Weaverville Online

Trinity County Recreation

Trinity County has much to offer in outdoor recreation. It doesn't matter if your preference is on land or on water there is plenty of outdoor adventure here and waiting for you.

 

If you prefer land then the Trinity Alps Wilderness has more than enough to satisfy hikers, campers, bird watchers, nature and other outdoor land recreational enthusiasts. Miles of trails into the mountains provide memorable hiking and horseback riding, while abundant camping facilities provide a place to pitch camp for family outdoor fun.

 

If you prefer water then the beautiful Trinity and Ruth lakes, Trinity river and many streams provide all the water adventure that you can handle. White water rafting, boating, water sports, and trophy fishing all await you here!

 

CAL-FIRE Campfire Safety Tips / California Campfire Permit

Lakes, Rivers and Streams

 

There’s nothing like a day out on the lake and Trinity County has both Trinity and Ruth lakes to offer. Trinity Lake is the most popular lake where stunning mountain peaks and 145 miles of forested shorelines surround the vast expanse of water. Situated about 20 miles north of Weaverville, the lake provides many opportunities for recreation. Lake goers enjoy boating, water-skiing, jet-skiing, wake boarding, or simply exploring the many quiet coves where they can picnic, fish, see wildlife (including eagles and osprey), swim and sun-bathe. A day on Trinity Lake, the state’s third largest reservoir, is like a day in paradise.

Trinity lake offers numerous marinas with boat ramps - Cedar Stock, Estrellita, and others - as well as opportunities for renting boats anywhere from a well-appointed houseboat to a simple fishing craft. Many families like to rent a houseboat for a week or more and really get into “relaxation” mode. Other families enjoy camping at campgrounds such as Tannery Gulch, which has a great beach where children can play and swim in a marked swimming area. There are many other lakeside campgrounds and day-use areas including the popular Clark Springs beach where adults and children alike can have fun in the water and on the beach.

 

Trinity River

 

For those who prefer their water fun stretched out for miles, the Trinity River provides plenty of fast action and current. The Trinity River provides great rafting and kayaking white water fun with several local rafting guides to take you down river safely. If it's fishing you prefer, then trophy size Salmon, Steelhead and Trout are plentiful most of the year but more abundant in the winter months when the Salmon make their run up river to spawn.

Trinity River Map

There are also many smaller streams to provide both white water and fishing enjoyment if you want to explore other remote areas of Trinity County.

Trinity Countywide Fun and Adventure!

 

Trinity County provides many past times to enjoy on land, which can range from the rugged granite peaks of the Trinity Alps to the wide open spaces in parts of Southern Trinity. Just some of the fun things to do on land in Trinity County include the following:

 

• Hiking, back-packing, and pack trips (horseback)	• Mountain-biking
• Camping or resort stays	• Geo-caching (GPS treasure hunts)
• Horseback riding	• 4 x 4-ing and ATV-ing
• Exploring natural rock formations	• Viewing wildlife in their natural habitats
• Bird-watching (ornithology)	• Viewing native plants
• Blackberry picking (in August)	• Looking for Bigfoot!

 

Hiking, back-packing, pack trips and back country information are best found at any of the U.S. Forest Service ranger stations in Trinity County, which are in Weaverville, Coffee Creek and Big Bar. Information available includes a current Trinity Alps Wilderness trail condition report. In Weaverville, there’s an outdoor store, Trinity Outdoors, next to the town’s only supermarket, Tops Market, which is the place to “gear up,” obtain maps (including a Trinity Alps Wilderness map), and ask questions. Remember: If you’re going into the Alps, you need a wilderness permit for anything beyond a day hike, and if you’re going to have anything with open flames, including a cook stove, you need a campfire permit as well. Fire is always a big concern in Trinity County during the summer months; be safe with fire! Note: A current Forest Order for the Canyon Creek area specifies that there are no campfires allowed at any of the Canyon Creek Lakes. It is a $375 fine (with no exceptions) for anyone caught in violation of this Forest Order.

 

Campgrounds abound in Trinity County. The only free one is Rush Creek Campground, which is on Hwy 3 North out of Weaverville (as you head toward Trinity Lake). Many of the campgrounds have campground hosts who will help make your stay pleasant and answer any questions you may have. In the Trinity Center (north lake) area, there’s a KOA. If a resort is what you want, Trinity County offers many to choose from. Some are quite rustic, while others give visitors a fairly posh experience. Some of the resorts offer destinations for weddings, retreats, or family reunions.

Mountain-bikers and hikers alike will want to check out the Weaver Basin Trail System, which consists of mining-era trails all around Weaverville that have been made user-friendly for everyone. You will want to obtain the map of the Weaver Basin Trail System if you really want to explore these trails. There is also some geo-caching (also known as GPS treasure hunting) on the Weaver Basin trails. Check with the Forest Service to learn which of their roads are open to mountain bikers.

 

Trail-riding on horseback is a fun way to get up into the mountains and see some pretty country. Some of the trail ride resorts include a meal. If you want to ride horses while in Trinity County, it would be good to think about appropriate clothing and shoes for trail riding due to the brush being overgrown on some trails.

 

4 x 4's and ATV's are popular past times in Trinity County, but you need to make sure the trails or roads you want to traverse are ones where those kinds of vehicles are allowed.

 

Natural Bridge, near Hayfork, is a natural rock formation that’s fun and interesting to explore. It’s also the site of a massacre, in the 1800's, of Native Americans of the Nor El Muk band of the Wintu tribe. There’s a memorial and a nice picnic area where hikers can have lunch.

 

Wildlife viewing is available just about anywhere in Trinity County. Deer often cross the streets in Weaverville and other Trinity County towns; hikers in the Alps frequently cross paths with California black bears, which are generally not aggressive (but hikers should take care to secure their food supplies at night). Other critters spotted around the county include bobcats, foxes, river otter, ring-tailed cats, elk, and (rarely) mountain lions. Bird-watching can be fun, too, especially near the rivers and lakes, where osprey and bald eagles frequently feed. Another enjoyable past time is viewing native plants, such as the pitcher plant (which consumes insects) in the alpine meadows, as well as miner’s lettuce, which is edible.

 

Blackberries in August. Anywhere there’s berry vines near the water, the blackberries will be especially juicy and good. Be careful around blackberry vines, though—sometimes rattlesnakes lie under them. As you should do when walking or hiking anywhere in Trinity County during the warm months, watch where you put your feet and wear boots or protective snake guards.

 

The legends about Bigfoot tend to intrigue both the young and old alike, and kids, especially, make an adventure out of clambering over terrain in search of the elusive creature. Legends and stories about Bigfoot abound down river from Weaverville in the Hoopa Valley, where the Hoopa tribe has a long history of stories about Bigfoot encounters.