Trinity River

Description

The Trinity is a popular whitewater rafting and kayaking river. Dam releases for fish restoration have incidentally increased the amount of water available for boating year-round. The river has three main whitewater runs, all known for their scenery and wildlife. The Pigeon Point section, alongside Highway 299, contains Class II-III (beginner to intermediate) rapids.^[93] Below the takeout at Cedar Flat, the Trinity flows through the extremely hazardous Class V Burnt Ranch Gorge, which was first run in 1971 by three kayakers, one of whom died of a heart attack soon after finishing the run, due to the arduous work of portaging many rapids. This gave the area a bad reputation for many years; it was not until 1983 when commercial trips began on this section of the river.^[94] The lower Trinity, much of which flows through the Hoopa Valley Reservation, is a Class II river with gentler and lower gradient despite having a greater volume of water flow