Hayfork Creek

This run is a secret classic for devotees of difficult, small creeks flowing through tight gorges. It is a relatively short drive from the town of Hayfork on a county road.

Access is easy, with the put-in at the Gemmil Gulch Picnic Area along Wildwood Road (County Road 302) and the take-out at the first bridge you'll encounter over Hayfork Creek at East Fork Road (County Road 343), a short distance downstreamof the confluence with East Fork Hayfork Creek. Shiell Gulch Campground is located along Wildwood Road between the put-in and take-out, offering free camping at five tent sites and a trail to the nearby Chanchelulla Wilderness Area (campground may be closed until Memorial Day each year).

There are a couple warm-up rapids before the creek drops into Shiell Ranch Gorge. The geology here is quintessential Klamath Mountains with alternating granticis and metasedimentary rock that is hard and smooth and conducive to forming tight gorges and steep drops. It also tends to be quite slick when wet, and you'll be walking on it to scout or possibly portage this gorge. The gorge presents challenging options for setting safety and even portaging has some exposure risk. The second part is typically portaged.

Once you've negotiated Shiell Ranch Gorge, the creek continues with a more amenable style and stunning scenery.

It is possible to continue past the take-out at the East Fork Road bridge and paddle to the valley floor near Hayfork. The gradient decreases significantly in this section.

Best guidebook: The New School Guide to Northern California Whitewater (Dan Menten, 2016), p. 145.