Beaver Dam Rapids is a Class II rapid on the North Fork of the Flambeau River in Wisconsin, inside Flambeau River State Forest in Rusk County. It sits near the end of a paddling reach below Hervas landing, among a string of named North Fork rapids that includes Cedar Rapids and Wannigan Rapids.
The falls
The rapid opens with a ledge of about 4 feet, followed by boulders. Grades vary by source, ranging from Class II to Class II+ or II–III. The first drop is hazardous, and portaging it is advised.
Getting there
The Hervas to Beaver Dam paddling run spans 4.9 miles, with the rapid near its downstream end. The Hervas ramp is at the end of River Road, east of the river. The Beaver Dam canoe landing is at the end of Beaver Dam Road off West Lane. Flambeau River State Forest charges nothing to use its river landings. A portage around the first drop follows the left bank.
When to go
The runnable range spans 680 to 5,000 cfs on the Flambeau River Near Bruce gauge: low from 680 to 1,320, medium from 1,320 to 3,420 and high from 3,420 to 5,000. These bands are considered provisional, since three dams lie between the gauge and the run.
On site
Beaver Dam landing has 15 parking spaces and a toilet, but no drinking water and no accessible facilities. Hervas has six spaces, drinking water, toilets and accessible facilities. Every person aboard needs a Coast Guard-approved wearable life jacket, and glass bottles are banned in boats launched or taken out at the forest's landings.
Nearby
Little Cedar Rapids is about 1.2 miles away, Third Cedar Rapids about 1.3 miles, Second Cedar Rapids about 1.8 miles and First Cedar Rapids about 2.6 miles.
Distances are straight-line.