BLM Dispatch #18 - Trinity Wild and Scenic River, California
Northwest California’s Trinity River begins high in the rugged Trinity Alps and winds through steep, forested mountains before merging with the (newly freed!) Klamath.
A fallen madrone branch in the headwaters — perhaps snapped off by a climbing black bear — would drift two hundred miles downstream before meeting the Klamath, and then another forty-four miles before the boulder bruised and battered limb would meet the salty waters of the Pacific.
Called Hun’ by the Hoopa Valley and Yurok Tribes — who have lived along its banks for thousands of years — the river is a vital thread of culture and lifeways. These nations have long stewarded its waters and stood at the front lines of its protection.
My home for three days of exploration was the BLM-managed Steel Bridge Campground, with thirteen sites tucked beneath a canopy of Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and incense cedar. I focused my time on the seventeen-mile stretch of the Trinity that the BLM manages between the charming towns of Lewiston and Junction City (see map below), dropping into every trail and river access point I could find for walking, swimming, and boulder hopping…
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