Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge

[Ted]

This is a great place to go to see large numbers of Bald Eagles during the winter and we plan to visit soon. Having a problem finding a nearby place to camp. There is an RV Park in Dorris and a KOA in Klamath Falls, but both have poor reviews. Lava Beds could work but is almost an hour drive away. The viewing area is on Bear Valley Road near HWY 97. It looks like Bear Valley Road continues into some potential boondock locations, but it is not NF or BLM, so I don't know if it is accesible. Anyone know of places to boondock near here?

 

[Smokecreek1]

This is a great place to go to see large numbers of Bald Eagles during the winter and we plan to visit soon. Having a problem finding a nearby place to camp. There is an RV Park in Dorris and a KOA in Klamath Falls, but both have poor reviews. Lava Beds could work but is almost an hour drive away. The viewing area is on Bear Valley Road near HWY 97. It looks like Bear Valley Road continues into some potential boondock locations, but it is not NF or BLM, so I don't know if it is accesible. Anyone know of places to boondock near here?


Ted

Years ago, I spent allot of time in the country just south of the Bear Valley WLR in California in the Mt Dome area, just south and east of the Lower Klamath WLR. It is part of the BLM Alturas Resource Area (then part of the Susanville BLM District). At the time we were writing what was called the Mt Dome EIS and Alturas RMP which has been replaced by the newer(2001) Alturas RMP. Anyway, we did allot of field work up there and there are allot of neat places that only the locals/BLM/hunters/FS know about or go. Go on the Alturas BLM web site, look up the Alturas RMP and look at the maps and various sections on the RMP to get ideas of places to go. You might be able to even get a copy of RMP or EIS/maps from the Alturas BLM and they should have more info on road conditions places to camp, etc. I remember a nice road loop on the south boundary of the Lower Klamath Ref that lets you into the upper Mt Dome/Mahogany Ridge area-even has Juniper trees where lot's of pheasants like to sit and wait for the gals to wander by. The Red Lakes area was also another interesting place, interesting road to get there. You really need some good topo's (Mt Dome and Dorris Quads for sure) or govt maps to find your way around that country or things could get interesting, private land- no turn around roads and that sort of thing. Let me go take a look at some of my old files-maybe have some more info on that area, but try the Alturas web site!

Got to take the Dog for a walk, check back later

Smoke

 

[Ted]

Thanks for the tip, Smoke. It sounds like there is more potential in the area than I realized. I'll see what maps I can get and go from there.

 

[Smokecreek1]

Thanks for the tip, Smoke. It sounds like there is more potential in the area than I realized. I'll see what maps I can get and go from there.


Ted:

If you have a few hours to kill, check out Newell and the Peninsula area on 139, south of Tule Lake!. The old market there is sort of neat-from the past with sights, smells and a wood floor. If the hamburger place is open get a double cheeze burger! Ever heard of the Tule Lake WW 2 Japanese Interment camp? Whats left of it is in the North part of town-It is fenced off and BLM was going to set up some interp. signing and move some of the local WWs barracks [you can still see a few of them still standing south of the HW] to the site-don't know if they did or not? The Peninsula is a wonderful long rough old ridge that has a great bunch of rock art cut into the sides in the south part at the bottom of the cliff (west side) and is run by the NPS and on the other side (east) there is more rock art on BLM that no one ever sees (its off the road and maybe by now BLM has put up a fence)-Any geology buff will fall in love with this place. And the whole area smells of horse radish-can't beat that! The area was drained in the early 1900's to provide for irrigation. Take any of the roads in the area and explore, see eagles, but make sure you have some maps-could get lost. I'm not sure, but west of here, sort of SE of Dorris, was allot of public land where I seem to remember seeing people camp on the LKL/BLM boundary, again you really need a map to make sure who owns what and a call to BLM or the USFS Ranger Distict in Tule Lake would be advised. One last thought on 139 north of the RR crossing near the Ranger Station used to be nice local cafe that had a nice bottle collection!

That enough for now!

Smoke