Klamath Basin outdoors in Klamath Falls

Birding on the Pacific Flyway

The Klamath Basin Birding Trail is a website-based guide to birding in the Klamath Basin of southern Oregon and northern California. It is presented by Klamath Wingwatchers, Inc. and says more than 350 species of birds use the basin as a stopover on the Pacific Flyway. Its seasonal notes are worth reading before you plan a trip:

Fall, August to September, is peak viewing for pelicans, egrets, herons and grebes. One to two million ducks and geese pass through in October and November.
Winter, November to February, brings more than 500 bald eagles to the Bear Valley roost, which the trail describes as the largest concentration in the lower 48 states.
Spring, March to May, brings shorebirds and waterfowl moving north.
Summer is nesting season in the marshes.

The trail also offers a free PDF brochure. Discover Klamath, the area's visitor bureau, keeps a Birds and Wildlife guide as well.

Winter Wings Festival

The Winter Wings Festival is produced by the Klamath Basin Audubon Society. The birding trail's event page describes it as a four-day festival held every Presidents' Weekend, headquartered at Oregon Tech, 3201 Campus Drive, Klamath Falls, and calls it the oldest birding festival in the nation. We have not been able to confirm the current year's schedule on an official page. Check with the Klamath Basin Audubon Society before you plan around it.

The national wildlife refuges

The Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex is made up of six refuges: Tule Lake, Upper Klamath, Lower Klamath, Klamath Marsh, Bear Valley and Clear Lake. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the complex's mission is to protect what remains of what was once the largest wetlands area west of the Mississippi River. Tule Lake was set aside in 1928, and Upper Klamath was set aside on April 3, 1928. Each refuge has its own Visit Us page with trails, activities and current conditions, so use those for hours and closures.

Upper Klamath Lake

Discover Klamath describes Upper Klamath Lake as Oregon's largest body of water, nearly 30 miles long and about 8 miles wide at its widest, and roughly 90,000 acres. Wikipedia gives a smaller area, 61,543 acres, and a length of about 25 miles. The two sources disagree, so we do not give one figure. Both describe it as the largest in Oregon.

Public places the visitor bureau lists for reaching the lake include:

Rocky Point Day Use, with a boat launch
Eagle Ridge Park, with a boat launch, picnic tables and a six-site primitive campground
Moore Park, beside the Link River near the lake's southern end, with walking trails and picnic areas
The Upper Klamath Canoe Trail, a marked 9.5-mile water trail through wetlands at the northwest corner

The bureau also lists redband and rainbow trout fishing, mainly in fall and spring. Conditions and access change, so confirm with the managing agency before you go.

The road to Crater Lake

Crater Lake National Park has West, South and North entrances. The National Park Service says the North Entrance is closed in winter and the South Entrance on Highway 62 is open year-round. From Klamath Falls, the Park Service directions are to take Highway 97 to Highway 62, then Highway 62 to the South Entrance. In winter, chains or snow tires may be required, and the Park Service links to TripCheck for road conditions. Gas is usually not available inside the park in winter; the closest stations it names are in Prospect and Chiloquin. Cell reception is limited. The park was founded on May 22, 1902.

Sources

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