Upper Klamath
As of 2024, the “New Klamath” is here. Click the link below to learn more.
Oregon, USA
Upper Klamath River Rafting Guide
The “New” Klamath
With the dams out on the Klamath river, there are many new sections to explore and map. We are going to first publish those changes here, on this page, and then publish them to FarOut shortly after.
important: Access Closures
There are temporary access closures that must be followed. They are listed below and include Old Pioneer Park West, K’utárawáx·u (Grizzly Hill), and K’účasčas (Fall Creek). Click here to learn more about access information.
A Note From Shasta Indian Nation: January 13, 2025 – Trails are being developed that will be available for public use. We ask all parties to use sites and facilities when they’re ready and not before. There will be opportunities for hikers but they will be on trails that are designed to protect historic and cultural sites. For additional information, please contact culture@shastaindiannation.org.
Based in Southern Oregon, Indigo Creek Outfitters is our preferred partner for the Upper Klamath. In addition to the Upper Klamath they operate on the Lower Klamath and Rogue River. Learn more about Indigo Creek Outfitters.
Safety
The Upper Klamath is an intermediate to advanced river run. While there are sections that are mellow Class II and III, take into account numerous other challenges such as strainers, and sieves. As a private boater, make sure you join a party that has recent Upper Klamath experience. Please note that the Upper Klamath river has many rapids that are shallow, and the rocks are sharp, so having swimmers here can be very dangerous.
Hell’s Corner
The Upper Klamath begins with several miles of flatwater mixed with Class II & III whitewater. Around mile 4.5, the river constricts and you enter “Hell’s Corner Canyon”, consisting of several miles of very continuous Class IV/IV+ whitewater. This section is sure to be the highlight of your trip, but note that it is notorious for its’ shallow rapids, with sharp rocks, so be very cautious in this area, as you do not want swimmers here. Be sure to scout all three of the big Class IVs in this section (Caldera, Satan’s Gate, & Hell’s Corner).
Shuttle Info
Unfortunately, Google Maps, is unable to provide accurate routes directly to the Put-In, so please see these directions to arrive to the Put-In. From Ashland, Oregon, travel east on State Highway 66 for approximately 43 miles. Turn right onto J.C. Boyle Powerhouse Road (40-6E-1.2). Follow J.C. Boyle Powerhouse Road (40-6E-1.2) for approximately 4 miles to Spring Island Day Use Site. From Klamath Falls, Oregon travel west on State Highway 66 for approximately 30 miles. Turn left onto J.C. Boyle Powerhouse Road (40-6E-1.2). Follow J.C. Boyle Powerhouse Road (40-6E-1.2) for approximately 4 miles to Spring Island Day Use Site.
Click “Learn More” to read about important access and temporary closure information
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Keno – Class II & III
Keno is part of the new Upper Klamath with the draining of John C Boyle dam. This section is Class II and III but no specific information is known at this time. The Old Pioneer Park West takeout is temporarily closed.
Mile 0.00 – Old Wagon Road Put-In:
River Right.
Mile 0.1 – Class III- Rapid
Mile 0.1 – No name: Class III-.
Mile 0.2 thru mile 7.2 – Numerous Class II Rapids
Throughout this section, there are numerous Class II rapids.
Mile 5.00 – Meatball Rapid
Class III+.
Mile 7.2 – Old Pioneer Park West:
River Right. Temporarily closed.
Big Bend – Class IV+ & V
Historically this was significantly de-watered and wasn’t a viable run. After dam removal it’s now runnable.
Mile 0.00 – Old Pioneer Park West:
River Right. Temporarily closed.
Mile 1.1 – Moonshine Falls Access:
River Right. Temporarily closed. This will be a Boundary Creek style ramp, making it fine for put-ins but bad for takeouts.
Mile 1.9 – No Name Big Bend #1
Mile 1.90 – No name: Class III+
Mile 2.25 – No Name Big Bend #2
Mile 2.25 – No name: Class IV
Mile 2.69 – Sidecast Spring
River Left. This spring adds approximately 150 – 175 CFS into the river.
Mile 2.69 – Sidecast Spring Rapid
This rapid has not been seen yet.
Mile 3.1 – No Name Big Bend #3
Mile 3.1 – No name: Class IV+
Mile 3.9 – No Name Big Bend #4
Mile 3.9 – No name: Class IV
Mile 4.5 – No Name Big Bend #5
Mile 4.5 – No name: Class IV
Mile 6.00 – Spring Island:
River Right. Takeout. Temporarily closed
Hell’s Corner – Class II, III, & IV
Hell’s Corner was the standard UK run before the dams came out. This section is a Class II, III, & IV run from the Spring Island River Access Point to the Access 6 Take-Out.
Mile 0.00 – Spring Island Klamath River Access:
Temporarily closed —- River Right. This large eddy marks the starting point. There are pit toilets here and day use parking. Learn more about Spring Island Klamath River Access.
