Hey Steve,

I just saw your post and it's unfortunately already completely dark out tonight. But in the future, I live a couple miles from Phelps Creek, so feel free to text me and I would be happy to swing by and see the level for you.

Jessica
(440) 479-6187

Yesterday turned out to be the perfect day to be on East Sandy Creek. Water was higher than usual, but not high enough to start washing out the waves & rapids. Not another paddler on the creek (as usual) but lots of people on the trail when I was doing the shuttle. Also stopped at Beaver Creek and tried to surf the wave above Sprucevale, but at yesterdays level (say 1475 cfs) the wave starts to change - very hard to get into from the eddy, and squirrelly as all get out. Not a very good surf session, but now I have the upper limit for that wave pretty much set.

Thanks Jessica. I've been wondering about that creek for ten years, but have never found anyone with any info. Looking at the topos it definitely has potential, but with the gorge you can't scout from up top - only inside. I may check in with you if there's high water and warm temps some day.

Steve Z

Steve,

What section specifically are you looking at running? It's actually on my dog & I's hiking (and waterfall photographing) list as I have heard there's a waterfall both slightly up stream and then another down stream of the covered bridge. I believe the downstream waterfall is actually on a tributary that drops into the creek, but not positive. There's a good chance I will end up hiking it at some point this spring/summer so I can let you know more if I do.

That must be a beautiful place to hike.

I'm wondering about from the covered bridge to where the gradient ends, near where Warner Hollow Road comes close to the creek before straightening out as it goes towards route 534. Probably try to paddle out to the 534 bridge in order to have somewhere to stash the boat...

But that's about 2.25 miles, and it looks like it drops something like 135 feet - so there is serious potential for whitewater. What concerns me is that the gorge is so narrow, and you wouldn't be able to climb out if there was an unpassable rapid/waterfall. Might be a hidden gem for Ohio whitewater paddlers, might be a tree choked dud.

There's another unmentioned creek up that way that seems to have real whitewater potential (closer to your neck of the woods Mike). That would be Mill Creek that empties into Grand River at Hogback Ridge. Worth looking at when the water comes up...

Steve Z

I hiked part of Mill Creek last May actually. We started out at the metro park, and hiked upstream. We hike at low water so I don't have any pictures of rapids at a runnable level, but there is a slide that looks fun, and a bunch of small ledge drops. It was fairly wide and clear of trees when we were there. I would imagine the section we hiked would be a fairly easy portage if you needed even at higher water, but above where we stopped, it started to narrow down. I have a bunch of pictures of that creek. If you have facebook, I post a good deal of them on there if you are interested.

If I end up hiking Phelps Creek at some point, I will post some pictures and let you know what we find. The waterfall downstream of the covered bridge is supposed to be fairly big (30 feet-ish?), but I think it maybe on a tributary dropping into the creek instead of on the main creek itself. There isn't much information out there on it except it's in the section near Camp Whitewood.