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Oregon
Lightning Creek
No verdict for this water
We won't guess. Here is exactly what we do and don't know.
What we do know
Inside Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
2 managing-area boundaries mapped — agency alerts for them feed this page automatically.
Boundary data
What's missing
No access route mapped
We don't yet know which road reaches this trailhead, so we can't tell you if it's gated.
Nobody's filed a report here yet — be the first.
Why you'll love it
River facts
- Water
- Flows year-round
- Average flow
- 33 cfs
- Average current
- 1.3 ft/s
- Gradient
- 220.5 ft/mi
- Drainage area
- 62 sq mi
Long-term averages modeled by USGS (NHDPlus HR), not today's conditions. Check a gauge before you go.
Here's your day on the water, mapped
Lightning Creek
AI-suggested draft · review before you go
Photos
Directions & GPX
Permits & access
- Managing agency
- Forest Service
About this water
Lightning Creek is a 22-mile paddling stretch near Imnaha, Oregon. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 33 cfs and a gradient of about 220.5 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
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Keep exploring — more water worth the drive
Photo: pfly from Pugetopolis, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Wallowa River
~53 min drive
Wallowa River is a 9.8-mile paddling stretch near Enterprise, Oregon. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 133 cfs and a gradient of about 71.8 feet per mile.
Pittsburg Landing Boat Launch
~20 min drive
A worthwhile stop near Idaho.
Pittsburg Landing
~20 min drive
Pittsburg Landing is a boat launch in Idaho.
Sheep Creek
~25 min drive
Sheep Creek is a 6.1-mile paddling stretch near Riggins, Idaho. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 39 cfs and a gradient of about 483.7 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Lucile Recreation Site
~35 min drive
A worthwhile stop near Idaho.
Dug Bar Trailhead and Boat Launch
~23 min drive
A worthwhile stop near Idaho.
Big Sheep Creek
~37 min drive
Big Sheep Creek is a 40-mile paddling stretch near Imnaha, Oregon. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 170 cfs and a gradient of about 117.4 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Island Bar Recreation Site
~44 min drive
A worthwhile stop near Idaho.
Campbell Flat Boat Ramp
~35 min drive
Campbell Flat Boat Ramp is a boat launch in Idaho.
Little Sheep Creek
~38 min drive
Little Sheep Creek is a 30-mile paddling stretch near Joseph, Oregon. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 36 cfs and a gradient of about 192.5 feet per mile.
