Join us for a historic and wild ride through the newly restored Class IV+ Kikacéki (Wards) Canyon – one of the most imposing and visually stunning canyons on the West Coast and packed with whitewater. Historically, the Kikacéki Canyon entrance loomed over the end of the valley, but then the canyon was hidden for 100 years – blocked, flooded, and dewatered by three dams and a hydropower system. Now free again, and combined with a perfect stretch to try inflatable kayaking, we think it will quickly become one of the more popular high-adventure day trips in the West.
We believe this is one of the most unique and varied high-adventure day trips in the West. It offers a rare combination of steep, challenging whitewater paired with a perfect stretch for inflatable kayaking. And add in a visually stunning canyon, newly accessible and flowing for the first time in 100 years, plus a float through three former dam sites.
All packed into a day that feels active but never rushed.
We love this trip.
We pick guests up at their hotel in Ashland between 9 and 9:30 in the morning and return between 4 and 5pm – back in time for a shower and dinner before the plays. Besides the amazing whitewater, and option to inflatable kayak, and beautiful canyon, the trip also includes a big lunch.
The trip begins with a short warm-up stretch at the bottom of Kikacéki Valley and the footprint of what was, until 2024, Copco Reservoir. It is amazing to see how quickly the river corridor is coming back alive.
After the short warm-up up the character of the river abruptly changes, and vertical columnar basalt walls close in. The whitewater switch turns on as we pass between two dismantled dam sites into a section that has almost never been rafted before late 2024. The rapids are steep, continuous, and technical with only one real break for the entire stretch – just long enough to truly admire the beauty of the canyon. And we end with one of the biggest rapids on the entire Upper Klamath River stretch, the mighty Kikaceki Falls.
After lunch the character of the river abruptly changes again as we enter the ‘Iron Gate’ stretch and the site of the former Iron Gate Reservoir. The rapids mellow to class 2+, and there will be an option to jump into inflatable kayaks for those who are interested. Navigating your own inflatable kayak is a unique and very exciting way to experience the river and they add a whole new dimension and sense of adventure to the river. For many, these kayaking sections become the highlight of the trip.
The whitewater and kayaking options are exciting, but the trip is much more than the whitewater. Kikacéki Canyon is a geologic marvel unlike any other on the Klamath River, with 300-foot walls of columnar basalt boxing the river in. And the canyon and the valley have significant cultural and spiritual significance to the Shasta people. As much as the whitewater will allow, we will take our time making our way through this special place. And this trip allows you to see all three sections of the river affected by the lower three dam removals as well float through three former dam sites. It is a truly unique and high-adventure trip.
Please Note:
– This trip is enjoyed by experienced and first-time paddlers. However, the rapids are technical and the trip is active – all guests need to be in good physical condition. At most flows our boats will have only 4 guests and 1 guide so we are light and nimble enough to make the tight and technical moves. If you have any questions or concerns please give us a call or an email.
– If the water is too high we may move the trip to the Hells Corner section.