Panther Flat Campground

USDA Forest Service campground, 39 sites

Overview

Panther Flat Campground sits in the vast Six Rivers National Forest in northern California. This shady, secluded campground is just steps from the Smith River, which is famous for its bright blue waters and scenic pathway through the forest.

Recreation

Popular activities include swimming, sunbathing, rafting and fishing in the Smith River. Anglers enjoy healthy fishing populations of salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout.

Visitors also enjoy hiking, horseback riding and biking in the area. There are no trailheads in the campground, but Elk Camp Ridge, High Dome and French Hill trailheads are all within 10 miles of the site. A Botanical trail to a unique Darlingtonia bog is just a mile away.

Facilities

The campground offers multiple single-family sites and at least one double site, available for tent and RV camping. It is one of the most modern campgrounds in the area and has some of the largest parking aprons. Some sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Campsites are equipped with tables and campfire rings with grills. Accessible flush toilets, coin-operated hot showers and drinking water are provided. The Visitor Center at the Gasquet Ranger Station provides free maps and brochures of the area.

Natural Features

Set in a mature forest of Douglas fir, cedar and Pacific madrone trees, the campground is a short walk from the pristine Smith River. The river boasts up to Class 5 whitewater rapids. The region, thick with vegetation, is also freckled with huckleberry shrubs.

The Six Rivers National Forest lies east of Eureka in northwestern California, stretching southward from the Oregon border for about 140 miles. U.S. 101, the famed "Redwood Highway," parallels the inland Forest along the coastline. The Forest is just east of the Redwood National Park.

Nearby Attractions

California's Redwood National Park and the Pacific Ocean are within 20 miles of the campground.

Annual events include Gasquet Raft Race in July and Del Norte County Fair in August.