California whitewater - Smith River - South Fork, Coast Ranges, Del Norte County

Del Norte county, Big Flat Campground to confluence with Middle Fork section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS III-V     13 miles
 
If you have paddled the Smith yet do it. The South Fork Gorge is a great class 4 section that's about a mile. It's committing and hard to road scout. If you boat this stretch for the first time without someone who is familiar with the run I suggest scouting at least the 3 major horizon line. There is a macking hole on river right and at certain flows a great boof on the left. Says Nor-cal boater

The nature scenery of Del Norte County and the water flowing gracefully down Smith River - South Fork are reasons enough to come here and paddle. The
    starting point is not too far from Crescent City North, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. You can enjoy this section more if you take your time, so pack your sleeping bag. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit
to get to one, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. If you've been out of state whitewater rafting and kayaking you might find the rivers here more demanding, so better not forget that many of the sections here are not safe for beginners. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this area has a pretty small number of paddling spots. This is one of a small number of paddling stretches in this river system, there are a few others too. A good workout and just hanging out with mother nature have people coming from  
far and near. The Coast Ranges scenery is wonderful. The Big Flat Campground to confluence with Middle Fork section of Smith River - South Fork is 13 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class III-V section of whitewater. There's camping available near Smith River - South Fork.

Briefly about the general area:
The Paradise Trail is a nice hiking trail close to Smith River - South Fork, and nearby you come across the French Hill Trail which is a fine hiking trail. All through the warm months here at Smith River - South Fork, high temperatures mostly get into the 60's. For the duration of the moonlight hours it's frequently in the 50's. For the duration of the winter highs are in the 50's, and nighttime lows during the winter for Smith River - South Fork tend to be in the 30's. So many enjoyable things in the Coast Ranges, just amazing.
The high level of rainfall makes Smith River - South Fork a relatively wet site; through the month of December you get the most rain around here, and the driest of the months is July.

Smith River - South Fork, Big Flat Campground to confluence with Middle Fork road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III-V
Length: 13 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 41.69166
Longitude: -123.92871

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 41.79533
Longitude: -124.05465

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Current weather conditions at Smith River - South Fork, Coast Ranges, California
WXPort

Local climate location: CRESCENT CITY 17 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Super 8 Crescent City, Crescent City
13 miles away
Located at the south end of Crescent City on Redwood Highway 101 across from Crescent City Harbor. 49 spacious rooms in a quiet, relaxed setting, some with harbor views. Walk across the street to expl...

Anchor Beach Inn, Crescent City
13 miles away
Anchor Beach Inn offers amenities to suit all travelers needs. Whether you are here on business, pleasure, or a little of both. We offer a complimentary continental breakfast, indoor jacuzzi, g...

Best Western Northwoods Inn, Crescent City
13 miles away
Retreat to this Crescent City, California hotel and experience comfortable accommodations near Redwood National Park and the Pacific Ocean. Welcome to the Best Western Northwinds Inn where guests w...



OTHER_INFO
  Coast Ranges Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Coast Ranges.

Coast Ranges Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Coast Ranges.

All California Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in California.
Books about whitewater paddling on Smith River - South Fork, California
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Smith River - South Fork, California.
Find a whitewater outfitter in California

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Crescent City North, California
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Crescent City North, California, the metro area neareast to Smith River - South Fork. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Smith River - South Fork.
 Whitewater Near Smith River - South Fork:
Goose Creek, Del Norte County , 6 miles away, Class V - 5.6 miles long (Saddle Road to South Fork Smith confluence)
Smith River - Middle Fork, Del Norte County , 8 miles away, Class II-V - 22 miles long (6 Miles Above Patrick Creek to South Fork Road)
Hurdygurdy Creek, Del Norte County , 9 miles away, Class V - 7.7 miles long (Bear Basin Road to Big Flat Road)
Smith River - North Fork, Del Norte County , 9 miles away, Class III-V - 13 miles long (Low Divide Road to Gasquet)
Klamath River, Humboldt County , 23 miles away, Class II - 36 miles long (Weitchpec to Klamath Glen)
Redwood Creek, Humboldt County , 29 miles away, Class III - 25 miles long (Lacks Creek to Orick)
 Ski Areas Near Smith River - South Fork:
Mt. Ashland, Oregon , 90 miles away, 1195 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Smith River - South Fork:
Super 8 Crescent City, Crescent City , 13 miles away
Anchor Beach Inn, Crescent City , 13 miles away
Best Western Northwoods Inn, Crescent City , 13 miles away
Quality Inn & Suites Redwood Coast, Crescent City , 13 miles away
Front Street Inn, Crescent City , 14 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Smith River - South Fork:
Hiouchi Hamlet RV Resort, Crescent City, 6 miles away
Big Flat Campground, Del Norte County, 6 miles away
Red Alder Campground, Del Norte County, 8 miles away
 Trails Near Smith River - South Fork:
Paradise Trail, Del Norte County , 0 miles away, 7.6 hiking miles, 1561 feet elevation difference
French Hill Trail, Del Norte County , 5 miles away, 2.2 hiking miles, 2021 feet elevation difference
Elk Camp Ridge Trail, Del Norte County , 12 miles away, 8.7 hiking miles, 2616 feet elevation difference
Summit Valley Trail, Del Norte County , 13 miles away,  14.8 hiking miles, 3955 feet elevation difference
Hope Creek Trail, Humboldt County , 16 miles away, 2.6 hiking miles, 500 feet elevation difference
Crea Trail, Humboldt County , 18 miles away, 3.1 hiking miles, 688 feet elevation difference
Zigzag Trail, Humboldt County , 18 miles away,  1 hiking miles, 521 feet elevation difference
 National Parks Near Smith River - South Fork:
Redwood National and State Parks, Crescent City - CA , 12 miles away
Oregon Caves National Monument, Cave Junction - OR , 33 miles away
 Lakes Near Smith River - South Fork

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Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater