This description may contain outdated info.
Boulder gardens, gravel bed, flat sections. Average very low volume stream, but paddled only at high water levels after heavy rain, at low to medium volume.
Environment Canada gauge: look for levels above 20 cms for Coquitlam River (at Port Coquitlam) gauge. 50 -70 cms is high.
Length of run 9.5 km
Watch out for wood. Since the run is often paddled when in flood remember the few eddies you will find are probably somewhere in the trees. Poorly suited for swimming!
The run starts with two bangs - two steep boulder drops (IV-). Put in below if you don’t like the looks of them or if you find wood in critical places. Easier boulder gardens (III and II) and lots of small surf waves follow. The last third of the run is a float.
From Vancouver take Hwy 7 (Lougheed Hwy) to Coquitlam. To get to the put-in, drive up Pipeline Rd. in Coquitlam past a gravel pit to a gate. The take-out is on the river-left, downstream side of the Kingsway Avenue bridge across the Coquitlam River in Port Coquitlam.