About Lower Grouse
Lower Grouse shares the same bar as Upper Grouse, with Grouse Creek coming in just downstream of the bar. Landing rafts here can be tricky, especially at medium flows and higher as you are essentially landing in the middle of Grouse Creek rapid. If the flows are up, one technique is to have someone park at Upper Grouse, jog down to Lower Grouse, and act as a catcher for the rafts. Besides the absence of a swimming hole, this camp is fantastic. There are plenty of trees that offer shade, a huge area for tents and games, and good views all around.
A brief history of Lower Grouse
While there have been several owners here, the most notable was the Tappan family, after whom this canyon and many of the rapids are called. Lower Grouse is only a short distance away from their cabin. Daisy Tappan and her husband Fred raised their two sons here, and stayed busy with their garden, cattle, chickens, and an orchard.
In 1978, President Jimmy Carter spent the night here during his presidency while on a rafting trip. The official daily diary of President Jimmy Carter for August 22, 1978 spells out a big day. President Carter and his family flew into Indian Creek, then floated down to the Middle Fork Lodge for breakfast. Afterward, they continued downstream another eight miles to Whitie Cox for lunch. And from there, all the way into Lower Grouse. A total of 32 river miles, all in a single day! The next day they pushed off and camped at Elk Bar.
