Kayaking is a lot of fun…especially when it’s free. Redwood National & State Parks runs a free ranger guided kayak tour on the Smith River, with a limited number of spots available. Sign up early so you don’t miss out!

Planning

The Smith River is a National Wild & Scenic River, and is the largest free-flowing river system in California. It runs along the park’s northern border, past the town of Hiouchi and Jedediah Smith Campground. The route, which goes through the Smith River National Recreation Area, is about 3 miles long through class I-II whitewater. It’s not too challenging, but still fun in a tandem kayak.

Kayak trips are available on a first come, first served basis. To give yourself the best chance, sign up a few days early, or having a range of dates in mind. At Hiouchi Visitor Center, we flipped through the available dates, and found the one we wanted, four days out. The trip was already half full (6 out of 12 spots), and we added our names to the list.

At 11:30 a.m. the day of our trip, we arrived at Hiouchi Visitor Center. We watched a safety video, and got suited up with helmets and life jackets. We brought our own dry bags for our lunch and personal items, but our guide also provided one for guests to use. At 12:20 p.m., a shuttle arrived to take us to the put-in. The shuttle costs $2 per person, so technically the trip isn’t completely free, though you could also drive yourself.

Kayaking the Smith River

We rode the shuttle a few miles east to the put-in at Forks River Access, where we met Laura, a park ranger and our kayaking guide. Brad, an intern with the National Park Service, also helped guide our trip. The clear Smith River looked blue-green, and the sun shone, making it an ideal day for kayaking. There were no redwood trees where we began our trip, but they lined the river later on.

With the help of the rangers, we got into our inflatable tandem kayaks and started down the river. Our guides gave verbal instructions as we went single file through the (mostly class I) rapids. It was breezy, and we learned how to steer as we paddled, but we made it through the rapids easily. Even for a class I they were still really fun! We got splashed a bit, especially me, since I was in front.

A few times, our guides had to free our kayak from rocks. They said the river was the lowest it’s been in awhile, so we were bottoming out. One boat capsized, and the guides helped the guests back onto the boat. But it looked like they were having a great time, and the water was only waist high.

Lunch Time

After a couple miles, we stopped at a beach near Stout Grove for lunch. Everyone sat on the sunny beach eating their lunch (bring your own, not provided). After lunch, we only had a half mile to go. We climbed back in our kayaks, and directly in front of us was the seasonal bridge that connects Stout Grove with Jedediah Smith Campground. It’s a low bridge, so we anticipated a challenge paddling under it.

We aimed for the middle of the bridge, where we’d have the highest clearance. One guide joked that the lower you go, the more respect you get. If you go under a section of the bridge with lower clearance, you might have to duck. Aiming well, we went under and tucked in our paddles to avoid disaster. We popped out the other side and were on our way!

The largest rapid, a class II, was near the end of the trip. It looked slightly larger, but the real test was paddling through it. Travis got splashed, but I got soaked! Soon after, we arrived at Jedediah Smith Campground.

We got out of our kayak, and onto a rocky beach. Then we climbed up a hill that was covered with loose rocks. The guides strongly recommended we keep our helmets on, as visitors had slipped in this area. After trudging through more loose rocks, we loaded our helmets and vests onto a truck, and walked 10 minutes back to Hiouchi Visitor Center. At the visitor center, we gave a donation (as mentioned on the NPS webs), though the park staff seemed confused when we tried to give them money.

We had a blast on this trip, and for free, you can’t beat it!

Places

• Hiouchi Visitor Center | 1600 US-199, Crescent City, CA 95531
• Forks River Access and Boat Ramp | 41.8350428, -124.0669019
• Lunch Point at Stout Grove | 41.7920548,-124.0861959
• Jedediah Smith Campground Day Use Area Exit | 41.8027708,-124.0873676

Links

• Ranger-led Kayak Tours on NPS Website

Interactive Map

The post Kayaking the Smith River appeared first on KTNPBlog.

Video Guide

Travis’ Top 3 in Saguaro National Park

1. Backpacking to Manning Camp – What an adventure. Going all the way to the top of the park, from the lower desert elevation to a high elevation conifer forest. It was strenuous, difficult, and a blast. I would return to the park just to do this trip again, and we definitely will someday. I feel we didn’t get enough time to really explore it with only a 3-day backpacking trip.

   

2. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – This is outside the park, but only barely. It taught us so much about the desert ecosystem. It was tremendously important for understanding the plants and animals that live here. Highly recommended.

   

3. Saguaro Cacti – Seeing the namesake of the park, the saguaro, was a highlight. Especially when we saw it blooming! Obviously they are prevalent in many areas of the park, but some trails, like Wasson Peak, have particularly nice views. Others, like Garwood Trail, had unique sights like a cristate version, and a cluster of 11 saguaros.

