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Backpacking on the Klamath offers opportunities for hikers to enjoy getaways to places that very few people ever see. The Klamath has five Wilderness Areas with over 1,000 miles of trails including four National Recreation Trails: Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT), Boundary NRT, Kelsey NRT, and the Clear Creek NRT. Hikers can explore many areas where they will encounter few, if any, other visitors. When enjoying the back country, please do your part to mitigate human caused impacts by using Leave No Trace (LNT) techniques.
Backpacking on the Klamath offers opportunities for hikers to enjoy getaways to places that very few people ever see. The Klamath has five Wilderness Areas with over 1,000 miles of trails including four National Recreation Trails: Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT), Boundary NRT, Kelsey NRT, and the Clear Creek NRT. Hikers can explore many areas where they will encounter few, if any, other visitors. When enjoying the back country, please do your part to mitigate human caused impacts by using Leave No Trace (LNT) techniques.
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.
