PADDLING SPRING CREEK IN CHILOQUIN
We have had Spring Creek in Chiloquin on our bucket list for years and we finally got to paddle these crystal clear blue waters this summer! The Spring Creek Day Use Area is recently rebuilt with a large parking lot and restroom facilities, after it had been badly burnt in the two four two fire back in 2020.
The day use area is tucked away behind the Collier Logging Museum off of highway 97 on Chiloquin. The drop-in is about fifty feet from the parking area so we had to walk a little ways with our kayaks and paddle boards. It’s mostly paved so it’s not too bad a trek.
As you can see the water is a crystal clear blue and while it looks so inviting to swim in, take it from me, it is FREEZING cold. My feet were numb within the three minutes it took us to get our kayak launched.
When we got on the water, we headed north (left), upstream towards the headwaters. We wended our along the creek through river front cabins and wide open green spaces with endless sky views. We saw mama and baby ducks and flocks of geese who have made the creek their homes. If we would have paddled all the way to the Spring Creek Headwaters it would have been four miles round trip and we would have been able to see where the water bubbles up from the ground from its source at Shoat Springs.
We decided to only do half of the trip, turning around about a mile in where the creek widened out a bit. Since we started fairly early we didn't run into too many people, but when we got back it was getting pretty crowded. We pulled our kayaks and paddle board out quickly to get out of everyone's way and packed things up at our car.
At the day use there are picnic tables and a restroom, but no covered areas. If you’d like a shadier spot to enjoy your lunch, right across the highway from the logging museum is the Collier State Day Use Area. There are lots of picnic tables under trees, along the Williamson River.
If you have time, we always recommend visiting the logging museum. You can walk around for a self-guided tour of logging and railroad equipment as well as a transplanted pioneer village.
IF YOU WANT TO GO
Spring Creek is about half an hour from Klamath Falls, and an hour and a half from Medford, so perfect for a day trip. If you’d like to stay nearby, there is the Williamson River Campground right up the road as well as Crater Lake Resort just 15 minutes away.
If you don’t have your own watercraft, you can rent from Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures in Chiloquin, and they even offer tours.
DON'T FORGET
Please make sure to leave no trace. This area is pristine and we’d like to keep it that way so make sure to dispose of all of your trash when you get back. This includes apple cores, banana and orange peels, as well as sunflower seed and pistachio shells. Please DO NOT throw them in the water!
The Oregon State Marine Board requires all people on any watercraft over 12 feet to have a fitted life jacket along with a whistle or other sound making device. Twelve and under must be wearing theirs at ALL times. Also, everyone with a watercraft 10 feet and longer are required to have a watercraft permit. You can get one or two year permits online here.
