California whitewater, Eel River Lake county, Horse Creek to Lake Pillsbury section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS IV-V     18 miles   The Horse Creek to Lake Pillsbury section of Eel River in Lake County is 18 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class IV-V section of whitewater. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside California you might find the rivers here a bit more challenging, so you'd better keep in mind that rivers here are less forgiving. A bit of exercise and just being out on the river for a while are sure to keep you coming back for     more. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. The wonderful Lake County scenery and the cool fresh water have people coming here. If you're coming from Clearlake it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this is an area with plenty of rivers for that. The Klamath Mountains scenery is wonderful. There are so many stretches to paddle in this river system, the Horse Creek to Lake Pillsbury stretch is just one of   many. If you hurry you can run this section in a day but why not make it an overnighter, so go ahead and pack your camping stuff. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby. Briefly about the general area: Everybody loves Mendocino National Forest, and the Crooked Tree Trail is a good hiking trail nearby. Whohoo, so much exciting stuff in one place! The Klamath Mountains is peerless! Big Squaw Valley is close to Eel River and is without doubt a magnificent place to take a look at, and there is a nice hiking trail nearby called the Elk Knob Trail. Eel River, Horse Creek to Lake Pillsbury road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Eel River.   Whitewater Near Eel River: Eel River, Lake County, 5 miles away       Class IV-V - 18 miles long (Horse Creek to Lake Pillsbury) Eel River, Lake County, 5 miles away       Class III-IV - 5.7 miles long (Lake Pillsbury to Bucknell Creek) Black Butte River, Glenn / Mendocino County, 8 miles away       Class IV+ - 24 miles long (Headwaters at Basin to Middle Fork Eel) Eel River, Mendocino County, 15 miles away       Class II-III - 35 miles long (Van Arsdale Dam to Dos Rios) Stony Creek, Colusa / Glenn County, 18 miles away       Class III-IV - 5 miles long (Mill Creek to Diversion Dam) Russian River - East Fork, Mendocino County, 19 miles away       Class II+(III) - 2.6 miles long (Falls to Lake Mendocino) Grindstone Creek, Glenn County, 19 miles away       Class III-IV - 12 miles long (Grindstone Road to Road 306) Thomes Creek, Tehama County, 22 miles away       Class IV-V+ - 22 miles long (Above Paskenta) Eel River - Middle Fork, Mendocino County, 23 miles away       Class II-V - 32 miles long (Black Butte River to Dos Rios) Tomki Creek, Mendocino County, 24 miles away       Class III - 9.3 miles long (Hearst Road to Eel River)   Marinas Near Eel River: Aurora RV Park and Marina, Nice , 19 miles away Holiday Harbor RV Park and Marina, Nice , 19 miles away   Beaches Near Eel River: Laurel Beach, Lake , 19 miles away   Hotels Near Eel River: Tallman Hotel, Upper Lake , 16 miles away Super 8 Upper Lake, Upper Lake , 16 miles away Lakeview Inn Lucerne, Lucerne , 21 miles away Rodeway Inn & Suites Lakeport, Lakeport , 22 miles away Vichy Springs Resort, Ukiah , 24 miles away   Campgrounds Near Eel River: Sunset Point Campground, Lake County, 3 miles away Lake Pillsbury - Sunset Point, Potter Valley, 3 miles away Oak Flat Campground, Lake County, 4 miles away   Trails Near Eel River: Crooked Tree Trail, Lake , 8 miles away, 8.9 hiking miles, 2583 feet elevation difference Elk Knob Trail, Lake , 12 miles away, 0.7 hiking miles, 386 feet elevation difference Milk Ranch Trail, Colusa , 13 miles away,  6.4 hiking miles, 1706 feet elevation difference Bonnie View Trail, Colusa , 14 miles away, 9.2 hiking miles, 3897 feet elevation difference Bear Wallow Trail, Glenn , 14 miles away, 5.8 hiking miles, 1716 feet elevation difference Middle Creek Flat Trail, Lake , 14 miles away, 1.5 hiking miles, 1427 feet elevation difference Bathhouse Trail, Colusa , 15 miles away, 4.6 hiking miles, 1946 feet elevation difference   Public Lands Near Eel River: Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Whiskeytown - CA , 70 miles away Mendocino National Forest, California , 14 miles away Clear Lake State Park, California , 25 miles away Anderson Marsh State Park, California , 34 miles away   Lakes Near Eel River Lake Pillsbury, Lake , 5 miles away Blue Lakes, Lake , 17 miles away