Idaho | Idaho Panhandle / St. Joe National Forest
Slate Creek
Franklin Mine to St. Joe Confluence
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
A remote 7.9-mile Class IV-V Slate Creek creek-run from the Franklin Mine primitive campground corridor to the St. Joe confluence.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Franklin Mine primitive campground / Old Miner's CabinUse only the named public launch or landing; a nearby bank, bridge shoulder, fishing easement, or private campground is not substitute access.
Take-out
Slate Creek Bridge / St. Joe ConfluenceConfirm current closures, fire restrictions, seasonal gates, parking capacity, fees, launch condition, and Idaho invasive-species requirements before travel.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Use only the named public launch or landing; a nearby bank, bridge shoulder, fishing easement, or private campground is not substitute access.
- Confirm current closures, fire restrictions, seasonal gates, parking capacity, fees, launch condition, and Idaho invasive-species requirements before travel.
- Private banks are common. Do not land, scout, portage, or camp outside a signed public site or manager-designated corridor.
Watch for
- Class V Horseshoe Falls and Triple Drop
- blind ledges and mobile wood
- near-impossible canyon exits
- painted-gauge backwater bias
- seasonal high-clearance road access
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Data and sources
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | St. Joe River at Calder, ID (downstream proxy) |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 4,000 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | North Idaho Rivers Slate Creek cue: at least about 4,000 cfs on downstream Calder proxy; local painted gauge may be backwater-biased |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official route corridorFranklin Mine to St. Joe Confluence; About 7.9 river miles
North Idaho Rivers Slate Creek guide identifies the endpoint chain, river miles, or managed float corridor.
- Public access controlFranklin Mine primitive campground / Old Miner's Cabin to Slate Creek Bridge / St. Joe Confluence
Coordinates represent named public ramps, bank launches, park landings, or an explicitly described staging point.
- Defensible proxy gaugeUSGS 12414500 - St. Joe River at Calder, ID (downstream proxy)
Gauge is downstream on the same river system and must not be treated as a local measurement.
- Threshold postureNumeric cue retained for planning
The route remains planning-only; no live go/no-go score is asserted.
- Safety and land managementCurrent manager notices override this record
North Idaho Rivers describes a steep, narrow canyon with unavoidable holes at higher flows, limited exit options, and Class V Horseshoe Falls/Triple Drop features. This is for an expert creek team with a proven plan, rescue kit, and satellite communication. Logs are always a serious hazard and many drops cannot be seen from the boat. Scout or portage every blind horizon line; after the first major slide, hiking out becomes nearly impossible in the canyon. Use 4,000 cfs on the Calder gauge only as a coarse proxy cue. The local painted gauge can be falsely elevated by St. Joe backwater, and the local Slate response, wood, snow, road opening, and same-day beta control the decision.
- Camping classificationnearby_basecamp
The Franklin Mine primitive campground is the named upper endpoint; other St. Joe corridor camps are staging options, but verify seasonal openings, road conditions, fire rules, and sanitation.
- Image decisionSt. Joe watershed context photograph; Slate Creek endpoint not depicted
Approved route-area or same-river context; it does not depict every endpoint or current conditions.
- Overlap decisionRetained as a distinct access-to-access itinerary
Adjacent cards use different public endpoints and provide a different trip length, hazard set, skill tier, or operating boundary.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- North Idaho Rivers Slate Creek guide
- Official access/map control
- USGS 12414500 monitoring location
- USGS 12414500 current conditions
- Additional threshold support
- American Whitewater Slate Creek reach record
- Franklin Mine locality / campground-area context
- Slate Creek–St. Joe confluence map context
- USGS St. Joe at Calder monitoring location
- St. Joe watershed context photograph; Slate Creek endpoint not depicted
- Idaho boating and invasive-species requirements
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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Quick answers
Slate Creek paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Slate Creek?
Paddle Today watches St. Joe River at Calder, ID (downstream proxy) and uses 4,000 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Slate Creek route start and end?
This route starts at Franklin Mine primitive campground / Old Miner's Cabin and ends at Slate Creek Bridge / St. Joe Confluence, about About 7.9 river miles on the water.
Is this Slate Creek route good for beginners?
This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.