Labor Day Weekend on the Upper Klamath - 3 Days of Whitewater Rafting and Wilderness Camping

Spend Labor Day weekend on the Klamath River and away from the crowds!

 

The Klamath is California’s second largest river, flowing free for almost 200 miles with an average flow that surpasses that of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. The superb scenery, abundant wildlife, and rich historical presence clearly show why this river earned National Wild and Scenic River status in 1995.

This trip is ideal for rafters with Class 3-4 experience or better. However, confident/athletic beginners who are not afraid of the water have also done well on this river. You will be doing a lot of paddling, and could take a swim if you get tossed from the raft as you go through some of the rapids. You will wear PFDs (provided) for added safety, and helmets for stretches of the river where they are required by the outfitter. You'll also be given safety and paddling instructions and notes on what to do in case you do find yourself taking an unexpected swim.

Our outfitter uses only their best, most experienced river rafting guides on this river, who make safety their number one priority, followed closely by making sure that fun is had by all, both on and off the river!

 

The Trip:

Saturday: Our trip starts Saturday morning in the town of Weed, where we'll meet up with our guides and drive the final stretch to the river. At the river, our guides will pass out waterproof bags to repack your gear as we head out for a true wilderness adventure. The Class 3 rapids at the beginning of the river allow us warm up and enjoy the beauty of the area. Down the river we will stop at Frain Ranch, a resort built by a settler in the nineteenth century on the site of an old Indian village. Here, we will stop to scout the first Class 4 rapid and enjoy a gourmet lunch. As we head out for the second part of the day, we will experience even more exciting rapids. Farther downstream, we will establish a wilderness-style camp and the guides will set up kitchen and prepare a delicious dinner complete with dessert. From here, we will settle in for campfire festivities and a night under the stars.

 

Sunday: We will awake to the smell of coffee and breakfast as we prepare to tackle the rest of the river. This day starts out with a bang as we drop right into several Class 4+ rapids. We’ll enjoy a hearty lunch near the Oregon-California border and get ready for a pleasant trip out through some amazing Class 3 drops and end the day at Copco Lake. After rafting on Sunday, we settle into camp again, enjoy a hearty dinner, trade stories around the fire, and prepare for Monday's run.

 

Monday: Monday morning, we will enjoy breakfast in camp and head back to raft the most exhilarating parts of the middle section of the river. If you thought these rapids were fun the first time through, you'll be raging your way down the second time! We'll be off the river and back at the cars in the early afternoon. Now that's the way to spend Labor Day weekend!