Middle Branch of the
Oswegatchie River
Oswegatchie River
Location - South of Harrisville, NY
Difficulty - Class III, IV, V
Length - 12 miles Date - Various
Level - Low and Medium
Difficulty - Class III, IV, V
Length - 12 miles Date - Various
Level - Low and Medium
The Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie is another classic run
in northern New York with stunning drops and great scenery.
This run is almost completely pool / drop in nature, but the
flatwater is generally not long enough to be frustrating. If
you are running all of the drops on the Middle Branch you will
appreciate the flatwater since you’ll need to calm your nerves
anyways. This run is divided into an upper and a lower
section that can easily be combined into a single trip. In all,
about 12 big granite ledge drops are encountered with
difficulty ranging from class IV to class V. The biggest drops
approach 50 feet, but scouting and portaging is generally
easy and the run is interesting enough to do even if you don’
t plan on running some of the largest falls.
My first time on the Middle Branch was a solo run of the lower
stretch starting at Bryant’s Bridge. This was more of a
scouting trip and I didn’t really run any of the drops since I
was alone. Two years later I returned with a few friends and
we paddled all but three of the biggest ledges. At that time
we weren’t sure if all of the drops had been run, but I know of
at least one group that has since cleaned every drop on the
river. The description that follows is from the second trip
where we ran the drops, but the pictures of the lower run are
from my initial scouting trip.
My first full run of this section came in early October and the
group consisted of Mike McDonnell, myself, and another
boater that was working for Saint Lawrence. We had only
paddled with this guy once before and hoped his skills would
be up for the run. Our first major obstacle of the day came
on the way to the put in. After passing over Bryant’s Bridge
we turned left and found the dirt road leading to the put in
blocked with locked gate. Hunting clubs own much of the
adjacent land and since it was deer season it made sense
that the road was closed off. I sized up the gap between the
in northern New York with stunning drops and great scenery.
This run is almost completely pool / drop in nature, but the
flatwater is generally not long enough to be frustrating. If
you are running all of the drops on the Middle Branch you will
appreciate the flatwater since you’ll need to calm your nerves
anyways. This run is divided into an upper and a lower
section that can easily be combined into a single trip. In all,
about 12 big granite ledge drops are encountered with
difficulty ranging from class IV to class V. The biggest drops
approach 50 feet, but scouting and portaging is generally
easy and the run is interesting enough to do even if you don’
t plan on running some of the largest falls.
My first time on the Middle Branch was a solo run of the lower
stretch starting at Bryant’s Bridge. This was more of a
scouting trip and I didn’t really run any of the drops since I
was alone. Two years later I returned with a few friends and
we paddled all but three of the biggest ledges. At that time
we weren’t sure if all of the drops had been run, but I know of
at least one group that has since cleaned every drop on the
river. The description that follows is from the second trip
where we ran the drops, but the pictures of the lower run are
from my initial scouting trip.
My first full run of this section came in early October and the
group consisted of Mike McDonnell, myself, and another
boater that was working for Saint Lawrence. We had only
paddled with this guy once before and hoped his skills would
be up for the run. Our first major obstacle of the day came
on the way to the put in. After passing over Bryant’s Bridge
we turned left and found the dirt road leading to the put in
blocked with locked gate. Hunting clubs own much of the
adjacent land and since it was deer season it made sense
that the road was closed off. I sized up the gap between the
metal post making up the edge of the gate and a huge boulder placed next to it to
prevent trucks from bypassing the closure. Four wheelers had obviously been
around the gate, and while the opening looked too small even for my little Nissan I
thought I would give it a go. I crept forward until the left side of the truck was an inch
from the boulder and the coming around the back right wheel well was touching the
gate’s post. People were yelling for me to stop, but I gave it a little gas and popped
on through with barely a nick to the plastic edging. It was unclear if we would be able
to sneak past on the way out, but at least we could run the river.
The upper run starts at a sketchy old bridge over the Middle Branch and winds for a
short distance through flatwater. Many downed trees line the banks here as this
area was heavily affected by a strong microburst that came from a massive
thunderstorm in the late 1990’s. Luckily the river is clear. The first rapid is
recognized by a sharp bend in the river and the start of a miniature gorge. River
right is easiest for scouting. This class IV drop contains a fast and somewhat tricky
lead in that ends in a five foot broken ledge. The best line at low and medium levels
is a narrow boof flake just to the left of center. The tempting looking book on the left
is shallow and the fold in the center of the drop looks like it could be nasty.