   

Kristin’s Top 3 in Saguaro National Park

1. Manning Camp – Our three-day backpacking trip took up almost half of our time in the park, and it was well worth it. The route took us through a variety of biomes. The weather was a nice escape from the desert heat, and there are many trails up there to explore. The spring at Manning Camp is breathtaking; it can’t be captured in a photo (believe me, we tried). Plus, as far as I’m aware, it’s the only backcountry campground in the park where the pit toilets are fully enclosed.

   

2. Wasson Peak – This was my favorite day hike in the Tucson Mountain district. The views are gorgeous, the terrain is varied, and there are some cool landmarks along the route that speak to the park’s history. And the breeze at the peak provided a refreshing respite from the desert heat.

   

3. Signal Hill Petroglyphs – The largest petroglyph site in the park and the reason to drive the Bajada Loop. A brief walk up a rocky hill takes you to a series of petroglyphs that were created between 550 and 1550 years ago by the Hohokam Native Americans. The views are nice for such a short hike, and it’s a good spot for photography, too.

Honorable mention: Tucson food scene. Much like we experienced in Saguaro National Park itself, I was pleasantly surprised – this time by the amount of high-quality and different varieties of cuisine we were able to try during our trip. If you go to Saguaro, take advantage of Tucson’s proximity to the park.

Things we wish we did (“Things to do next time”)

• Hike to Rincon Peak – This hike is near Happy Valley Campground, but we just didn’t have enough time (or extra potable water) to make the trip. Next time, we’ll either do it as a day hike or extend our backpacking trip by one day.
• Other backcountry trails – We only saw a bit of the backcountry on the eastern side of Manning Camp. We’d love to check out trails on the western side of Manning Camp like Tanque Verde or Douglas Spring. We would also like to spend two nights at Manning Camp to explore the trails and beautiful scenery up there. This is doable since Manning Camp has a spring that flows year-round.
• More time in the Cactus Forest – This is located in the northwest corner of the Rincon Mountain (east) District. We got to do a short hike to Garwood Dam there, but there are so many intersecting trails. We were tired from our backpacking trip, otherwise we would have explored more.
• Riding horses – I’m not sure if we’d be interested in this, but we’d investigate the possibility for our next trip.

Mini Adventures

We generally only post about places we visit for a longer amount of time. But we also checked out a few smaller sites, events, and hikes in the park that are worth mentioning.

• Tucson Mountain District (West)
  • Desert Discovery Nature Trail – A 0.4 mile loop, and one of two ADA trails in the park. We stopped here while trying to get a sunset photo and found this short loop with interpretive signs. We were lucky enough to see a woodpecker fly into its nest in a saguaro!

    

• Rincon Mountain District (East)
  • Cactus Forest Loop Drive – This is the paved driving loop in the east district. We found that we liked it more than the Bajada Loop Drive in the west district. There were some overlooks, views, and trails along the way. We enjoyed driving it at sunset.
  • Desert Ecology Trail – The second short ADA trail in the park, which is along the Cactus Forest Loop Drive. It’s only 0.3 miles, so it’s a nice quick walk with some more interpretive signs along the way.

    

  • Freeman Homestead Trail – A short 0.9 mile trail, this was the last hike we did in the park. I really wanted to see a Gila monster and a ranger mentioned they had seen one along this trail. Gila monsters come out more in the early morning or late afternoon, so we went in the late afternoon hoping to see one, but no luck. The trail itself was an easy hike with some history about the area before it become a park.
  • Star Party – An astronomy event held in the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center. A ranger-led presentation discussed Tucson’s dark skies and detailed the history of the park. Afterward, visitors got a chance to stargaze in the parking lot, where members of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association had set up 5-6 telescopes. The volunteers were knowledgeable and friendly, and it was quite an experience to stargaze this close to an urban area. We signed up for this event ahead of time, and we’re guessing it filled to capacity, so sign up early if you’re interested! Offered October through April, highly recommended.
  • Tanque Verde Trail – We had originally planned to take this trail to Manning Camp, but started at Miller Creek instead. We decided to do an out-and-back hike on Tanque Verde. We were only on the trail for about an hour, and it was similar to other hikes we had done, so we weren’t super impressed with it. But this was at the end of our trip, and we were exhausted, so your opinion might differ. It would be interesting to take the trail further into the backcountry and experience the changing ecosystems as you ascend. This trail is lacking in shade, so we recommend checking it out in cooler weather.

    

• Sunset – We drove around looking for the best place to capture a beautiful orange sunset with saguaros in the foreground. But we missed our opportunity to find the spot that had been recommended to us. Lesson learned – if you see a gorgeous sunset, just stop and enjoy it while you can.

