Whitaker Bridge to Johnsrud Park
NO Very low at 593 CFS — boney and likely unrunnable. · Conditions as of Oct 18, 2026, 11:30 PM. Printed snapshot generated Oct 19, 2026, 12:33 AM— conditions change, wood moves, levels swing. Verify the gauge and scout anything you can't read from upstream.
Mile by mile
- 1RM 17Thibodeau RapidII-III About two miles below Whitaker Bridge by American Whitewater's prose (their POI math says closer to a mile and a half). Large rock right-center as the river drops; safest route on the right (Big Sky Fishing). FWP's float map grades it Class II. Flow-dependent.
- 2RM 12.8The LedgeII A surf wave a quarter mile above Johnsrud that comes in when spring water is up — parking directly above and across the road, popular for park-and-play laps (American Whitewater).
Getting there & back
Put-in
Whitaker Bridge — Concrete ramp and toilet halfway down Johnsrud Park Road (rutted and rocky — give it time). Day use. American Whitewater calls it 'a common put in for whitewater paddlers seeking the most bang for their buck.'
Take-out
Johnsrud Park — The largest site on the river and the downstream end of the Recreation Corridor — concrete ramp, drinking water, toilets, and a reservable group picnic shelter (406-542-5500). Day use; closed in winter. On hot summer days it is a full-on beach scene, and the take-out gets very busy.
Shuttle (take-out → put-in): 5.9 mi · ≈ 21 min
Trip log
Spot wood or a changed rapid? Add it to the run page when you're back in coverage — riverbeta.app/blackfoot-river/blackfoot-whitaker-to-johnsrud — the next crew is counting on you.