Klamath River canoe trips showcase Redwoods, Yurok culture
The lower Klamath River and the redwoods, which grow nowhere else on Earth, are at the heart of Yurok culture. The tribe’s reservation follows the river for its last 44 miles and extends one mile from each bank, just broad enough to accommodate dozens of tiny, remote villages and the modest town of Klamath along the 101. The west end of the reservation is surrounded by Redwood National and State Parks. I wanted quality time on the water and under tall trees, but I also wanted to learn more about a people who were navigating this river thousands of years before the first Gold Rush prospectors reached California.