The town of Klamath is located 33 miles north of Trinidad and is the first town visitors come across after passing the Del Norte County line on U.S. Highway 101.

  Two golden bear statues stand guard on the Klamath River Bridge to greet visitors passing through. The wild and scenic river winds from the ocean 44 miles through the center of the Yurok Indian Reservation.

  The tribe was federally recognized in 1993 and is the largest in California. Fort Ter-Wer was established in 1857 to keep peace between Yuroks and the settlers who came to the area to work in the logging industry. Now the mill is shut down, but residents and visitors enjoy boat tours of the river to catch glimpses of the wild animals that grace the banks of the Klamath.

  River tours offer visitors a chance to see black bears, black tail deer, osprey, eagles, hawks, otters, mink and even sea lions. Local sport fishermen consider the area a fantastic spot for salmon and steelhead fishing.

  The town is home to 651 residents, with many more living along the river in small villages on the Yurok Reservation. In December of 1964, the town was destroyed by a flood and was later rebuilt.

  An annual Klamath Salmon Festival is held in August and the entire community and traveling salmon lovers turn out to participate. The historic Requa Inn is another must-see in Klamath. The bed and breakfast is owned and operated by former computer industry executives Dave and Barbara Gross. The inn’s owners love to tell visitors about their historic building and have been known to share a few ghost stories about former residents of the Requa Inn who have lingered.

  Narrative walks through the Trees of Mystery are another option popular with visitors. The Trees of Mystery is just under a mile long and is a trail through an old-growth forest. Part of the trail is devoted to the mythology of Paul Bunyan, America’s larger-than-life logger and his blue ox, Babe. Among the available tours at Trees of Mystery is the SkyTrail gondola ride that gives Redwood fans a birds-eye view through the treetops.