Ranger-led Kayak Tours
**Due to low flow on the Smith River this program is being modified and relaunching July 21st!**
For questions, please contact Redwood National and State Parks:
Call the general park information line at (707) 464-6101*
*please be advised that this phone number is not always staffed and your best place for information regarding your permit will be either the email confirmation or website.
Make a Reservation
A Wild and Scenic Opportunity along the Smith River
For a limited time in summer, Redwood National and State Parks will present a guided walk of Stout Grove and a ranger-led kayak tour of the Smith River—a crown jewel of the National Wild & Scenic River System and the largest free-flowing river system in California.
Smith River Kayak programs will be run as staffing and river conditions allow. Tours will begin at 12 pm at the Jedediah Smith Campground Day Use area in Redwood National and State Parks. Staff will provide an orientation, including safety information and essential paddling skills. You must be present for the entire safety presentation to participate. After being fitted for life jackets and helmets, participants will walk 1 mile to Stout Grove.
Based on age, weight, and experience, participants will be paired in tandem inflatable kayaks and paddle approximately .5 miles through Class I-II whitewater that includes moving flatwater, riffles, and small rapids. Along the way, rangers will give basic paddling instructions and interpret the ancient coast redwood forest from an incredible vantage point—the surface of the Smith River. A break for a snack (meal not included—please bring your own lunch or snacks) will also be provided as conditions allow.
The .5 mile guided walk through Stout Grove and .5 mile float typically lasts about 3 hours and ends at the Jedediah Smith Day Use Area. From there participants will assist in carrying the boats and gear back up to the boat trailer.
Requirements for Participation
To ensure diverse participation, groups larger than four individuals cannot be accommodated. Participants must be at least 10 years old and able to swim in moving water. Participants between ages 10-17 must be accompanied by an adult parent/guardian each and can only occupy a kayak in tandem with an adult 18 years old or older. Participants must weigh no less than 50 lbs (23 kg) and no more than 220 lbs (100 kg).
Life jackets and helmets will be provided and must be worn at all times. Personally owned paddling gear will not be allowed.
Each participant (or parent/guardian) must read and sign a Visitor’s acknowledgment of Risk.
Attendance at the presentation of basic safety information and essential paddling skills at the start of each tour is also required for continued participation. Don’t be late!
How To Sign-Up & Logistics
Programs will run every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00pm until 4:00pm. Register for the program above.
You will be sent a confirmation email upon successful registration.
Meet our park river guide at the Day Use area of Jedediah Smith Campground at noon.
Park staff will be standing by the green and brown trailer in the parking lot.
See the Ranger for day use parking pass.
Each participant will be placed in a tandem kayak. Minors (10 years to 17 years) must be in a boat with a legal guardian.
What are you waiting for? Let’s go!
To sign up for the program, please select a time above.
* Reservations will become available 10 days before each program.
** This reservation link is provided by the park’s non-profit partner, Redwood Parks Conservancy.
Registration requires an equipment deposit of $30/participant. No shows will not be refunded this deposit. Lunch and Snacks: As conditions allow, kayak guides will make a stop for lunch during the tour. Participants wishing to bring snacks or lunch should pack their own food—it will not be provided. A group dry sack will be available to transport food items.
Programs are subject to cancellation at any time if the program cannot be run safely due to staffing, river, or weather conditions.
What To Expect
Expect to have fun, of course! But also expect to get wet! Summer conditions on the Smith River may change quickly and vary from very warm to quite chilly. We recommend clothing that insulates when wet and dries quickly, regardless of conditions. Proper footwear should be close-toed, secure on your feet, and suitable for light hiking.
We recommend you not bring items such as cameras, cell phones, jewelry, car keys, etc. as you may lose them in the river. Consider securing glasses with a retaining strap or string.
*This late summer program is modified to accommodate low flows on the Smith River.