Everyone ran clean lines through here and our small group moved on quickly.
The second rapid of the run is a solid class IV+ ledge also found at the end of a
small gorge with the best scout being on river right once again. The river runs fast
through some tricky holes before plunging over the twelve foot ledge at the exit to
the little canyon. The best line is the obvious auto boof on river left. The river right
side drops steeply into an extremely aerated hydraulic that is made very sticky by a
tall boil and a strong river right eddy feeding back into it from the pool at the base of
the drop. Our new friend became disoriented in the lead in to this ledge and ended
up getting a pretty strong pounding in the hole. We ended up roping him out and
waiting a surprisingly long time for the boat to flush free. At higher flows it is likely
that this hole gets very retentive.
Flatwater follows this second drop and a few easier rapids are encountered before
the next major falls is encountered where the Middle Branch makes a right turn and
drops about thirty feet over a trashy ledge. The only problem with a straightforward
line down the middle of this rough looking slide is that the bottom two thirds of it is
blocked by a house sized boulder extending out from the right bank.
prevent trucks from bypassing the closure. Four wheelers had obviously been
around the gate, and while the opening looked too small even for my little Nissan I
thought I would give it a go. I crept forward until the left side of the truck was an inch
from the boulder and the coming around the back right wheel well was touching the
gate’s post. People were yelling for me to stop, but I gave it a little gas and popped
on through with barely a nick to the plastic edging. It was unclear if we would be able
to sneak past on the way out, but at least we could run the river.
The upper run starts at a sketchy old bridge over the Middle Branch and winds for a
short distance through flatwater. Many downed trees line the banks here as this
area was heavily affected by a strong microburst that came from a massive
thunderstorm in the late 1990’s. Luckily the river is clear. The first rapid is
recognized by a sharp bend in the river and the start of a miniature gorge. River
right is easiest for scouting. This class IV drop contains a fast and somewhat tricky
lead in that ends in a five foot broken ledge. The best line at low and medium levels
is a narrow boof flake just to the left of center. The tempting looking book on the left
is shallow and the fold in the center of the drop looks like it could be nasty.
Everyone ran clean lines through here and our small group moved on quickly.
The second rapid of the run is a solid class IV+ ledge also found at the end of a
small gorge with the best scout being on river right once again. The river runs fast
through some tricky holes before plunging over the twelve foot ledge at the exit to
the little canyon. The best line is the obvious auto boof on river left. The river right
side drops steeply into an extremely aerated hydraulic that is made very sticky by a
tall boil and a strong river right eddy feeding back into it from the pool at the base of
the drop. Our new friend became disoriented in the lead in to this ledge and ended
up getting a pretty strong pounding in the hole. We ended up roping him out and
waiting a surprisingly long time for the boat to flush free. At higher flows it is likely
that this hole gets very retentive.
Flatwater follows this second drop and a few easier rapids are encountered before
the next major falls is encountered where the Middle Branch makes a right turn and
drops about thirty feet over a trashy ledge. The only problem with a straightforward
line down the middle of this rough looking slide is that the bottom two thirds of it is
blocked by a house sized boulder extending out from the right bank.
At best the straightforward line here would lead to a horrendous
piton, at worst it would lead to being trapped against the
undercut chunk of granite. It looks possible to boof into an eddy
on the top left and use it to drive far enough left to miss the
boulder, but none of us felt up to trying to make this move. We
portaged on river right although either side probably would have
worked.
A series of fun class III and class IV ledges followed this bigger
drop and we were entertained by the creeky nature of these
rapids. Often the channel was narrow and the drops fast
enough to be somewhat demanding. A strainer blocked the
outlet of one of these great drops, but it was possible to avoid it
by ducking through its jagged branches immediately after
landing a four foot boof over a somewhat grabby looking hole.
