Six Rivers National Forest

Named for six major rivers flowing through it -- the Smith, Klamath, Trinity, Mad, Van Duzen, and Eel -- Six Rivers National Forest spans nearly 960,000 acres of northwest California's coastal mountains, protecting some of the wettest and most densely forested terrain in the state. The Smith River, the last major undammed river system in California, flows through the forest's northern reaches and is renowned for its extraordinary water clarity, wild steelhead runs, and pristine old-growth redwood and Douglas fir forests along its banks. The forest's portion of the Trinity Alps Wilderness and the Siskiyou Wilderness provide rugged backcountry experiences in mountains where the Klamath and Siskiyou ranges create one of the most botanically diverse temperate regions on Earth. Ancient coast redwoods and massive Douglas fir trees tower over fern-carpeted understories in the forest's lower-elevation old-growth stands, providing critical habitat for the northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and Pacific fisher. The Klamath, Trinity, and Eel rivers support some of the most important remaining salmon and steelhead runs in California, making the forest a destination for world-class fly fishing and river recreation. The forest is also deeply connected to the Yurok, Karuk, and Hoopa Valley tribes, whose ancestral territories and traditional gathering areas are woven throughout the landscape.