About this place
The Klamath River begins in Oregon’s Klamath Basin. It cuts through the Cascades and the Klamath Mountains, then reaches the Pacific Ocean in northern California.
The J.C. Boyle Dam upstream was taken down in 2024, as part of the removal of the Klamath River dams. For years its steady releases gave rafters a long season.
Now the river runs on its own flow. Outfitters expected summer levels to be too low for commercial trips through Hell’s Corner. Spring, when the water is naturally high, is the season to ask about.
The Upper Klamath is known as an outstanding whitewater boating river. The water is warm and there are many class III to IV+ rapids.
On the rafting scale of one to six, that is advanced to expert.
If you have not run rivers before, go with a guide or an outfitter.
There is camping, fishing, hunting and scenic touring along the river too.
The Bureau of Land Management runs four recreation sites here: the Spring Island Day Use Site, Klamath River Campground, Turtle Primitive Camp and Stateline Campground.
Klamath River Campground, Turtle and Stateline cost nothing.
You can reach the far side of the river off the Topsy Road. That road is sometimes in very rough shape.
Check the local fire restrictions before you build any campfire.
At the primitive campsites nothing is laid on. Nobody collects trash here, so take everything home with you.
The Upper Klamath is one of only three rivers that cut right through the Cascade Mountain Range. That makes for a wide range of habitats, and a lot of fish and wildlife.
The facts
- Cost
- Free to camp
- Roads around it
- Topsy Road reaches the far bank and can be in very rough shape
- Stay limit
- 14 days
- Toilet
- No developed facilities at the primitive campsites
- Type
- Open area. Camp anywhere within it
- Managed by
- Bureau of Land Management
Getting there
For the Spring Island Day-Use Site from Ashland, travel east on State Highway 66 for about 43 miles. Turn right onto the J.C. Boyle Powerhouse Road and follow it about 4 miles.
From Klamath Falls, travel west on State Highway 66 for about 30 miles. Then turn left onto that same road and follow it about 4 miles.
Past Spring Island, the Upper Klamath Campground turnoff is 3 miles on and the Turtle Campground turnoff 3.5 miles on. The road is narrow and rough.
Coordinates 42.08951, -122.07277
Open in Google Maps Agency page
What is near here
There is another spot of ours within reach, and some better-known places further out.
- Upper Klamath Lake Directions
- Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Directions
- Mount McLoughlin Directions
- Lava Beds National Monument Directions
Every distance on this page is the driving distance. A short distance can still take a long time. The road may be closed for the season, covered in snow, or washed out. Many of these roads are dirt. Plan your route before you leave home. Out here there is often no phone signal to look it up on the way.
Nearest town and supplies
- Keno, OR Directions
Keno is big enough that you’d normally expect fuel and somewhere to buy food. Nobody from here has been to check, so don’t count on it if you’re running low.
Why the drive to town is usually twice what the map says — what we found measuring every campsite in this guide.
When it’s time to move on
You can camp here for 14 days. After that you have to move on, and the Bureau of Land Management usually wants you at least 25 to 30 miles away. So the free campsites closest to you are the ones you cannot use.
Two in this guide sit inside that 25 miles. The nearest one you could move to is Mt. Ashland Campground, Oregon — 33 miles in a straight line, but a 57 mile drive.
This guide covers five states and does not list every free campsite, so there may be something closer that we do not hold. Check this site’s own rule before you rely on it.
Have you been here?
Fees and access change, and the records do not always keep up. If you have been, tell us what you found.
Thank you, that is recorded. It helps the next person.
Add road notes for this site
The thing we cannot get from any government record is what the drive in is actually like. If you have done it, this is the most useful thing you can leave behind. We read everything before it appears, and we print a first name with it if you give one.
Thank you. A person will read it before it goes on the page.
Where this information comes from
The description on this page is ours. The facts in it, and the fee and facility details below it, come from the Bureau of Land Management’s own records, read in August 2026; opened and read by a person on 2026-08-27.