This was exciting, but no one had any major difficulties through
this stretch. If my memory serves me right, the end of this
stretch is marked by a long and easy slide into a somewhat
beefy river wide hydraulic. Flatwater leads for a short distance
to a distinct and nearly featureless horizon line that should be
scouted from either side, with river left being the most
convenient. The sight from the top of this drop is truly
piton, at worst it would lead to being trapped against the
undercut chunk of granite. It looks possible to boof into an eddy
on the top left and use it to drive far enough left to miss the
boulder, but none of us felt up to trying to make this move. We
portaged on river right although either side probably would have
worked.
A series of fun class III and class IV ledges followed this bigger
drop and we were entertained by the creeky nature of these
rapids. Often the channel was narrow and the drops fast
enough to be somewhat demanding. A strainer blocked the
outlet of one of these great drops, but it was possible to avoid it
by ducking through its jagged branches immediately after
landing a four foot boof over a somewhat grabby looking hole.
This was exciting, but no one had any major difficulties through
this stretch. If my memory serves me right, the end of this
stretch is marked by a long and easy slide into a somewhat
beefy river wide hydraulic. Flatwater leads for a short distance
to a distinct and nearly featureless horizon line that should be
scouted from either side, with river left being the most
convenient. The sight from the top of this drop is truly
spectacular. The ledge that has forced you out of your boat to
scout is a ten or twelve foot ledge with a very forgiving center
line. Below this drop a pool no longer than a boat length
contains fast flowing water that leads to a fifteen or twentyfoot
ledge with many routes and several dead end lines. Below this
second ledge about thirty feet of class II leads to what appears to
be the edge of the world. Forty foot Rainbow Falls drops into a
gorge at this point and from your upstream vantage point all that
can be seen is a fine mist rising into the air from the dark
depths. In all the Middle Branch drops about 80 feet in this
hundred yards stretch. I ran a very clean line over the lead in
ledge and made the move to river left in order to hit a clean line
through a narrow crack in the second twenty foot sliding ledge.
Even though the eddy below all of this was in class II whitewater,
catching it was a little exciting. The lead in drops to Rainbow
Falls are outstanding, but it’s important to get out if you don’t
plan on running the big drop.
Rainbow Falls drops about forty feet or so and at first glance it
appears only marginally runnable. On our trip we no one
seriously considered dropping the falls. From our vantage point
all we could see was the river right side that makes the direct
drop of forty five feet in what appears to be a shallow pool.
However, I have seen video of my friends running this one and
there is a two stage line farther to river left that we did not
notice. Apparently the lead in ledge slopes gently for about ten
feet before leading to a ten foot drop onto a shelf that
immediately spills over the last twenty foot drop. The lines I saw
on film looked very clean and soft which is nice to know. The
drop is large enough and tough enough so it would probably
entertain just about anyone that paddles.
scout is a ten or twelve foot ledge with a very forgiving center
line. Below this drop a pool no longer than a boat length
contains fast flowing water that leads to a fifteen or twentyfoot
ledge with many routes and several dead end lines. Below this
second ledge about thirty feet of class II leads to what appears to
be the edge of the world. Forty foot Rainbow Falls drops into a
gorge at this point and from your upstream vantage point all that
can be seen is a fine mist rising into the air from the dark
depths. In all the Middle Branch drops about 80 feet in this
hundred yards stretch. I ran a very clean line over the lead in
ledge and made the move to river left in order to hit a clean line
through a narrow crack in the second twenty foot sliding ledge.
Even though the eddy below all of this was in class II whitewater,
catching it was a little exciting. The lead in drops to Rainbow
Falls are outstanding, but it’s important to get out if you don’t
plan on running the big drop.
Rainbow Falls drops about forty feet or so and at first glance it
appears only marginally runnable. On our trip we no one
seriously considered dropping the falls. From our vantage point
all we could see was the river right side that makes the direct
drop of forty five feet in what appears to be a shallow pool.
However, I have seen video of my friends running this one and
there is a two stage line farther to river left that we did not
notice. Apparently the lead in ledge slopes gently for about ten
feet before leading to a ten foot drop onto a shelf that
immediately spills over the last twenty foot drop. The lines I saw
on film looked very clean and soft which is nice to know. The
drop is large enough and tough enough so it would probably
entertain just about anyone that paddles.
