McCloud River
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| McCloud River | |
|---|---|
 Middle McCloud Falls on the McCloud River
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Major city | McCloud |
| Length | 50 mi (80 km) |
| Source | |
| - coordinates | |
| - elevation | 4,677 ft (1,426 m) |
| Mouth | |
| - coordinates | GNIS |
| - elevation | 1,066 ft (325 m) GNIS |
The McCloud River is a tributary of the Sacramento River, approximately 50 mi (80 km) long, in northern California in the United States. It drains a scenic mountainous area of the Cascade Range north of Redding. The river was originally known as the "McLeod River," after the Hudson's Bay Company hunter and trapper Alexander Roderick McLeod who explored it during the winter of 1829-1830.[1] By the 1860's, the spelling "McCloud" was widely used, likely because that was the conventional American spelling of the Scottish name, and perhaps in part to honor California pioneer Ross McCloud.
It rises from several spring-fed streams in the Cascades approximately 10 mi (16 km) southeast of Mount Shasta in Siskiyou County It flows initially west, passing south of Mt. Shasta and receiving streams that drain the southern slope of the peak. From Mt. Shasta it flows generally southwest through Lake McCloud and through the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. It joins Shasta Lake, formed by the Shasta Dam, approximately 15 mi (24 km) north of Redding, with the lower 10 mi (16 km) of the river forming the middle arm of the Lake. The McCloud arm joins in at the Pit River Bridge on Interstate 5, five miles north of the City of Shasta Lake.
The river is well-known for a series of waterfalls which tumble over basaltic lava flows, known collectively as the Falls of the McCloud River.
The McCloud is generally divided into two sections. The Upper McCloud is considered to be above McCloud Reservoir and the Lower McCloud stretches from the reservoir to Lake Shasta. The waterfalls mentioned above are all found on the Upper McCloud. The Upper McCloud is also a popular destination for kayakers. There is an improved campground called Fowlers on the Upper McCloud. The Upper McCloud above Upper Falls is rarely stocked and locating the fish often proves to be a challenge to most avid anglers while the section from Lower Falls to Upper Falls is stocked and is open to bait fishing. The Lower McCloud is generally a fly/artificial lure fishery and catch and release fishing is greatly encouraged.
The last several miles of the McCloud are comprised of two private fishing clubs - the McCloud River Club (4 miles) and the Bollibokka Club (10 miles), founded in 1902 and 1904, respectively. Until recently the McCloud River Club was controlled by the descendants of the wealthy San Francisco founding families, but is now controlled by the Fisher Family from San Francisco. The land encompassing the Bollibokka Club has recently been purchased by the Westlands Water District.[1] Part of this property has been subdivided and was sold to Silicon Valley real estate developer John Arrillaga. Anglers are not allowed to set foot above the high water mark on either property. The Nature Conservancy has a site on the Lower McCloud, an outright gift from the neighboring McCloud River Club, that allows ten rods per day and unlimited hikers or birders.
There are two campgrounds on the Lower McCloud River: Ash Camp and Ah Di Nah Campground. Ash Camp is a small unimproved camp area about a mile downstream of the McCloud Reservoir dam with 4 sites and a vault toilet. It sits at the junction of Hawkins Creek and the Lower McCloud.
While Ah Di Nah Campground is located only 3 miles further downstream from Ash Camp, it is about 7 miles of dirt road driving to get there. It is a Shasta-Trinity National Forest campground and a fee is charged for nightly camping. Ah Di Nah is popular with backpackers and anglers for its proximity to the Pacific Crest Trail and the Nature Conservancy area on the McCloud River. Bathrooms and water are available.
The McCloud once hosted a native population of Dolly Varden or Bull trout, but the species became extinct in the McCloud watershed after McCloud Reservoir cut off the fish from their spawning grounds. The last reported Dolly was caught in the 80s.
[edit] References
- ^ Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State, p. 275. Quill Driver Books. ISBN 1884995144.
