It was a spectacular beautiful day and the most perfect opportunity to go kayaking at Green Peter Reservoir. If you haven’t been there, you need to! It is located off Hwy 20 east of Sweet Home. The cover photo shows the current height of the reservoir after they had significantly lowered the water level late last year.
If you remember, this is the 2nd year in a row that authorities nearly emptied Green Peter Reservoir in an attempt to help Salmon. You can read about it more in my previous post. Who knows whether it actually helped or not, but they allowed Green Peter to fill back up sooner this year from last year’s debacle.
And so, off I went!
When the water level is below the summertime depth, the only accessible entry is at Thistle Creek Boat Ramp. When you arrive, you will see the concrete ramp and no water at the end. You just drive down the boat ramp and then there will be a left turn onto an old paved road and a subsequent ramp. I like to go during the week days as then I usually have the lake to myself. And, just like last year, I was the ONLY one on the entire reservoir for the entire time I was there! It was awesome!
Green Peter is a beautiful sight to kayak. There are no homes around the lake, no stores, no people. It’s just you, your kayak, and nature! Perfection! And the water, as shown above, was sheer glass when I arrived. The beauty of it all is unbelievable!
The last time I visited Green Peter Reservoir, I went towards the right from the boat ramp. Today, I wanted to take a different route. So, I went to the left and around the corner. As you corner around, staying left, off in the distance you will see a bridge. This is Whitcomb bridge.
This is the same road you travel to get to Thistle Creek, but the road continues to Whitcomb Creek County Park and Campground. The campground doesn’t generally open until late spring and this year, specifically, it is scheduled to open on April 18th.
As you make your way down to the bridge, you will see a boat launch on your right and that is the Whitcomb Creek Park boat launch. It’s a great place to get out of the water if you need to stretch your legs.
I continued to kayak down to the bridge. I have seen the bridge in the past, but I had no idea what might be on the other side. Well, it was gorgeous and it wound around quite a distance.
As you approach the bridge, there is a small “waterfall” on your left and I stopped to admire the flow of water.
I just love to sit and listen to the sound of the water and soaking it all in with plenty of sunshine (in the month of February!).
Once I crossed under the bridge, it was all new territory for me!
One of the most beautiful sights along the water’s edge are the evergreen trees. They are so green and so healthy. It was nice to be in a place where deciduous trees are in the minority, since they haven’t even started to bud yet. The evergreens were absolutely magnificent!
As I continued to kayak along, there were several bends and turns and with every corner I took, it was even more spectacular!
I have to admit that at one moment I realized just how alone I was on this section of my kayaking adventure. What I mean is that no one would find you back here. The further back I went, the more isolated I felt. But, this is in a good way, for me. The only sounds were nature and me. Nothing else! It was unbelievably calming and nurturing!
I think the other part of my journey that I enjoyed so much – no garbage! I didn’t find a single piece of garbage along my entire journey. That just never happens any longer, no matter where you’re kayaking.
I continued along until I reach the “end of the road.” It is here that Whitcomb Creek enters Green Peter Reservoir. Seeing as though it’s the last day of February, there is still a lot of water coming into the lake. It was really beautiful to watch.
There was a great sandy rock area where I was able to exit my kayak. I stopped and ate lunch and captured the above video.
A side note:
There have been many times when I’ve gone kayaking and the spot I’ve chosen to exit my kayak and stretch my legs is so calming, tranquil and perfect. I always think to myself – I should have brought a book. I could have easily sat there today, with the sound of the rushing water in the background, the sun beaming down upon me – just soaking up a good fictional novel. Note to self, take a book next time!
Needless to say, I stayed as long as I could and then it was time for me to head back. This location was so perfect. I know I keep using the same word, but it really was perfect! Perfect, perfect, perfect. LOL!
One of the other sights to behold when the water level is so low are the tree stumps.
There are a lot of them and when the reservoir is full, you don’t even think about or consider what may lay beneath the surface. But, they are very cool to look at while you’re embarking upon your journey. I love looking at the them and how they wind around and find the water source. Of course, they’re dead now, but that is how they grow.
As I crossed back under the bridge, the water conditions suddenly changed. What I couldn’t feel at all before, winding around and being in seclusion – the wind!
There was a healthy breeze blowing and thus there were small waves along the water’s surface all the way back to the boat ramp. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing towards me and that means so were the waves. But, I’ve kayaked in these conditions before and knew what I needed to do – keep paddling. As soon as you stop, the wind immediately pushes you backwards. The end of today’s paddling experience was vigorous and sweaty! LOL!
Green Peter Reservoir is a fantastic place to kayak. I wish there were more boat ramps available. As you can see from the map below – the reservoir stretches out a long ways. You would have to plan on an entire day of nonstop kayaking or camp overnight somewhere so you could see a part of the reservoir that you otherwise couldn’t. Perhaps that is in my future!
I hope you able to venture out to Green Peter Reservoir. Even if you don’t kayak as far as I did today, it’s so incredibly beautiful everywhere!
2025 – Kayak Trip #6