The portage around the falls is steep and a rope would help with lowering
boats, but we managed to scramble down a rough path on our own. An easy
class III gorge leads away from the falls which is mostly out of site around a
sharp bend in the river. This pretty much marks the end of the drops on the
upper stretch of the Middle Branch and the next land mark is Bryant’s Bridge,
the half way point of the run.
The lower run is made up a few fun drops and a few truly impressive falls.
Shallow quick water leads for about a quarter of a mile to the first drop on the
lower run, a fifteen foot ledge featuring a shallow boof with a somewhat trashy
runout. This rapid is class IV and does not seem particularly consequential,
but it could accumulate wood so it is worth a quick scout. Shortly below is the
most exciting of the lower runs easier drops. The Oswegatchie enters a small
gorge and accelerates down a steep ramping slide dropping between fifteen
and twenty feet before slamming into a hole backed up by some boiling
eddies. The best line is on river right as it lines you to hit the current exiting
the base of the drop. You'll be going very fast here so while the hole looks
munchy, it does not seem to be a problem.
A few fun class III-IV ledges and slides are encountered in the next half mile as
the river winds its way back and forth through the bedrock ledges that are so
common in this area. The next drop of note is a steeply sliding forty or fifty
footer that deserves a lot of respect. A series of easy ledges begin and lead
to the obvious horizon line. Take out on river right as close to the edge as you
dare for an easy scout and or portage. This big steep slide has been run, but
boaters going deep at the bottom have pitoned into rocks and dented up boats
pretty badly. If this ledge had a boof flake somewhere in it or landed in deeper
water it would rival some of north country's best big drops. Looking down on
old growth white pines from the top of the falls is an incredible sight. This view
also shows the start of a mile long stretch of flatwater that lies between here
and the last big drop of the run, Sluice Falls.
Sluice Falls lies around a tight ninety degree bend to the left in the river and
aggressively boat scouting the class III rapid that leads in to it could get you
into big trouble. Take out on river left to scout or portage. Sluice Falls is a
triple drop through a wild granite gorge with steep walls on river right and a
huge nearly vertical slab of sloping ledge dropping into the river on the left.
The first drop is a nice looking ten or twelve foot drop with a few shallow and
nasty looking spots at the base, but nothing to be overly concerned with. The
second drop is a ten or fifteen foot slide through a pinch in the ledges that
seems to grow narrower near the base of the falls. The hole at the bottom
seems very forgiving, but this pinch is what kept me from running the series on
our trip. It would be great to know what the ledge looks like under all of that
water. A pin in that slot would be very problematic because the sheer river left
wall would make an effective rescue almost impossible. This one has been run
and from it looks very clean in the footage I have seen, but no one went deep.
A small moving pool leads to the third part of Sluice Falls, a twenty foot vertical
drop that partially ramps off of the river left wall and ends in a pool full of huge
boils. This last drop would be an awesome way to end this spectacular triple
falls and every time I see pictures of this set I feel a little guilty about not having
stepped up to run the rapid. This is a solid class V drop, much harder than lots
of the other big drops in New York that tend to be one move wonders. It is also
one of the most visually impressive rapids I have seen and it looks extremely
fun and rewarding. I hope to get back to the Middle Branch of the
Oswegatchie to test my skills and my nerve on this magical falls sometime in
the future.
Below Sluice Falls the river makes a few ninety degree jogs around outcrops of
bedrock poking up out of the sandy glacial soil that covers this area. A good
stretch of flatwater follows, but it has a swift current and seems to go by
quickly. One last class IV ledge waits in this stretch with the cleanest line being
on river left and alternate options on the far right. A few nasty mid stream
boulders could potentially complicate this one so its important to not totally let
down your guard. One past this last obstacle the last two miles of river are
completely flat down to the take at the first road bridge you encounter.
On our autumn run we drove back up to the locked gate and since the other
driver was not willing to take his truck through the sketchy route around the
gate I started jogging down the dirt road. Just as I was settling in to what
looked like it would be a five mile jog in a newly formed snow squall Mike and
the third guy we were with drive up behind me. Luckily they had been
approached by a truck being driven by two drunk hunters. Normally finding
trucks full of drunk guys with rifles is a bad thing, but these characters had a
key to the gate that was blocking in my truck. Through some twisted
conversation, slurred speech, and an ample dose of "good old boy" talk, the
fellows opened up the gate and asked that we just close it and snap down the
lock on our way out. I was happy to end my run after only a half mile.
The Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie is an out of the way run tucked into one
of the least accessible parts of the Adirondacks. This, combined with the
dubious access and huge ledges, has kept the river from gaining in popularity.
The run is certainly worth paddling even if you pass on some of the bigger
drops. For boaters looking for a place to go big this should be one of the
prime destinations in the northeast. It is important to treat the local landowners
with a great deal of respect and even reverence no matter what they may be
doing. It is legal to access the river at Bryant's Bridge and to use the take out
that we did, but I am not sure about the gated road. The road is apparently
open when it is snow free and any time other than deer hunting season.
Rumor has it that the hunting club will give you permission to use the road
anytime if they are approached. Be nice and smile, it can go a long way.
boats, but we managed to scramble down a rough path on our own. An easy
class III gorge leads away from the falls which is mostly out of site around a
sharp bend in the river. This pretty much marks the end of the drops on the
upper stretch of the Middle Branch and the next land mark is Bryant’s Bridge,
the half way point of the run.
The lower run is made up a few fun drops and a few truly impressive falls.
Shallow quick water leads for about a quarter of a mile to the first drop on the
lower run, a fifteen foot ledge featuring a shallow boof with a somewhat trashy
runout. This rapid is class IV and does not seem particularly consequential,
but it could accumulate wood so it is worth a quick scout. Shortly below is the
most exciting of the lower runs easier drops. The Oswegatchie enters a small
gorge and accelerates down a steep ramping slide dropping between fifteen
and twenty feet before slamming into a hole backed up by some boiling
eddies. The best line is on river right as it lines you to hit the current exiting
the base of the drop. You'll be going very fast here so while the hole looks
munchy, it does not seem to be a problem.
A few fun class III-IV ledges and slides are encountered in the next half mile as
the river winds its way back and forth through the bedrock ledges that are so
common in this area. The next drop of note is a steeply sliding forty or fifty
footer that deserves a lot of respect. A series of easy ledges begin and lead
to the obvious horizon line. Take out on river right as close to the edge as you
dare for an easy scout and or portage. This big steep slide has been run, but
boaters going deep at the bottom have pitoned into rocks and dented up boats
pretty badly. If this ledge had a boof flake somewhere in it or landed in deeper
water it would rival some of north country's best big drops. Looking down on
old growth white pines from the top of the falls is an incredible sight. This view
also shows the start of a mile long stretch of flatwater that lies between here
and the last big drop of the run, Sluice Falls.
Sluice Falls lies around a tight ninety degree bend to the left in the river and
aggressively boat scouting the class III rapid that leads in to it could get you
into big trouble. Take out on river left to scout or portage. Sluice Falls is a
triple drop through a wild granite gorge with steep walls on river right and a
huge nearly vertical slab of sloping ledge dropping into the river on the left.
The first drop is a nice looking ten or twelve foot drop with a few shallow and
nasty looking spots at the base, but nothing to be overly concerned with. The
second drop is a ten or fifteen foot slide through a pinch in the ledges that
seems to grow narrower near the base of the falls. The hole at the bottom
seems very forgiving, but this pinch is what kept me from running the series on
our trip. It would be great to know what the ledge looks like under all of that
water. A pin in that slot would be very problematic because the sheer river left
wall would make an effective rescue almost impossible. This one has been run
and from it looks very clean in the footage I have seen, but no one went deep.
A small moving pool leads to the third part of Sluice Falls, a twenty foot vertical
drop that partially ramps off of the river left wall and ends in a pool full of huge
boils. This last drop would be an awesome way to end this spectacular triple
falls and every time I see pictures of this set I feel a little guilty about not having
stepped up to run the rapid. This is a solid class V drop, much harder than lots
of the other big drops in New York that tend to be one move wonders. It is also
one of the most visually impressive rapids I have seen and it looks extremely
fun and rewarding. I hope to get back to the Middle Branch of the
Oswegatchie to test my skills and my nerve on this magical falls sometime in
the future.
