The Clearwater River Road runs from a junction on the west side of Clearwater up the river to the confluence with the Mahood River, a total of 38.5 kms.  It is an old logging road, always bumpy and frequently closed.    At this time it is open for only 11 km, just past the Kettle.    It is now mostly used for fishing, whitewater rafting, and whitewater kayaking.   When the road is open all the way, there are a number of scenic spots to enjoy.    At the end of the road we can hike the Mahood River Trail up to Sylvia and Goodwin Falls, or all the way to Mahood Lake.   The road follows the river upstream as it flows down through canyons, through rapids, and past landmarks.

There are some spots where we can hike down to the riverside and make a full day of backroad driving and exploration.

A complete guide to the Clearwater River Road is found in Roland Neave’s Exploring Wells Gray Park.  the mileages are from his book.  At about 5.4 km is the Wells Gray Park sign.   At about 7.8 km is a side road to a launch spots for river rafting and whitewater kayaking.   At about 8.1 km is a short trail down to the Kettle – a narrow canyon with a falls/rapids.   In the next 24 km are views down to the river and across to the lava cliffs, canyon creeks, and rapids.   At 32.9 km is a spot to view White Horse Bluff standing above the river.    The road ends at the Mahood River confluence.    The trail up to Sylvia and Goodwin Falls is about 3 km.

We have hiked to these spots a number of times (we have even hiked down to Sylvia and Goodwin Falls from Mahood Lake).  Separate posts provide more information now, or in the future.    For now, a few photos (with captions) by the author are shared in a Google Photos album – Clearwater River Road

A slideshow of the album is also embedded in this post for quick access.

We hope to return for some of these hikes if the road is opened again.