page_title: Trinity River (California)
section_title: Recreation
hierarchical_section_title: Trinity River (California) / Recreation
caption_attribution_description: The 43 miles from Lewiston to Pigeon Point - the clear, cold section of the river - is world famous for its fly fishing. Paddlers enjoy the narrow valley with Ponderosa Pine, Douglas fir, Oaks and Madrone trees along the walls of the canyons. Looking for more excitement? The waters below Pigeon Point rage at class III-V! Whether your trip is extreme or laid back, you can swim and camp along the shores at the end of the day. Photo by Bob Wick, BLM
context_page_description: The Trinity River is a major river in northwestern California in the United States, and is the principal tributary of the Klamath River. The Trinity flows for 165 miles through the Klamath Mountains and Coast Ranges, with a watershed area of nearly 3,000 square miles in Trinity and Humboldt Counties. Designated a National Wild and Scenic River, along most of its course the Trinity flows swiftly through tight canyons and mountain meadows.
  The river is known for its once prolific runs of anadromous fish, notably Chinook salmon and steelhead, which sustained Native American tribes for thousands of years. Due to its remoteness, the Trinity did not feature prominently in the early European colonization of California, but the gold rush in the mid-1800s brought thousands of gold seekers to the area. The river was named by Major Pierson B. Reading who, upon reaching the river in 1848, mistakenly believed it to flow into the Pacific Ocean at Trinidad Bay. During and after the gold rush, the influx of settlers and miners into the Trinity River country led to conflict with indigenous tribes, many of which saw severe depopulation due to fighting and foreign diseases.
context_section_description: The Trinity River and many of its tributaries have been part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System since 1981. The main stem is designated from a point 100 yards (91 m) below Lewiston Dam to the confluence with the Klamath River. The North Fork and New River are designated from the boundary of the Trinity Alps Wilderness to the mouth, and the South Fork from State Route 36 to the mouth. A total of 44 miles (71 km) are classified as "wild", 39 miles (63 km) as "scenic" and 120 miles (190 km) as "recreational". The South Fork is the largest river in California without a single dam along its length. Although fish populations have declined since the early 1900s, fishing for salmon and steelhead has recovered on many parts of the river. The Trinity is known as one of the best steelhead streams in the western United States and is home to both wild and hatchery fish. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed a safe eating advisory for fish caught in the Trinity River based on levels of mercury or PCBs found in local species.
  The Trinity is a popular whitewater rafting and kayaking river. Dam releases for fish restoration have incidentally increased the amount of water available for boating year-round. The river has three main whitewater runs, all known for their scenery and wildlife. The Pigeon Point section, alongside Highway 299, contains Class II-III (beginner to intermediate) rapids. Below the takeout at Cedar Flat, the Trinity flows through the extremely hazardous Class V Burnt Ranch Gorge, which was first run in 1971 by three kayakers, one of whom died of a heart attack soon after finishing the run, due to the arduous work of portaging many rapids. This gave the area a bad reputation for many years; it was not until 1983 that commercial trips began on this section of the river. The lower Trinity, much of which flows through the Hoopa Valley Reservation, is a Class II river with gentler and lower gradient despite having a greater volume of water flow.
  Recreational gold panning is another pastime along the Trinity. However, many streams in the area are located on private property, or are part of existing placer mining claims. Claims in the area are administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Because the Trinity River flows through a patchwork of private and public lands, the BLM and Forest Service maintain 14 designated  locations for river access between Lewiston and Pigeon Point (just below Helena).
caption: Fly fishing on the Trinity River
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