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.

We reserved our campsite the day it became available so we wouldn’t miss out. We went through the same process for our stay at Gold Bluffs Beach Campground. Since then, the reservation process has changed, but can still be challenging to navigate.

After our dinner at SeaQuake Brewing in Crescent City, we arrived at Jed Smith campground. Our site, #18, had a bear box, picnic table, and fire ring. It is conveniently located across from one of the three restrooms in the campground. Each restroom has flush toilets, sinks, and showers. There was no soap, or even sanitizer – we definitely recommend bringing your own!

To continue the glamping experience, we also took hot showers. There were two shower stalls, each with a changing area. It cost $0.50 for two minutes (a steal), and $0.25 for each additional minute. The water took about 30 seconds to warm up, and was well worth it. The bathrooms were clean, and we were grateful for a hot shower.

The campground was quiet, which made for a peaceful night’s sleep. When we awoke the next morning, we could see our campsite a lot better. It was a mostly shaded spot with redwoods, though close to some neighbors. Behind us was a stunning view of the emerald green Smith River and sandy beach. Additionally, directly behind our site was River Beach Trail, which winds around the campground.

The northern part of Jed Smith campground has five “hike and bike-in” campsites. There are also 4 sparse cabins in the campground. They cost $100 per night, which seems steep. Still, part of me wishes we had stayed there, just for the experience.

After a quick oatmeal breakfast, we walked to Jedediah Smith Visitor Center, which is centrally located within the campground. It has a small gift shop, and behind it is an amphitheater that hosts ranger programs a few evenings a week. A day use area also allows river access to non-campers for $8 per car. According to the park website, day access is free to those who hike or bike in.

Next we headed to Hiouchi Visitor Center, where we met for a kayaking trip on Smith River. It’s an easy walk along the road, less than a quarter mile from the campground.

After our kayaking trip, we headed to the beach near our campsite to warm up. It was a sunny afternoon in the 70s, and a number of other visitors were enjoying the area too. A log staircase, with no handrail, led to the beach – so we had to be careful.

While we really enjoyed our campsite, we did see larger sites that were closer to the river and nearer to large redwood trees. Those campsites, 47-58, were on the lower level on a smaller loop. I might try to reserve one of those someday when we return. But you really can’t go wrong with any site in this peaceful and well-maintained campground. This was my favorite campground so far on our adventures, aside from the primitive Duck Harbor Campground in Acadia NP.

Jedediah Smith Campground | 86 Campsites | 7 Hike-in Campsites | 4 Cabins

Date Visited: July 20 – 22, 2017
Location: Jedediah Smith State Park, 10 miles east of Crescent City, CA (Google Maps Directions)
Amenities: Hot Showers | Cabins | Potable Water | Fire Pits & Barbecues | Picnic Table | Flush Toilets | Bear boxes | Visitor Center
Dates Open: Year-round
Prices: $35/night for campsite | $100/night for cabin (summer), $80/night (winter)
Highlights: Redwood trees, beach
Best Sites: We recommend any site, but sites 47-58 are closer to the beach with larger redwood trees.
Notes: Reservations are accepted up to six months in advance and no less than 48 hours; otherwise first-come, first served. Check-in time is 2pm, check-out is 12:00 pm. Most popular dates are mid-May through late September.

Places

• Jedediah Smith Campground | 1461 US-199, Crescent City, CA 95531
• Hiouchi Chevron (for supplies) | 2100 US-199, Crescent City, CA 95531

Maps

• Jedediah Smith Campground Map

Links

• Jedediah Smith Campground Reservations

Interactive Map

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