Fly Fish the Trinity River

The Trinity River is one that is rarely visited by your typical Bay Area resident. In fact, much of true Northern California is "untouched" in the eyes of those who live in The City, which is what drew me to this place to begin with. After a five hour journey from San Francisco, we made it to our destination, Bigfoot Campground, just past Junction City on highway 299.

To be honest, I prefer hike-in camps, but for car camping, it was truly one of my favorite spots i've ever stayed at. You can also bring your Motor Home or choose to rent out one of the quaint cottages on the property, each with expansive views of the river. Each camping site is right on the river's edge with a picnic table, charcoal grill, and a fire pit. Depending on whether the Camp Store is open, you can stock up on supplies, but I wouldn't count on it, so grab whatever you need beforehand. Once you arrive, you can set up your tent facing the river and fall asleep to the calm sound of running water and a clear star lit sky over head. Even during a weekend, we had no neighbors or light pollution to keep us awake.

Now the purpose of our stay in Junction City, and that of many others, is to try our luck at catching the evasive Steelhead Trout, so our morning started well before the sun came up. It was towards the end of the season so we knew we'd be hard pressed to catch any trout, so I suggest making a visit earlier in the summer. There are two ways to properly fish the river, either wading out into the middle right from your camp site, or hire a guide to float you down in his boat. Naturally, with a guide you will be able to cover more ground and get all the local knowledge of the river. So if you can afford it, this is definitely the way to go.

After a solid day of fishing the picturesque, slow moving waters of the Trinity, you're probably ready to relax at your site and start the fire for dinner. There is nothing better than cooking over an open wood burning flame with people you love. Once your hearty meal has taken its tole on your dropping eyes you crawl back into your tent and are ready to hit the river once again in the morning.

This is a perfect place to spend with friends and family either to just camp or drop a line.