Mile 0.00 – Spring Island Surf Wave
Cross the river to river left and then head up the eddy. There’s a decent surf wave located right here.
Mile 0.05 – Saddle Horn Rapid:
Mile 0.05 – Saddle Horn Rapid: Class III. Right out the gate, you come into a Class III rapid, Saddle Horn. Run this left of center and enjoy the waves.
Mile 0.89 – Osprey Rapid:
Mile 0.89 – Osprey Rapid: Class III. Read and run rapid, keep your eyes peeled for Osprey nests and Osprey. Look towards the tops of the trees on river left for your best chance.
Mile 1.83 – Gun Slinger Rapid:
Mile 1.83 – Gun Slinger Rapid: Class III. Read and run.
Mile1.90 – Mild Pools
After Gun Slinger, the next 3.75 miles are mild with long calm pools and Class II rapids until you arrive at Caldera Rapid.
Mile 2.86 – Klamath River Camp:
Mile 2.86 – Klamath River Camp: River Right. With 4×4 road access, this camp can be popular.
Mile 4.97 – Frain Ranch Put-In:
River Left. Another put-in comes in on river left. This is also a very rough road, and is only passable by high clearance 4WD vehicles
Mile5.76 – Caldera Rapid
Class IV. Scouting can be done on river left. Be mindful of a very large pourover/hole on river left called “The Mushroom”. After the Mushroom, work left again to avoid some shallow rocks on river right. At this point, the rapid is full of rocking waves so stay on your toes. Boaters can go either left or right of the Mushroom Rock. Learn more about Caldera Rapid.
Mile 6.26 – Rock Creek Confluence:
River Left. Rock Creek enters the Upper Klamath River from the left. Just downstream lies Bermuda Triangle Rapid.
Mile 6.38 – Bermuda Triangle Rapid:
Class III. Enter Bermuda left of center (lots of rocks to the right). There’s a big wave on the bottom left and right of this rapid.
Mile 6.61 – Branding Iron Rapid:
Class III. Like many rapids on the Upper Klamath, Branding Iron is a big wave train. However, about 2/3 of the way down is a large wave, that you’ll definitely want to hit straight.
Mile 6.94 – Satan’s Gate Rapid:
Class IV. The river bends to the right in this 500 yard long rapid. Rocks force a down the middle entrance. Work right to avoid a large sieve on river left roughly halfway through this rapid. There is a nice eddy to catch on river right after this rapid, which you should catch, as Hell’s Corner is just around the bend. Learn more about Satan’s Gate Rapid.
Mile 7.16 – Hell’s Corner Rapid
Class IV. Scout right (length of rapid makes scout hard). Enter center, watch out for a pourover on the far right. In general, you’ll want to stay to the right, especially towards the middle of this rapid, as the current will push you left into shallow, impassable rocks. At the bottom of this rapid, catch the eddy on river right. Learn more about Hell’s Corner Rapid.
Mile 7.42 – Fluffy Bunny:
Class IV. Known by some as “The Dragon”, just downstream of the Hell’s Corner eddy, there’s a large pour over on river right, keep left of this, then enjoy some fun waves for this splashy Class III+. Watch out for 2 submerged boulders at the bottom right of this rapid.
Mile 7.61 – Jackass Rapid:
Class III. Enter right for this read-and-run rapid to stay clear of boulders on river left.
Mile 7.81 – Scarface Rapid:
Class III. Enter left of center for a fun large drop. Watch out for some boulders in center channel.
Mile 8.02 – Dance Hall Rapid:
Class III. The river bends to the right and splits into 2 channels going around an island,.Stay in the left channel, but keep inside on this turn. Lots of fun waves at the bottom of this rapid.
Mile 8.15 – Ambush Rapid:
Class III. Rocks at the top right of Ambush force a left entrance. Stay left and hit the big waves straight.
Mile 8.24 – Ol’ Bushwhacker:
Class III. This rapid has a large wave train down the middle with a massive standing wave halfway down, which is clean to run. Learn more about Ol’ Bushwhacker Rapid.
Mile 8.43 – Salt Caves:
River Left. On river left, you’ll see some beautiful caves with salt that has precipitated out of the walls. This is a native sacred site, so there is no stopping allowed. This location was a proposed dam site, which was stopped by the 1997 Wild and Scenic designation of the Klamath.
Mile 8.66 – Rainbow Rock Rapid:
Class II. The channel takes you far right. Watch the entrance guard rocks and then move left, so you don’t hit the right wall.
Mile 9.21 – Captain Jack Rapid:
Class III. Captain Jack is a read-and-run rapid as the river bends to the right.
Mile 9.74 – Snag Island Rapid:
Class IV. The river splits around an island. Take the right channel and stay to the inside left. As the water makes its way towards the end of the island, it will make a sharp turn to the left. Work hard to stay to the inside of this turn or you’ll get swung into a bunch of rocks.
Mile 10.46 – Wells Fargo Rapid:
Class III. The river again splits into 2 channels around an island in the middle of the river. Stay to the right channel at most flows, then work to the left.
