect to bump along. Initially, the deeper section is River Right; halfway through, it shifts to River Left. A fun way to approach this rapid is to begin River Right, then halfway through turn left to an upstream ferry. Cross over to River Left, then turn right to continue to the end of the rapid.
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Take-out is River Left where Rich Creek flows into the Bluestone. It's rocky / muddy and a little difficult but paddlers can get under the Rte. 19 bridge that goes over Rich Creek.
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Upper Gorge (Expert, 11.1 miles)
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The Upper Gorge is where the Bluestone gets wild. Initially a fairly moderate fast-flowing stream, before Ead's Mill the River crashes over some crazy rapids. One is a series of drops that are fun and challenging. Even at 4.5 ft they are pretty shallow, so beware. Half a mile before Ead's Mill, the River snakes through Bearclaw. The main channel cuts right and ends just in front of an undercut rock. At 4.5 ft the upper part of this undercut is visible, but beware: around 5 ft it would be hidden, and the River pushed paddlers right into it. You need to paddle hard toward River Left right after Bearclaw. Just before Ead's Mill, another series of class 3 waves takes you down River Left. Watch out for the cliff these waves will try to dump you into: paddle right at the end of them.
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Middle Gorge (Expert, 10.1 miles)
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The Wildest section of the Bluestone. Put in at Ead's Mill. Take out is at the Pipestem Aerial Tram. It is closed for the 2024 Season, so paddlers would have to paddle on to Lilly. Once it is operational again, it will apparently have cargo trams to lift kayaks out of the Gorge, which is pretty awesome. Get updates from Pipestem Resort State Park.
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Lower Gorge (Expert, 10 miles)
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Still expert, but begins to calm down by Lilly. The last mile and half is a flatwater paddle on Bluestone Lake. It may be possible to take out further up, but still needs to be explored.