Our Saguaro NP Tips

• Like any desert hiking, start as early as possible. We did the best we could, but still ended up hiking during the hottest time of day.
• Bring more water and snacks than you think you’ll need.
• Go during spring or fall, avoid the summer heat. Winter might be nice too, especially if you see the rare snow on the saguaro cacti.
• Gilbert Ray Campground is a great place to stay to explore the Tucson Mountain District. Grab a tent-only spot if you can.
• Get a high-clearance vehicle, especially if going to the Miller Creek or Turkey Creek trailheads.
• If you only have a couple days, explore the Tucson Mountain District. If you have more time, add a backpacking trip in Rincon Mountain District. Another option: skip Tucson Mountain District entirely and plan a 3-plus-day backpacking trip in the Rincon Mountain District.
• Give yourself enough time to explore Manning Camp and the surrounding area. We recommend at least one full day.
• Tucson is right there – great restaurants and more places to explore.
• Stay alert. This park is wild, and we ran into a western diamondback rattlesnake in the middle of Garwood Trail.

Map of Everything We Did in Saguaro NP

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T’s Top 5 things to do in Acadia National Park

1. Duck Harbor Campground: The ideal campground.  Quiet and secluded, with amazing views and hikes nearby.  We were there for 3 nights, the maximum allowed.  Staying here allowed us to explore Isle au Haut and was my favorite part of our Acadia trip.
2. The Beehive Trail: My favorite hike we did.  I’ve never done one before that had me climbing iron rungs up a cliff.  It was exhilarating, and a fun feature to climb on the rocks with.  It’s not a long hike, but it’ll be an experience that we’ll remember forever.
3. Bar Harbor: One thing we love doing is trying out different restaurants while vacationing.  Bar Harbor allowed us to do that – there were tons of places to indulge the foodie in us.  And I really enjoyed going to Atlantic Brewing Company to get a tasting of their beers.
4. Duck Harbor Mountain Trail: This great hike is right next to Duck Harbor Campground.  If you take the full loop, which you should, it goes up the mountain for great views of the harbor, then down and around the coastline for great beaches and forests.  It goes through a variety of different environments, and special nooks and crannies.
5. Stonington: This town is what comes to mind when I think about small-town Maine.  Lobster boats, docks, quiet, and peaceful.  It was really fun to explore the town, and made a great basecamp for catching the mail boat to Isle au Haut.

K’s Top 5 things to do in Acadia National Park

1. Pemetic Mountain Hike: I was impressed with the views and terrain on this hike. And summer in Maine made it perfect. As a bonus, you can start your journey from Jordan Pond House.
2. Squeaker Cove: This is a small rocky beach on Isle au Haut. I loved the whole experience at IAH, but Squeaker Cove is a standout. It was so peaceful and secluded. If I think back, I can still hear the sound of the rocks getting jostled by the waves, and feel the cool ocean breeze.
3. Stonington: A quintessential Maine town. I loved seeing the boats, the dock, and the lobster traps. I loved staying in a well thought-out room that was the size of a postage stamp. If you go, grab some local seafood while enjoying a harbor view!
4. Bar Harbor Sandbar: I loved the town of Bar Harbor, with its parks, ocean views, and shops. But the coolest part was walking through town at different times of day and being able to access the island during low tide. After all, that’s what gave BH its name.
5. Unique hikes: I haven’t seen iron obstacles anywhere else (though I’m sure they exist) and it’s such a fun feature. It’s like being a kid again!

Things we wish we did (“Things to do next time”)

• Precipice Trail and Jordan Cliffs Trail – The “sister” hikes to the Beehive and Beech Cliff Trails that also have iron rungs.  Both were closed due to Peregrine Falcon nesting, which happens annually in the summer.
• Schoodic Woods Campground – The only campground in Acadia we didn’t visit!  We only planned for one partial day in Schoodic.  If we had more time, we would have spent a couple days there.
• Cadillac Mountain at Sunrise – We actually did go up to Cadillac Mountain, but in the early afternoon.  The views would have been nice, if it weren’t for all the people.  Because of that, we wouldn’t recommend going there unless it was for sunrise or hiking a trail to the top.
• Biking the carriage roads – We weren’t very interested in this before our visit.  Once there, we really wished we had been able to go biking.

Our Acadia Tips

• If you go to Duck Harbor Campground, stay for the maximum of 3 nights so you have enough time to explore.
• Stay in Loop A or B in Seawall Campground.
• Despite its size, Blackwoods Campground is a great place to stay if you want to see all of Acadia’s main sites on Mt. Desert Island.
• Some trails close during Peregrine Falcon nesting from March through August.  Visit at another time, if possible.
• Enjoy the unique towns that surround the park.
• Check out a Ranger Program.  We went to an interesting Stargazing Program at Sand Beach.  The rangers told tales about the stars based on Native American stories, and gave other historical background about the constellations.
• If you only have a few days and haven’t been to Acadia before, stick to Mt. Desert Island.  If you have a week, add a visit to Isle au Haut and Duck Harbor.  If you have more time, check out Schoodic Peninsula.
• If you have to skip something, skip Schoodic.  We highly recommend Mt. Desert Island and Isle au Haut.

Map of Everything We Did in Acadia

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