Kickaceki Canyon entrance		Kickaceki Valley (Copco)

Experiencing the Klamath River as never before is now possible following the historic removal of four dams. That’s because several rafting companies are offering a variety of trips, from day-long to multi-day whitewater rafting trips on what’s being touted as the restored or “New” Klamath.

There are plenty of options to choose from. Among the companies preparing for trips are three based in Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley: Momentum River Expeditions, Indigo Creek Outfitters, and Noah’s River Adventures. It’s expected that the various outings on the restored Klamath will bring together sections of the river in a way that was not possible before the dam removals.

	Kikaceki Canyon toward Kikaceki Falls		Kikaceki Canyon toward Kikaceki Falls entrance

For many years outfitters offered one- and two-day rafting outings from Spring Island below the former John C. Boyle Dam to the former Copco Dam. Because the now-removed Boyle Dam offered consistent but artificial water flows - water was released from the Boyle at predetermined times - outfitters had timed and ample water flows into summer. The dam removals mean the flows are no longer consistent but are seasonal. Because of those variations, some rafting trips will only be offered when water flows are expected to be at their best.

Following are plans by a trio of outfitters offering raft trips on the “New Klamath,” or, as the Shasta Nation prefers to call it, the restored Klamath.

	Farm-to-fork food in camp		Morning in camp

Momentum River Expeditions

Before the dam removals, photographer Larry Turner and I made a two-day whitewater trip with Momentum down a section of the Klamath between two of the now-removed dams. Now that trip is quite different.

With the restored Klamath, Momentum is offering a variety of outings. One-day Hells Corner trips are planned April through May. Later, from June through September, one-day Upper Klamath Scenic trips and one-day trips through the challenging Kikaceki will be available. Formerly known as Wards Canyon, this section of the river was not accessible because of the dams.

Beginning the first week of June, two-day Upper Klamath Rafting Safaris will be offered. The Safari will combine steep and technical class 4+ rapids with what Momentum touts as “ultra-comfortable ‘safari-style’ riverside backcountry camp tucked deep in the canyon and only accessible by raft.” They say the overnight expedition “blends our classic Hell’s Corner run with the newly revived Kikaceki Canyon.”

“We have a really cool Class 4 stretch of river and a really cool Class 2 and 3 stretch of river”, said Pete Wallstrom, Momentum’s owner and guide. Also on his roster are the challenging Kikaceki section and the gentler stretch from below the remaining Keno Dam, including Hell’s Corner, which will be “run in a different way” from previous years because of the removal of the John C. Boyle and Copco 1 and 2 dams.

	Kikaceki Falls		Kikaceki Canyon view at Big Bend

	Liquid wall		Big hit

In promoting the rafting trips, Wallstrom urges, “See the Upper Klamath in its restored glory and run beautiful basalt canyons that haven't been experienced in 100 years! You'll experience exciting rapids with a low guest-to-guide ratio on the raft, as well as have the opportunity to inflatable-kayak the Kikaceki Valley. This expedition is the perfect way to see the Upper Klamath as it comes alive again after the historic dam removal!

Indigo Creek Outfitters

Indigo Creek Outfitters is also planning a trio of Klamath River trips, including two overnight outings and a three-day adventure. In promoting their trips, the company says, “There is no better way to experience the world’s largest dam removal restoration project than to visit the river.” They also boast that rafting the Klamath is “certainly one of the best river trips in the West. A wide variety of trip options allows anyone the opportunity to experience the ‘New Klamath.’”

“We have a pretty good feeling for trips on the Klamath and what will work,” believes Will Volpert, owner and sometime-guide for Indigo Creek. He said that immediately after the last of the four dams was removed in late 2024, guides took training trips. Day trips began last May and later the company offered multi-day trips.

“There is still a lot of exploring to do,” Volpert said, emphasizing that the removals allow one-day to multi-day floats through a variety of terrain, and gentle to Class 4+ and 5 rapids. Of those technical sections, he recommends, “If you don’t have that ability, you should be going with a guide like us … There are really challenging stretches of river.”

	Single raft		Picking up

He also believes, “The story of the Klamath River is far beyond whitewater and scenery. “There’s a sense of the river and its history and its healing … It’s really an incredible landscape.”

