Happy Camp

[Idadon]

Considering a side trip to Happy Camp the last week in November. I know very little about the area so looking for opinions. First; Big Foot RV, nice place or best left alone? Is there decent river access along this stretch for wading? Pretty sure there should be a few fish in the river but not at all sure what kind of weather one might expect. There's always the option of staying up by Hornbrook too.

Help me out here! The wife says that if I don't catch Steelhead this winter next year she wants to go south to the desert. YUK!!!!

[Terry Thomas]

Fished the HC area last weekend...very slow then. I also heard it was slow this past weekend. Stayed at Bigfoot. If you have an RV it's ok, otherwise look elsewhere. The Klamath River Lodge or the Forest Lodge would be my choices. Several runs in the area.

[Idadon]

Thanks Terry. I'm in a travel trailer so pretty easy to please as long as the park has electric & water. I'll keep checking on the fish, maybe that rain last week will get some up the river. Appreciate the info!

[grnwtrs]

Last week on November was when my family and I would have our Thanksgiving dinner on the Klamath either at "RAINBOW"(now know as Rainbow Resort and cabins 530_496-3242) Really grubby in my day, but new ownership in the last 20 years or so have really spruced the property up. Use the town of HAMBURG, (long gone) to look this spot up/and other spots in this area.

Also, another is the Steelhead lodge & R V Park (530-496-3256 about a couple miles away. Nice place, off the highway good facilities in the day. Stayed a couple of seasons in a rented 20' trailer.

Both of these facilities are about 42 miles below the intersection of state 96 and interstate 5. Before the miners took some property over, we would stay at the confluence of the Scott and the Klamath rivers. No hookups/water, but a generator took
care of us well. Plus the price was right close to Horsecreek store (now gone)or Rainbow (now looks great) Can't fish the big hole where the Scott river enters the Klamath, but enough one either side. Wading is always done with GREAT CAUTION on the Klamath.

I was never good or smart enough to catch fish at Happy Camp, only gas and the Elk Creek cafe would work out for us.

Before this latest drought, we would spend a month or so (mid-sep/mid oct) lower down by Bluff Creek (Orleans) in our
25' trailer. Now its southern Oregon in Feb.

While the elevations are moderate, I would not forget my chains. I once needed mine on coast hwy 101 between mouth of the Klamath and Crescent towing our trailer.. What a surprise that turned out to be.


Good luck and have a great time.

Best Regards, gene

[JayDubP]

@Idahoan: in a normal year HC should have a lot of fish at that time. Streamtime map shows almost all the access points. Google maps is pretty accurate also.

There is an access about half mile or so upriver from HC (too lazy to get my map from the garage) where lots of drift boats launch. You could use your Navigator to float from there to Indian Creek access (right in HC), about 2.5+- river miles with no rapids and several good spots to get out to fish. You can easily float from HC downriver, but there are a few rapids to portage.

More river access in the 15 miles below HC than in the 15 miles above HC because river parallels highway below HC.

Check with Caltrans on the status of the construction on Hwy 299 before considering driving the Klamath River- Trinty River loop from: I-5 to HC to Weitchpec; to Willow Creek; and Hwy 299 along the Trinty River from Willow Creek to Redding.

[Idadon]

Thanks for the response guys but plans have changed. Got a call from Kimball Bend RV at Gold Beach offering us a full time spot at their park. Tough choice, especially with winter right around the corner, but a super good price and we can leave our RV on site while we summer in Idaho. Just have to survive the rain. Need to do some research on the lower Rogue, Elk river, the Sixes and all the others in that stretch. Especially looking forward to next august-November. Might even try to catch some Redtails on a fly. Wish me luck. And again, thanks for the info.

[JayDubP]

Thanks for the response guys but plans have changed. Got a call from Kimball Bend RV at Gold Beach offering us a full time spot at their park. Tough choice, especially with winter right around the corner, but a super good price and we can leave our RV on site while we summer in Idaho. Just have to survive the rain. Need to do some research on the lower Rogue, Elk river, the Sixes and all the others in that stretch. Especially looking forward to next august-November. Might even try to catch some Redtails on a fly. Wish me luck. And again, thanks for the info.

Great to have options!

Good Luck and look forward to some great posts!

Jim

[Idadon]

Sometimes I think there's to many options. Can't decide where to go anymore. Retirement is Hell!