Snake River Kayak Portage Series - Oxbow Dam

Hello, Columbia River Paddlers!
Welcome to your guide to portaging a kayak around Oxbow Dam on the Snake River. The Snake River, stretching 1,100 miles through the American West, connects the breathtaking beauty of Yellowstone to the mighty Columbia River in Washington state. This video is part of an exciting series documenting the preparation for an epic 2025 expedition to navigate the entire river’s length-including its many dams, whitewater sections, and water falls. On the portage scale I rated Oxbow Dam as Difficult. THe distance of the portage is 1.3 miles with a 128 foot fairly steep climb right at the beginning and a 218 foot descent. I rated it difficult due to its steepness which for most paddlers would require a few stops to get up the hill. On similar portages I have in the past made two trips taking my gear on one and the kayak on another. The takeout above the dam is a short but steep fishermens path and the putin below the dam is a short gravel path to the water. I rate it difficult for these reasons but doable and should take less than 1.5 hours to complete.

[@kevincasey2947]

Curious when you are planning your Snake River Trip in 2025? Are you going solo or with others?

[@columbiariverpaddlers9887]

I will be meeting up with others along the way not only for logistics but also for company. thanks

[@kevincasey2947]

@@columbiariverpaddlers9887 Will your group be with your fellow club members and/or select friends or is will it be on an invitational basis?

[@columbiariverpaddlers9887]

@@kevincasey2947 thanks for checking, I am looking for any qualified paddlers to join me on the journey. There are intense whitewater sections as well as flat water sections. Each section would be 7-10 days and range in miles from 70 to 150 miles, averaging about 20 miles per day with every 4th day a rest day. Let me know if your interested.