Pelton River Kayaking Guide

The Pelton River — also called Pelton Creek — is a 5.9-mile Gogebic County tributary of the Slate River, mapped near 46.39134, -89.56626. It is a short stream in the Ottawa National Forest country of the western UP, and waterfalls in the vicinity underscore an important point: this should not be presented as casual flatwater.

No established paddle route or public launch is documented for the Pelton. There is no put-in, no take-out, no mileage itinerary, and no paddler's description of the water. The falls nearby are a warning sign for anyone tempted to assume a short tributary will be an easy float — in this terrain, short streams often drop hard.

This guide describes no run. If the Pelton interests you, it should be as a scouting project with full caution: verify access, scout on foot, and be ready for whitewater or unrunnable drops.

Paddling the Pelton River

The river's setting

The Pelton runs about 5.9 miles through Gogebic County forest to the Slate River. The mapped reference point (about 46.39134, -89.56626) places it in rugged Ottawa National Forest country where streams frequently run steep and rocky.

Why no route is described

No access point, no mileage breakdown, and no flow information for paddlers exists in any source we checked. Combined with the nearby falls, that is a firm basis for describing no route rather than guessing at one.

Hazards & Portages

Falls and steep drops are likely in this terrain — scout on foot before floating anything. Otherwise, assume the standard unknowns of an undocumented forest stream: strainers, beaver dams, shallow rocky stretches. Never put on above an unseen drop.

Access & Parking

None documented. There is no verified public launch for the Pelton River (or Pelton Creek). Verify land ownership and access locally before approaching the stream.

Map

The marker below is an approximate reference point on the Pelton River — not a verified launch site.