Klamath River Kikacéki Canyon Rafting & Dam Removal History

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/6

Duration9h

GroupUp to 16

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

The River Came Back: Rafting the Klamath's Newly Revealed Canyon

You float the newly restored Kikacéki Reach of the Klamath River for a full day, seeing the canyon that emerged after dam removal and learning the environmental and tribal history behind it. The outfitter provides transport from Ashland, a knowledgeable guide, lunch, and all safety gear including wetsuits. You'll encounter moderate to challenging whitewater and finish where the former Iron Gate Reservoir begins.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Kikacéki Canyon and Klamath River

Begin at former Copco Reservoir
Float down restored Klamath River
Observe rebirth of reservoir footprints
See river finding native channel
Experience challenging whitewater in canyon
Hear stories of dams and removal
End at former Iron Gate Reservoir

The Experience

For over a century, the Kikacéki Reach sat locked behind dams, its canyon hidden from daylight. Then, in 2024, the water was let out, and what emerged surprised everyone—a full river gorge, whitewater, and a landscape that had been underwater since before most people were born. You start at the top of what used to be Copco Reservoir and float down to where Iron Gate Reservoir begins, watching the Klamath River find its way back into channels it carved long ago. Your guide walks you through what happened here—the politics, the environmental fight, the Klamath tribes' decades-long push to restore it—so you're not just seeing the canyon, you're understanding why it matters.

The day is a full float, not a casual paddle. You'll hit challenging whitewater wrapped inside the canyon walls, which is why the outfitter includes wetsuits, booties, and splash jackets—the water is cold and the current moves. Transportation picks you up from Ashland and takes you to the put-in, so you don't have to figure out logistics yourself. Lunch happens on the river, and your guide is someone who knows both the hydrology and the history, which makes the difference between floating past a canyon and actually understanding what you're looking at.

The scale of it hits you on the water. Reservoir footprints—the bare rock and sediment where water used to be—line the banks. The river is actively reshaping its own channel, moving boulders, cutting new paths. It's not a polished, finished landscape; it's a landscape in the middle of becoming itself again. That rawness is what makes it worth the half-day commitment and the physical effort.

What’s included

Round-trip transportation from Ashland to the river put-in and take-out, a professional guide with knowledge of the Klamath River history and dam removal, lunch on the river, and all rafting safety equipment including wetsuits, booties, and splash jackets.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Indigo Creek Outfitters

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see the Klamath dam removal impact with expert context and don't want to arrange your own transport or safety gear—the guide and full-day structure turn a geological event into an actual story you can float through and understand.