Courtois Creek
Float Trip Guide.

Upper Courtois — Brazil to Blunt

Secluded, clear, and floatable mainly in spring or after rain. The quiet upper creek runs scrapy in summer — caught early, it's the locals' hideaway.

Lower Courtois — Bass River to the Huzzah

The main outfitted creek below Highway 8: easy Class I day floats past Bass River Resort down to the Huzzah confluence at Scotia. Quieter than the Huzzah, same clear water.

• PFDs (legally required — one per person, worn by anyone under 7).
• Dry bag for keys, phone, and ID.
• Drinking water — there's no potable water on the creek.
• Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat.
• Hard-soled water shoes — shallow, rocky, lots of in-and-out.
• A light boat — kayak or canoe over a raft on this small water.
• Trash bag — pack out everything; keep the locals' creek clean.

• No gauge of its own — use the Huzzah's. The Courtois reads off the Huzzah Steelville gauge (USGS 07017200). When the Huzzah is low, so is the Courtois — they're the same water, not alternatives.
• Quieter than the Huzzah. Same quality, fewer people. The locals' pick when the Huzzah is crowded — but it's the same gauge, so it's not a low-water backup.
• Upper creek is spring-only. Brazil to Highway 8 needs spring runoff. By summer, float the lower creek from Bass River instead.
• Base at Bass River or Steelville. Bass River Resort is the on-creek outfitter; Steelville has gas, food, and lodging for the whole watershed.

Plan your Courtois Creek trip on Eddy