# California & Oregon Packraft Trip 2026 **Dates:** Apr 30 – May 17, 2026 (18 days) **Crew:** 3 people Apr 30 – May 5 (Trunda, Vojta, Sarka), then 2 self-supported May 5 – May 17 The trip splits into two phases. Each phase has its own day-by-day plan: - **[Part 1 — Redwood & Klamath Country](part1-redwood.md)** (Apr 30 – May 5, with Sarka) - **[Part 2 — Illinois & Rogue, self-supported](part2-illinois-rogue.md)** (May 5 – May 17) Interactive companions: - [**Trip timeline**](../trip-timeline-full.html) — clickable day-by-day schedule - [**Must-see gems map**](../gems-map.html) — top hikes, rivers and viewpoints on a map --- ## Trip at a glance | Phase | Dates | Crew | Theme | |-------|-------|------|-------| | 1. Redwood + Klamath | Apr 30 – May 5 | 3 (with Sarka) | Hiking, scouting, promo, easier rivers | | 2. Illinois River | May 5 – May 7 | 2 self-supported | Class IV multi-day, one Class V | | 3. Rogue hike up | May 9 – May 12 | 2 | 40 mi backpacking with packraft | | 4. Rogue float down | May 13 – May 15 | 2 | 34 mi Class III+ wilderness float | | 5. Drive to SFO | May 15 – May 17 | 2 | Optional bonus river, then home | --- ## Key logistics (apply to both phases) ### Car & shuttles - Rental car for Phase 1 only. Sarka returns it at **Medford airport** on May 5 after dropping the boys at Miami Bar. - From May 5 onward: **car-free**. Plan a new rental in Gold Beach / Brookings / Crescent City for the drive south after the Rogue. **Book ahead — these are small towns.** - Illinois shuttle = Sarka. No paid shuttle needed. - Backup shuttles: Whitewater Cowboys (https://www.whitewatercowboys.com/illinois-river-shuttles), Bearfoot Brad (707) 457-3365 / bradcamden@earthlink.net. ### Bear Camp Road = CLOSED FS Road 23 (the Agness ↔ Galice/Grants Pass shortcut) is almost certainly **snowed in until late May**. In 2023 they were still plowing 11 miles in mid-May. **Do not count on it.** This is why the Rogue plan is hike-up / float-down instead of a road shuttle. ### Permits & bookings - **Fern Canyon** (Prairie Creek Redwoods) — permit required May 1 – Sep 30, book at recreation.gov. - **Redwood Creek dispersed camping** — free permit from Redwood Parks Conservancy. - **Illinois River** — self-register at the Selma kiosk (May 4 evening). - **Rogue River** — regulated season starts **May 15**. A float launch on ~May 13 is *before* the lottery period — likely just self-registration. Confirm with **Smullin Visitor Center: 541-618-2408** (open 7am–3pm daily from May 5). ### Food strategy for the Rogue Carrying 7 days of food for 2 people **plus** packraft gear is the crux of the trip (~15–20 kg of food alone). Options: - Pack everything from Foster Bar — heavy but simple. - Buy meals at lodges on the hike up — **Paradise Lodge** and **Marial Lodge**. Call ahead to confirm they are open and selling food in early May. Every meal bought saves ~0.5 kg of pack weight. ### Groceries - Last big shop: **Happy Camp** on May 3 — buy enough for the rest of Phase 1 + the Illinois (3 days) + start of the Rogue resupply. - Selma has a small store on the way to Briggs Creek. ### Water levels — check daily | River | Ideal flow (cfs) | Gauge | |-------|------------------|-------| | Illinois | 700 – 2,400 | https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=14377100&legacy=1 | | Rogue | 1,000 – 6,000 | https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=14372300&legacy=1 | | Redwood Creek | min ~350 | https://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/QueryF?s=ORK | | S.F. Smith | check | https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=11532500&legacy=1 | | Klamath | check | https://www.dreamflows.com/graphs/day.004.php | | Mokelumne | 500 – 3,000 | https://www.dreamflows.com/graphs/day.388.php | Early May in a normal year should give good snowmelt flows, but conditions vary year to year. ### Getting home (after the Rogue) 1. Hitch from Agness to **Gold Beach** (~30 mi, paved, the only road out). 2. Pick up rental car (Gold Beach / Brookings / Crescent City — book ahead!). 3. Drive ~350 mi / 6 hrs to SF via US-101 (scenic) or I-5 (faster). Optional bonus river on the way. 4. Rest day at Sarka's in SF. 5. Fly **SFO 16:35** on May 17. --- ## Don't-miss hidden gems 1. **Grove of the Titans** — biggest redwoods you'll ever see, boardwalk loop. 2. **Fern Canyon** — surreal 50 ft fern-covered walls (need permit from May 1!). 3. **Damnation Creek Trail** — old-growth descent to a secret beach. 4. **Stout Memorial Grove** — peaceful grove on the emerald Smith River. 5. **Clear Creek Lower** — crystal canyon, caves, Class II — incredible promo location. 6. **Howland Hill Road** — unpaved drive through cathedral old-growth (slow!). 7. **Smith River swimming holes** — Myrtle Beach area, jade-green water, cliff jumping. --- ## Full river list (from the spreadsheet) Source data: [`Kali-Ore.xlsx`](Kali-Ore.xlsx) ### Main targets (this trip) 1. **Illinois River** — Class IV (one V) — 32 mi 2. **Rogue River** — Class III+ (one IV) — 34 mi 3. *(stretch)* **Klamath River** — Class III — 37 mi multi-day ### Secondary / bonus 4. Redwood Creek 5. Clear Creek (II–III, Klamath tributary) 6. South Fork Smith — Class III/IV — 16 mi 7. North Fork Smith — 14.8 mi 8. Middle Fork American 9. South Fork American 10. Eel 11. Mokelumne (500–3,000 cfs) ### Future trip ideas Tuolumne, Trinity, Stanislaus, McCloud, Antelope. Harder: Black Butte, Merced, SF Mokelumne, Kaweah, Cosumnes, Sacramento, NF Yuba, SF Yuba, Coffee. --- ## Reference links ### River beta - Illinois: https://www.whitewaterguidebook.com/oregon/illinois-river/ - Rogue (cacreeks): https://cacreeks.com/rogue.htm - Redwood Creek: https://www.whitewaterguidebook.com/california/redwood-creek/ - Klamath: https://www.whitewaterguidebook.com/california/lower-klamath-river/ - S.F. Smith: https://www.whitewaterguidebook.com/california/south-fork-smith-river/ - N.F. Smith: https://www.whitewaterguidebook.com/california/north-fork-smith-river/ - Clear Creek Upper: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/166/main - Clear Creek Lower: http://www.awetstate.com/ClearCreekKL.html ### Permits - Rogue (BLM): https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/permits-and-passes/lotteries-and-permit-systems/oregon-washington/rogue-river - Rogue (recreation.gov): https://www.recreation.gov/permits/251982 - Redwood NPS hikes: https://www.nps.gov/redw/planyourvisit/hiking.htm ### Maps & guides - Trip overview map: https://mapy.com/s/pajosovolu - Rogue River Trail PDF: [`rogue-river-trail-guide.pdf`](rogue-river-trail-guide.pdf)