Boat Landing · McKenzie River · Below Marten Rapid, near Vida
Helfrich Landing
A big, circular ramp where guides and kayakers trade places just downstream of the canyon’s best-known rapid.
On the water here
confirm ratings locally
Kayakpopular take-out below Marten Rapid
Whitewater raftClass II-III
Drift boatclassic guide take-out and put-in
Fishingtrout, salmon, and steelhead water
Canoeexperienced paddlers only, current nearby
Paddleboardcurrent picks up fast downstream of the rampEast of Vida, Thomson Lane peels off Highway 126 behind the Vida McKenzie Community Center and dead-ends at a wide, circular boat ramp — one of the busier exchange points on the upper McKenzie. This is Helfrich Landing, a name shared with the family of McKenzie River guides Helfrich family namesake who’ve fished and rowed this stretch for close to a century. The ramp sits just downstream of Marten Rapid, a Class III+ boulder garden that draws kayakers finishing a whitewater run and drift boat guides picking up anglers for the afternoon bite in the same breath. A pedestrian suspension bridge crosses the river within sight of the landing, a handy marker if you’re arriving for the first time.
It’s built for volume — a circular, drive-through lot with room for a string of trailers — and it stays that way most of the season: busy, functional, and popular for exactly the reasons the McKenzie is popular here.
More detail
Getting there & parking +
From Highway 126 near milepost 38.5, about a mile east of Vida, turn onto Thomson Lane at the Vida McKenzie Community Center; the road ends directly at the landing.
Facilities & accessibility +
- Boat ramp
- Vault restroom
- Shaded parking
- Circular trailer turnaround
No picnic tables or piped water here — it’s built for launching, not lingering.
River conditions & hazards +
Marten Rapid, a Class III+ boulder garden, sits just upstream — paddlers without whitewater experience should take out above it at Ben & Kay Dorris County Park rather than run it blind. Below the rapid, the water at Helfrich itself eases into Class II, but it’s still fast, cold, snowmelt-fed current typical of the upper canyon, and submerged logs or boulders can shift position after high water.
Nearby landings & float planner +
Helfrich sits right at the hinge between the upper canyon’s whitewater and the classic driftboat water below it.
Fishing at this landing +
Prime trout and salmon water, with steelhead runs pushing through in season — this stretch has been fished by the same guiding families for generations.
