When planning a trip with 2 or more families, consider reserving one of 8 group camps on the Klamath. There are many advantages to being in the group camp instead of several family camps.
Group camps may save you money depending on the number of people you have and the number of vehicles, RV's and boats that need parking.
Group camps allow you to eat together as a group and in some cases, have special cooking facilities and garbage bins.
Group camps usually have restrooms located nearby for the group that are generally not used by the other campers in the area.
Group camps are generally set apart from the family camps so the additional noise created by the group does not bother other people.
Group camps are assigned by reservation only so you know when you get there that your entire group will be together.
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.
The Salmon River was designated a Scenic River and Recreational River within the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System in 1981. The South Fork Salmon was also designated a Scenic and Recreational River in 1981. The North Fork Salmon was designated a Wild and Recreational River within the national system in 1981. The watersheds of two great wilderness areas combine to form the Salmon River. The North Fork of the Salmon River begins high up in the Marble Mountains Wilderness while the South Fork of the Salmon finds its origins in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. The two forks join forces at a place aptly called Forks of Salmon. Twenty miles further west and the Salmon River empties into the Klamath and continues on to the Pacific Ocean. This area is rich with history and culture of native people and of gold seekers and pioneers.