Below Sluice Falls the river makes a few ninety degree jogs around outcrops of
bedrock poking up out of the sandy glacial soil that covers this area. A good
stretch of flatwater follows, but it has a swift current and seems to go by
quickly. One last class IV ledge waits in this stretch with the cleanest line being
on river left and alternate options on the far right. A few nasty mid stream
boulders could potentially complicate this one so its important to not totally let
down your guard. One past this last obstacle the last two miles of river are
completely flat down to the take at the first road bridge you encounter.
On our autumn run we drove back up to the locked gate and since the other
driver was not willing to take his truck through the sketchy route around the
gate I started jogging down the dirt road. Just as I was settling in to what
looked like it would be a five mile jog in a newly formed snow squall Mike and
the third guy we were with drive up behind me. Luckily they had been
approached by a truck being driven by two drunk hunters. Normally finding
trucks full of drunk guys with rifles is a bad thing, but these characters had a
key to the gate that was blocking in my truck. Through some twisted
conversation, slurred speech, and an ample dose of "good old boy" talk, the
fellows opened up the gate and asked that we just close it and snap down the
lock on our way out. I was happy to end my run after only a half mile.
The Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie is an out of the way run tucked into one
of the least accessible parts of the Adirondacks. This, combined with the
dubious access and huge ledges, has kept the river from gaining in popularity.
The run is certainly worth paddling even if you pass on some of the bigger
drops. For boaters looking for a place to go big this should be one of the
prime destinations in the northeast. It is important to treat the local landowners
with a great deal of respect and even reverence no matter what they may be
doing. It is legal to access the river at Bryant's Bridge and to use the take out
that we did, but I am not sure about the gated road. The road is apparently
open when it is snow free and any time other than deer hunting season.
Rumor has it that the hunting club will give you permission to use the road
anytime if they are approached. Be nice and smile, it can go a long way.
Here I am below the second drop on the Middle Branch after a successful run. River right has a
terrible hole being fed strongly by the eddy I am sitting in.
terrible hole being fed strongly by the eddy I am sitting in.
Mike McDonnell hitting the narrow boof flake at the bottom of the first drop on the Middle Branch.
The slot just to his right looked trashy at this water level.
The slot just to his right looked trashy at this water level.
My boat is hidden by a small wave while running the lead in to the first
drop on the Middle Branch.
drop on the Middle Branch.
Mike runs the lead in to the second drop on the Middle Branch. The must make move to
river left starts just below this first hole.
river left starts just below this first hole.
I'm still not sure why Mike didn't take a picture of me running the drop, but this sweet ten
foot ledge is followed by a trashy slide that ends in a short class II rapid leading to the lip of
forty foot Rainbow Falls. Set safety accordingly.
foot ledge is followed by a trashy slide that ends in a short class II rapid leading to the lip of
forty foot Rainbow Falls. Set safety accordingly.
We portaged Rainbow Falls on river left and ran the short class III gorge
below it. The drop has since been run and is supposedly not as bad as
it looks.
below it. The drop has since been run and is supposedly not as bad as
it looks.
A sweet slide in the first half of the run below Bryant's Bridge. This is one of the smallest
drops on this lower stretch, so be sure to scout each horizon line.
drops on this lower stretch, so be sure to scout each horizon line.
The big trashy fifty foot slide as seen at low water on my initial scouting trip of the river in
May of 2001. Boaters have hit bottom at the base so beware.
May of 2001. Boaters have hit bottom at the base so beware.
The view from the top of the lower stretch's big slide is impressive if
nothing else. River right makes for a simple scout or portage.
nothing else. River right makes for a simple scout or portage.
Sluice Falls is the massive triple drop at the end of the run. Pictured
here is the middle drop and the lead in to the bottom drop.
here is the middle drop and the lead in to the bottom drop.
Looking down from the lip of the last drop in Sluice Falls makes running
this huge three step falls very tempting.
this huge three step falls very tempting.
After Sluice Falls the Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie runs flat through terrain much like
that seen in this picture. One more class IV rapid lies in this stretch, so don't completely relax.
that seen in this picture. One more class IV rapid lies in this stretch, so don't completely relax.