Six Rivers National Forest
The Six Rivers National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in the northwestern corner of California.
History
It was established on June 3, 1947 by U.S. President Harry S. Truman from portions of Klamath, Siskiyou and Trinity National Forests. It expands over of land with a variety of ecosystems and of old growth forest.It lies in forestland areas in portions of the four counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, and Siskiyou counties. The forest is named after the Eel, Van Duzen, Klamath, Trinity, Mad, and Smith Rivers, which flows through or near the forest's boundaries.
The forest has of wild and scenic rivers, six distinct botanical areas, and public-use areas for camping, hiking, and fishing. The northernmost section of the forest is known as the Smith River National Recreation Area. Forest headquarters are located in Eureka, California. There are ranger district offices in Bridgeville, Gasquet, Orleans, and Willow Creek.
Its old-growth forests include Coast Douglas-fir, Tanoak, Pacific madrone, and White Fir.
Wilderness areas
There are five designated wilderness areas in Six Rivers National Forest that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Two of them lie mostly in other National Forests or on Bureau of Land Management land.- Mount Lassic Wilderness
- North Fork Wilderness
- Siskiyou Wilderness
- Trinity Alps Wilderness
- Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness
Important events
- The Patterson-Gimlin film, claimed to be a recording of a Bigfoot, was filmed in this national forest.Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association, a 1988 US Supreme Court decision, concerned land in the forest claimed as sacred by several local Native American tribes.
- In 1947, Jose Garcia, father of then 5-year-old Jerry Garcia, slipped on a rock while fly fishing in the Trinity River and drowned. Jerry claimed to have witnessed this happen, though others familiar with the family assert that he did not.