The Rockcastle River originates in Laurel County and drains portions of Jackson, Rockcastle, Laurel, and Pulaski counties. One of Kentucky's most popular rivers, the Rockcastle offers something for every type of canoeist.

The upper sections from KY 490 to KY 80 flow over a sand and rock bed through hilly woods and farmland in the heart of the Daniel Boone National Forest. Runnable from late fall to midsummer, this section is scenic and has banks of varying steepness and some very mild (Class I+) whitewater. A favorite run for canoe campers, current is good and dangers to navigation are limited to deadfalls. Access on the upper sections is good (except for steep, mud banks at the KY 80 bridge) and canoe rental and shuttle service is available from nearby professional outfitters.

The lower Rockcastle, from KY 80 to KY 192 is a protected Wild River and is one of Kentucky's most popular whitewater runs. Scenery is splendid with tall, forested hills along the first miles of the run giving way to high, rock bluffs further downstream, with boxcar sized boulders situated in the river and along the banks. Paddling the lower Rockcastle is both interesting and challenging. To begin with, the run is an exhausting 17 miles long. The first six miles are essentially Class I with a fair current and numerous riffles and small ledges. Throughout the next six miles the river picks up a little gradient and several honest Class II rapids are encountered. While these rapids are not difficult, two or three do disappear around boulders or curves. If you are not intimately familiar with the river (this or any other), you should take the time to scout these. Guidebook or no, it is not healthy to get into the habit of running rapids you cannot see the end of.

At about mile 12 the river curves hard right and then hard left tumbling down a Class II ( III?) series of ledges and standing waves known as the"Stair Steps." Beyond this rapid, the Rockcastle reverts to long pools punctuated by short Class II drops at the ends. At about mile 15 the river appears to come to a dead end in a large boulder garden, but closer inspection reveals that whole stream is grunting laboriously between two huge rocks and falling about four feet. This is Beech (Creek) Narrows. Above the drop an ill-placed boulder makes it difficult to set up. Below the drop is a very bad, highly aerated keeper hydraulic. Beyond the hydraulic the current washes directly into a large boulder. While this Class IV rapid has been run both decked and open, I consider attempting to run it highly dangerous, with success more a function of luck (specifically, catching the rotation of the violent hydraulic on the "up cycle" where it helps to kick you free) than skill. A portage trail circles the boulders on the right. My advice: carry around. If you choose to run, set up a rescue person where you are certain you can reach a person trapped in the keeper on the first throw.

Below Beech Narrows the Rockcastle assumes its normal pool and drop for another three quarters of a mile before entering a second apparent cul de sac. Here the river forms a large tranquil pool before cutting hard right, churning down a fast chute, and smacking into a rock. This rapid marks the entrance to the Lower Narrows, a three quarter mile stretch of intense and almost continuous, highly technical Class III and IV water. After the first rapid of the Lower Narrows (which is followed by a 200 yard pool), the remaining four rapids are lined up literally one behind the other in an amazing stretch of tumbling, turbulent whitewater that lambastes the paddler with every challenge in the book. There are, thankfully however, some large eddies that let an embattled paddler stop after each rapid to bail, collect wits, and scramble up the banks to scout whatever lurks ahead. The rapids of the Lower Narrows are all runnable, but they demand considerable expertise in water reading and whitewater tactics. They also demand considerable time. The whole narrows is a series of twisting, turning blind drops so that it is impossible to see what lies beyond the next ledge. Thus, each rapid must be scouted individually. This entails a seemingly endless routine of jumping in and out of boats and scrambling up immense boulders to sneak a look at the next rapid.

The scouting and the boulder hopping are necessary, of course, but also time consuming. A good running time for the Lower Narrows by an experienced group of four open canoe tandem teams would be about two hours. The alternative to running the narrows is carrying via a nice trail on the east bank that is reached by climbing the bank at the end of the pool marking the entrance to the first rapid. In running the lower Rockcastle, time is always a prime consideration. The average paddler already has 15 miles (much of it flatwater), a lunch break, and a portage of Beech Narrows behind when the Lower Narrows are reached. Assuming dark to be around 7:30 P.M. in the spring, a paddler needs to reach the Lower Narrows by 3:00 or 3:30 P.M. to be assured of having enough time to get off the river by dark (allowing a little time for unforeseen circumstances).

Needless to say, the larger the group the longer it will take to get through the narrows (although for safety's sake three boats in a group is considered a minimum). The portage is long (3/4 mile) but is much faster than running a group through the narrows. A frequent mistake observed on the Rockcastle is committed by the experienced paddler who decides to save time by running through the boats of less experienced companions. While this provides some additional enjoyment for the experienced paddler and is both safe and easy for those inexperienced companions, the amount of time it consumes is unbelievable. It is much quicker to let the inexperienced paddlers portage on the trail.

Beyond the lower narrows there are a Class II and a borderline Class III stretch that are blind turns and should be scouted. The first rapid (the Class II) particularly has a tendency to trap floating logs in the spring. Downstream from the Class III it is approximately one mile to the take out at Bee Rock Boat Ramp.

As one might gather, the Rockcastle River is beautiful, challenging, and exhausting. The paddler has more than put in a full day before even reaching the most demanding part of the run. An early put in (10:00 A.M. at the absolute latest) is a necessity. Only paddlers with a lot of experience on technical rivers should attempt the Lower Narrows. Extra flotation is a must for open canoes. Dangers other than those already mentioned include deadfalls on several turns along the first 12 miles. Access is good at both put in and take out. Average stream width is 40 to 60 feet.