Part of the Clackamas's charm is its proximity to Portland, Oregon's most cosmopolitan city and one of the few places in the state where people outnumber trees. Located east from the city in Clackamas County, the river is only an hour's drive from downtown. Although the first portion of the drive is on interstate highways, the last 45 minutes takes you through bucolic villages like Boring and Estacada. After leaving the towns behind, you will pass through golden farmlands with wheat waving in the wind. Beyond that is timber country. If the sky is clear, you will get an eyeful of the God of the Cascades  Mt. Hood.

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Most kayakers paddle the 14-mile section from Sandstone Bridge to the North Fork Reservoir on the upper section of the Clackamas. Above Sandstone Bridge is a difficult and technical 8-mile section beginning from Collawash River. It has rapids with spooky names like Killer Fang, a class 6 chute, and is only run by expert boaters.

Slammers aside, the Fish Creek section is not terribly technical. Several of the rapids require knowing the appropriate line to take and for these, scouting is a good idea. But, for the most part, eddy hopping is not necessary and you can fire your watercraft down the middle.