Our Clear Creek Kayaking Expedition is a 3-day and 2-night adventure on the Klamath River and its spectacular tributary Clear Creek. It is a combination of high adventure and Safari Style camping. We meet you the morning of the first day in Happy Camp California and end in the early afternoon of day 3 about 24 miles down the Klamath River.
Please Note: Due to the amazingly unpredictable nature of the wilderness environments that we operate, we may be required to alter the itinerary to factor for water levels, weather and our guests needs and abilities. We also do custom itineraries. If you are booking as a private group we can discuss options for customizing this itinerary to you (If you have booked a custom trip, your itinerary may be different from below).
Day 1:
After meeting in Happy Camp we pack our dry bags and pass off all or our camp gear to the gear raft that will meet us at camp in the evening. Then we will gear up for the river, get as safety briefing and some initial kayak instruction. The whitewater on day one is the mellowest of the trip, so it serves as a great introduction to kayaking and warm up for the days to come. After crashing through waves and learning how to kayak for the day, we pull up to our riverside base camp which will be our home for the next two nights.
Each afternoon we will float into our comfortable riverside ‘pop-up’ base camp only accessible by boat. There are walk-in tents with cots, a covered eating and hang out area, and there is always a big fire burning. The late afternoon can be spent hiking, playing games in the sun, having a drink around the campfire, or just hanging out along the banks of the Klamath. The evening will start with appetizers, a big dinner, and desert, and be followed by a comfortable night under a sky far away from any city lights.
Day 2:
After hearty breakfast and we jump in our kayaks and take a short float downriver. We will meet our vehicle and shuttle up to the remote Clear Creek river access. Clear Creek is one of the most unique and beautiful of the Klamath river tributaries. We will spend most of the day navigating our kayaks through the narrow moss covered gorge of Clear Creek. The whitewater is a solid step up from the day before and for most people this day is like no other they have experienced. Clear Creek is true to its name and the water runs so clear that you feel as if you are floating on air over the river bottom. We confluence with the Klamath just a half mile above our camp, where we return for another evening of, fire, fine food and riverside revelry in the Northern California wilderness.
Day 3:
Our final day launches right from camp and contains the most exciting whitewater of the trip. We are seasoned veterans now and we can easily handle the long crashing wave trains and soaking rapids of this section of river. We will have lunch on the river and keep our eye out for Big Foot, as we are in the heart of ‘Sasquatch Country.’ If the water allows, we will be lucky enough to take a side hike up Ukonom Creek, another one of the Klamath’s spectacular tributaries, to Ukonom Falls. We will reach our vehicles in the early afternoon.