Your one-day trip begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Indian Creek River Access just west of Happy Camp. We’ll assist you in choosing appropriate clothing for the day on the river (think wet!). Our usual attire is a swimsuit, sandals, hat & sunglasses plus sunscreen. Summers in Happy Camp are warm -- really warm. Your guides will outfit you with a life-jacket and give a short orientation and safety talk. If it’s your first rafting trip, we’ll include paddling instruction. For those wanting to try out the inflatable kayaks, your guides will do a demo including some practice in the calm stretch of river at the put-in. A one-day trip features some of the best rapids along this 40-mile section of the Klamath River. There are pools for swimming & floating in the warm water. We’ll take a mid-day break at Kanaka Creek and prepare a deli-style lunch. Our take-out point is 12 miles down river at Ferry Point -- the original 1840’s river crossing for miners on their way to Happy Camp.

We’ll be camping on a secluded beach just up-river from the one-day take-out at Ferry Point. Our camp is surrounded by blackberries and features a large pool for fishing or swimming. A short ways up-river there is a rock wall with a rare Peregrine Falcon nest. Across the pool, two Osprey nests high in the pine trees. Summer is the breeding season, so expect to hear the young ones chirping for food or later on beginning to try out their wings above us. Waking early as the sun touches the hillside behind our camp: The guides in the kitchen – hot coffee, tea or cocoa coming right up – breakfast to follow. A flock of canadian geese slides up river to greet the day and river otters are often seen scurrying about on the opposite shore. Today is a day of larger rapids – remember those paddle commands – and a hike to Ukonom Falls. We’ll stop for lunch at the mouth of Ukonom Creek. After lunch, your guides will lead you on a one-mile trail winding up beside the creek and culminating in granite walled grotto. As the creek descends from high in the surrounding Marble Mountains it spills over the wall before us, splitting into a twin waterfall. You’ll have time to swim in the pool below the falls or sit and soak up the warmth radiating from the walls. After more river, rapids, and wildlife (usually a bald eagle or two), you’ll arrive at one of the many access points along the Klamath River, where your vehicle will be delivered by the shuttle service. Or…it’s on to camp and a day or more on the river. On trips longer than two days, the river moves deeper into the canyon surrounding us. Each day brings a new section of river and one of the hidden gems of this section of the river – Rock Creek. On four- and five-day trips you’ll be camping next to Rock Creek. There will be time to wander up the creek and explore many of the small pools and waterfalls in the sunny glades created by the creek as it winds it’s way from the Siskiyou Mountains above our camp.

The Lower Klamath is one of the few rivers on the west coast that can be rafted continuously for more than a day. Unlike many companies, our two- to five day trips are wilderness style camping. We add an extra raft to carry all of our personal gear, camp kitchen, & food with us. The first morning, in addition to the orientation above, you’ll be packing your personal gear into our waterproof bags. Our multi-day trips are intended as a vacation, not a river mileage race. We’ll typically get to camp around 4 pm, so you’ll be able to set up camp and relax. Your guides will prepare hors d’oeuvres and we’ll get the cold drink cooler from the gear boat. On of the great pleasures for me on our overnight trips are the stars. In the summer, the whole expanse of the Milky Way spans from ridge to ridge above our camps. With no ambient city light, the immensity of our universe is on full display.