Running through one of the most ecologically diverse natural environments on the planet, the Klamath provides students the opportunity to study how plant and animal communities interact and support one another.

The Klamath and its tributaries were the northern most centers of the California Gold Rush.

Your students can climb the rubble piles left by gold rush era  dredging operations, and see where towns cropped up along the river to serve the needs of gold miners. They can see modern day gold panning, and with permission, try gold panning themselves.

You will be rafting through the ancestral home of the Karuk Indian Tribe.

On three-day school trips you and your students will hike to the sacred Ukonum Falls and learn about the Karuk’s annual World Renewal Ceremony.  A special guided trip to the Karuk People’s Center can be arranged, where you can hear stories about the Klamath River as center of Karuk spirituality and also as a major source of their livelihood, fishing.

You and your students will learn the basics of river rafting:

• How to paddle a one person inflatable kayak.
• For students interested in additional kayaking, guided training in whitewater kayaking.
• Assist in paddling a multi-person river raft through class two and three rapids.
• Water, sand, wilderness safety.

You, the teacher, decide on what learning you’d like to incorporate into your school trip and how many days you’d like to work and play on the Klamath.

• Astronomy? It’s a natural nightly activity.
• Storytelling around the campfire? We specialize in it.
• Plant and animal identification? We can invite a Forest Service specialist to join us to answer your students’ questions.
• History? We’ll give you a mile-by-mile description of how the Klamath River has changed through the years. We’ll even give you a guide to use on your trip to Happy Camp and our put-in location.
• Native American History? We’ll arrange for Karuk guides to meet and answer your students’ questions about the Klamath and how it figures in the daily life of the tribe.

We know that money is tight. Call and we’ll talk about how to reach your learning goals and stay within your budget.

In his new book, Last Child in the Woods, Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv points out, “Our society is teaching young people to avoid direct experience in nature…Yet, at the very moment that the bond is breaking between the young and the natural world, a growing body of research links our mental, physical, and spiritual health directly to our association with nature in positive ways. Several of these studies suggest that thoughtful exposure of youngsters to nature can even be a powerful form of therapy for attention-deficit disorders and other maladies.”

In the Press…Read about a school river rafting trip

Your Day Camp  and multiple day River Rafting Nature School Trip include meals (lunch for day campers), rafts and all safety equipment, up to 18 one-person inflatable kayaks, and certified river guides at a ratio of 1 guide for 6 students.

Please call for a quote. Prices are negotiable depending upon the size of the group, length of trip, and special needs of the class or school.

Rates and Reservations

Call 800-926-5002 or 530-926-3517.

Klamath River Trip information (directions to our meeting place, trip logistics, what to expect, what to bring…)

Carefree Camping & Gourmet Food

River Rafting Trips & Kids

“Go to nature’s school, the one true University.” John Muir