Swimming Holes

This year we discovered a new spot to get wet. It is also a great place to get drinking water if you’re in the Klamath River Valley near Happy Camp, California.

Oak Flat Creek is about five miles southwest of Happy Camp on Highway 96. It is just northwest of the Wingate River Access, about half a mile or less. There’s a sign. Look for a place where the road is built on a bridge-like structure. Park in the turn-out on the northwest side, and walk down a rocky path toward the river.

A local prospector tied a rope at one point in the path so you can hold it as you go down a particularly steep part of the path. Continue on.. you’re about half-way there. There are several access spots to get to the creek itself. Choose one and enjoy a splash on a hot summer day.

The creek has a series of picturesque mini-waterfalls. Near the confluence with the Klamath River, there are two tiny pools ideal for getting wet or massaging your back under the waterfalls. The prospector who told us about this place cleaned out the stream to bring out the natural beauty. He wants this spot kept pristine so that people can come and enjoy. Rafters often camp across the river and use the bottom pool for splashing around in.

This stream is a good source of drinking water. The prospector who maintains it has been drinking the water for years. I take it home and run it through my water purification system first, but have had it straight from the stream and didn’t get sick. I like the taste of the purified water better.