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Preface to the Sixth Edition

Naturally occurring fires have always played an integral role in the ecology of the Klamath Mountains, but decades of fire suppression, paired with climate change, seem to be exacerbating the recent effects of forest fires in the area. Over the years, both fires in the immediate vicinity and fires in more distant locales filling the sky with smoke and unhealthy air have altered my own personal plans to update the trails covered in this guide.

Most of these events have been triggered by lightning strikes, and obviously there is little that can be done to prevent them from a human standpoint. That said, a heightened awareness of fire danger and a rededication to the sound principles of fire protection should be at the top of every person’s list of ways to minimize any future human-caused events. In the summer of 2018, while this book was in production, sparks from the rim of a trailer’s flat tire started the devastating Carr Fire, which torched the trails in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (see Chapter 1), burned more than 225,000 acres, and destroyed more than 1,000 homes. Please be extra cautious when recreating in the Trinity Alps and vicinity.

Whenever I’m involved in putting together a new edition of a guidebook, I attempt not only to update as much of the previous information as possible but also to add some new trips to make the purchase more appealing to the reader. The sixth edition does have a few new trails added toward that end, and more day-hiking opportunities have also been identified. Although no new trails have been built to add to the already extensive network of existing trails in the region, there has been one new designation of import: The Bigfoot Trail. This trail is a long-distance, south–north route of about 360 miles traversing the Klamath Mountains, from the Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel Wilderness in California north into southernmost Oregon near the Red Buttes Wilderness and then dipping back into California to end near Crescent City. Check out for more information about this unique route.

With the combination of outstanding scenery, biological and botanical diversity, and ample opportunities for solitude, the greater Trinity Alps is still one of my favorite mountain areas. May this guide assist you in discovering some of the same attributes of this area that I have grown to love.

—M. W.