Volpert said it’s possible that day trips from below the Keno Dam, one of the two remaining Klamath River dams, to Spring Island will be offered this year. Participants will meet at the Running Y Ranch in Klamath Falls and be shuttled to a put-in location. Updates will be posted on the Indigo Creek website.

As Volpert notes, “Offering trips on the ‘New Klamath’ is a privilege we do not take lightly. The Klamath has been through a lot in the past 100 years, and we are honored to be a part of its rediscovery after dam removal. As we learn more about these beautiful lands and waters, we will always do so with an eye toward the history and stories of those who were here long before us. Our guides are knowledgeable of the area and eager to share these stories. We can’t wait to celebrate the New Klamath with you

Noah’s River Adventures

Noah’s River Adventures is also offering half-day, day, and two-day raft trips.

Bart Baldwin, Noah’s owner, says the dam removals has transformed the Klamath. “Every section of the river is different, a different personality … We had a system, a standard operating procedure.” The dam removals, he notes, have created new rapids that haven’t yet been named.

“Last year was a learning curve,” Baldwin says of exploring the river, including the now accessible Kilaceki Canyon. The result is what he terms a menagerie of offerings: half-day, day-long, and two- and three-day trips.

The Upper Klamath Full Day is a Class 4+ that will include the Copco (Kikaceki) Valley, Kikaceki Canyon, and Iron Gate (Kucascas) valley and “a great mix of everything from mellow to heart-pounding … The views, the rapids and the pace are world class,” Baldwin says.

The Upper Klamath Two Day is Class 4+ which includes Hell’s Corner but continues further downriver in smaller, lighter boats. Day 2 will start early to finish the Hell’s Corner section and move into the old Copco Reservoir footprint now called Kikaceki Valley. The finale will be through Class 4+ Kikaceki Canyon. The Iron Gate (Kucascas) Dam Removal Scenic Float is a Class 3 family-friendly trip – “mellow but beautiful” with larger boats, backrests, and no paddling required.

The Upper Klamath Spring Big Water Shuffle, with Class 4+ to 5 rapids, will be offered in coordination with water flow forecasts from the Bureau of Reclamation. While there are 44 river miles with big water potential in the spring and early summer, Baldwin admits, “We won’t know what the level will be but we can pick and mix accordingly” with one-day in April and May and possibly June, and multi-day outings from mid-June to late September.

Noah’s is also offering fishing on custom-built fishing cataracts. Three-day, two-night trips will start at Spring Island and end at Bush Creek, a distance of 32 miles.

Klamath River Factoids

The 257-mile long Klamath River (some sources say 263 miles) begins in tributaries in Southern Oregon’s Klamath County and flows through Upper Klamath Lake and Lake Ewauna in Klamath Falls before officially becoming the Klamath River. The Klamath is one of only three rivers that begin east of the Cascades and flows into the Pacific Ocean.

From the Keno dam to the Pacific Ocean there are no dams. After years of efforts by environmentalists and tribes that live along the river and its tributaries, four hydroelectric dams – John C. Boyle, Copco 1 and 2, and Iron Gate – were removed in 2024 and 2025, the largest dam removal in U.S. history.

Although the Keno and Link River dams are still in place, biologists say they have documented the passage of Chinook salmon and other fish at a much faster pace than expected in Upper Klamath Lake and several of its tributaries.

Klamath River trip requirements

Most of the Klamath River trips have minimum age restrictions. Although it’s not necessary to have previous rafting experience, participants should be in good physical condition – and be prepared to get wet.

For More Information

For information on Klamath River rafting trips the three companies mentioned include Momentum River Expeditions at https://momentumriverexpeditions.com/trip/upper-klamath-rafting-safari, 541-488-2525; Indigo Creek Outfitters at indigocreekoutfitters.com, 541-708-6252; and Noah’s River Adventures at https://noahsrafting.com/adventures/klamath-irongate-scenic-float/. 541-488-2811.

About the Author

Lee Juillerat is a semi-retired writer-photographer who lives in Southern Oregon. Along with stories for High On Adventure and newspapers and magazines, he is the author of books about Crater Lake National and Lava Beds National Monument. His book, “Ranchers and Ranching: Cowboy Country Yesterday and Today,” includes stories and photos of more than 300 people. He can be contacted at 337lee337@charter.net.