Mile 10.77 – No Look Falls Rapid:
Class II. Read-and-run rapid.
Mile 10.85 – Don’t Kill The Piano Player Rapid:
Class II. Read-and-run rapid.
Mile 11.05 – Stateline Falls Rapid:
Class III. Straddling the Oregon-California border is Class III Stateline Falls. The river bends to the left, with a large shelf drop extending across the river. Stay far left here.
Mile 11.12 – California Beach Boys Surf Wave:
This is a fun surf wave just downstream of Stateline Falls. There are eddies on both river right and left. It’s worth hitting this wave. Learn more about California Beach Boys Surf Wave.
Mile 11.23 – Stateline Access:
River Left. This is the most upstream takeout available.
Mile 11.87 – Arden’s Folly Rapid:
Mile 11.87 – Arden’s Folly Rapid: Class II. Read and run rapid (stay alert though, it is possible to wrap a boat here, which would be an unfortunate end to your day.)
Mile 11.96 – Swim-to-takeout:
With takeout insight, this is a good place for your paddlers to jump out and float to takeout if they’re looking to cool off.
Mile 12.15 – Access 6
River Left. Take out on river left at Access 6. You’ll stay on Ager Beswick Road for quite some time. It winds in tandem with the Upper Klamath, and is quite scenic. Learn more about Access 6 Take-out.
Beswick – Class I & II
Description coming.
Mile 0.00 – Access 6
River Left. Learn more about Access 6 Take-out.
Mile 1.65 – historic town of Beswick
River Left.
Mile 2.28 – Log Chute
River Right.
Mile 2.37 – Indian Cave
River Right.
Mile 4.6 – Access 1
River Left. Takeout
Kikacéki Valley (Copco Valley) – Class I & II
Dangerous River Conditions Ahead; Advanced Boaters Only; All Others Should Exit.
Until the new public access sites are built, Access 1 is the final take-out spot prior to Class IV & IV+ rapids and dangerous river conditions. Recreators should use extreme caution. River conditions here are not representative of the conditions downstream.
Mile 0.00 – Access 1
River Left.
Mile 0.50 – Copco Road Bridge
Mile 1.69 – Dead Tree Forest
Mile 2.00 – scenic Area
Mile 2.20 – No Name 1 Class I
Mile 2.20– No Name: Class I.
Mile 2.70 – No Name 2 Class I
Mile 2.70– No Name: Class I.
Mile 3.00 – No Name 3 Class I
Mile 3.00– No Name: Class I.
Mile 4.55 – Beaver Creek
River Right.
Mile 4.90 – Anchor
Mile 6.10 – K’utárawáx·u (Grizzly Hill)
River Right. Temporarily closed.
Kikacéki Reach (Ward’s Canyon) – Class IV
Description coming.
Mile 0.00 – K’utárawáx·u (Grizzly Hill)
River Right. Temporarily closed.
Mile 0.25 – Entrance to Ward’s Canyon
Mile 0.30 – Ìk·wì·k Rapid
Class III. Large, fun wave in the center of the rapid.
Mile 0.5 – Ghost Dance
Class III. Continuous Class II and III rapids from the former Copco 1 dam site until you are below the former Copco 2 dam site.
Mile 0.92 – Wild Horse
Class IV. The long straight-away rapid with the tricky entrance due to inconvenient wood. “Wild Horse” is a nod to the wild horses that roam the nearby area.
Mile 1.10 – Bogus Bend Class IV-
Class IV-.
Mile 1.57 – Boyles Boil
Class IV.
Mile 1.77 – Columnar Basalt
Mile 1.89 – Kitty’s Corner
Class IV. Kitty’s Corner Rapid: Class IV-.
Mile 2.10 – Middle School
Class IV.
Mile 2.3 – Kikacéki Falls
Class IV+.
Mile 3.00 – K’účasčas (Fall Creek)
River Right. Temporarily closed.
Iron Gate – Class I & II
Description coming.
Mile 0.00 – K’účasčas (Fall Creek)
River Right. Temporarily closed.
Mile 0.25 – No Name 1 Class II
Mile 0.25– No Name: Class II.
Mile 3.73 – Pinch
Mile 4.00 – Columnar Basalt
Mile 5.10 – View of Pilot Rock
Mile 6.67 – No Name 2 Class I
Mile 6.67– No Name: Class I
Mile 7.00 – Scenery
Mile 7.18 – Camp Creek
River Right.
Mile 9.15 – No Name 3 Class I
Mile 9.15– No Name: Class I
Mile 9.25 – Location of Iron Gate Dam
This is the location of the former Iron Gate Dam that was taken down in 2024.
Mile 9.60 – Lakeview Road Bridge
Lakeview Road crosses the Klamath here.
Mile 9.65 – Iron Gate Take out
River Right. Immediately past the bridge and you’re at takeout.
Mile 9.75 – USGS flow gauge
River Left. The USGS has a flow gauge just below the takeout. This gauge is unit #11516530.
