Each year thousands of visitors bring recreational vehicles (RV's) to the forest. Most developed campgrounds on the Klamath can accommodate RV's but there are no campgrounds that have hook-ups or showers. RV campers may also take advantage of despersed camping areas but access to remote portions of the forest may be difficult for large RV's to navigate on narrow, windy forest roads.
When camping with your RV please keep in mind the following:
The Klamath does not have a dump station. All grey and black water must be held in storage tanks. Dumping RV water on the ground or along side of roads is illegal. Inquire in local communities for locations of commercial dump stations and plan accordingly.
Always plan ahead for accumulation and storage of your garbage and take it with you when you leave. Never burn or bury garbage in the forest.
Do not destroy trees or vegetation to create a campsite for your RV, tent or table. Park your RV in an area that has been used before and stay back 100 fee from rivers, streams or lakes unless in a developed campground.
Summer or Winter the Goosenest Ranger District provides opportunities for many types of recreation. Deer Mountain and Four Corners snowmobile parks provide 135 miles of groomed snowmobile trails which are part of a 250 mile network the reaches into the western half of the Modoc National Forest and the northern part of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Juniper Flat OHV Area provides 48 Acres of open riding terrin.
Happy Camp lies at the heart of recreation in northern California. River rafting, gold panning, wilderness hiking and scenic driving are all popular activities in the summer. Spring and fall offer the best weather and lower fire danger. Winter snowshoeing and cross country skiing can provide opportunities unmatched for solitude.
The Klamath River was designated a Recreational River within the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System in 1981. The Klamath River enters California from Oregon just north of the Goosenest Ranger District. Heading west it is impounded by two dams forming Copco Lake and Iron Gate Reservoir. Nine miles further west it turns south and follows Interstate 5 for a few miles before again turning west and entering the Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger District. The next 85 miles provide many opportunities for recreation and scenic vistas before the river enters the Six Rivers National Forest. This is a high-use recreation zone. Human waste must be packed out. A scat machine is available in Happy Camp for disposing of collected human waste.
Our interactive river map will help you plan your river trip. It includes information on put-ins and take-puts, rapids, and potential camping sites. You will need to download Google Earth to view the map. You can also book a river trip with one of our permitted outfitters.
If you are planning a river trip you can use this trip documentation card to document your float with the Forest Service. The card may be turned in at a nearby district office or trip card boxes available at put-ins.
The Klamath is subject to closures each summer for Tribal ceremonies. Please refer to the current River Access Closure Flyer for more information.
