Getting Here
Otter Bar is located on the Salmon
River in far northwestern California, about halfway between Eureka and Yreka in southwestern Siskiyou
County.
Arrivals
Due to the remote nature of our location, we welcome arrivals
after 6pm on the day prior to the start of your kayak class
(i.e., Saturday). An informal pasta dinner is served
around 8pm. If you are going to arrive after 8pm,
please call to let us know. Classes officially begin at 9am on
Sunday morning after an 8am breakfast.
 Please take
extra caution when driving on the
narrow mountain roads of
our area: stay to the right, be prepared for oncoming traffic
at all times, and--most of all--please drive slowly.
There is no gas station near Otter Bar
so be sure to fill up beforehand. There are no other
commercial establishments, ATMs, etc. near us.
There is no cellular service in
our area. Public phones (calling card or collect only)
are along the South Fork Salmon in Cecilville and near the 3
mile mark; on the North Fork Salmon in Sawyer's Bar (mile
14.5), and the Idlewild Campground (mile 20), also in Forks of
Salmon at the Post Office and in Somes Bar at the Salmon River Outpost.
Driving Directions
Google Maps and
Mapquest give great, detailed driving directions.
Be sure to double check them against our directions provided
below.
Directions from US 101
[+]
From US 101 by the coast (Arcata, CA)
Take the Highway 299 exit just north of Arcata (labeled
"299 Willow Creek - Redding") and continue 40 miles to Willow
Creek. In Willow Creek turn left (north) onto Highway
96. Follow 48 miles until you cross over the Salmon River (8
miles past Orleans, CA). Turn
right and follow for 15½ miles (road has
mile markers--keep track of these and note that the road
becomes one lane after the 7 mile marker). We are on the right down a gravel drive.
If you get to the town of Forks of Salmon, you've gone 1½
miles too far.
Approximate 2½ hour drive from Eureka. Gas stations
are in Eureka, Arcata, Willow Creek, Hoopa, and Orleans (which
often closes early).
Directions from
I-5 Northbound in California [+]
From I-5 in California
(south of Yreka, CA)
Take the I-5 exit marked "Edgewood - Gazelle" (exit
#751).
When you reach Gazelle turn left and follow the
road over the mountain to Callahan (30 miles; 1 hour).
Turn left just after the tiny town of Callahan (onto Cecilville
Rd.) and go over the mountain and down the South
Fork Salmon via Cecilville until you reach a T-intersection in Forks of
Salmon (40 miles or 1½ hours from Callahan; please note that
the road becomes one lane near Cecilville). Turn left
at the T-intersection. Continue 1½ miles to Otter Bar.
We are on the left down a gravel drive. Approximate 7½ hour
drive from San Francisco; 2½ hours from I-5. The last
gas station on this route is in Mount Shasta, CA so be sure to fill up.
A slightly longer but more relaxing way is to come in via
Yreka, CA. Continue north on I-5 to exit #773 ("Fort
Jones - Yreka - Hwy 3") and take a left at the end of the exit
ramp and continue to the light at Highway 3 and turn left.
Follow the directions in the next section ("I-5 in Oregon or
Washington") from that point to continue on
this route. Expect this route to take about 45 minutes
longer than using the Edgewood/Gazelle directions given above;
you will have less driving on narrow mountain roads if you
come in via Yreka.
Directions from
I-5 Southbound in Oregon or Washington [+]
From I-5 in Oregon or Washington
Take I-5 south into California.
Continue to the Yreka exit labeled "Fort Jones - Highway
3" (exit #773). Turn right at the exit ramp then left at the light
onto Highway 3 going south. Continue over the mountain
to Fort Jones and onward to Etna (25
miles from I-5). Just outside of Etna, Highway 3 turns abruptly
left. Continue straight ahead into Etna without turning
left with Highway 3. Make a right
turn at the T-intersection downtown onto Main Street.
Follow this road over the mountain (it becomes one lane), past the tiny town of
Sawyers Bar (go slow, please) and downriver along the North
Fork to Forks of Salmon (42
miles or 1½ hours from Etna). The road bears right in
Forks of Salmon. Continue 1½ miles to Otter
Bar. We are on the left down a gravel drive. Approximate 6½
hours from Portland. Be sure to fill up at one of the gas stations in Yreka, Fort
Jones, or Etna, CA.
(Note: if you are coming via I-5 from north of Grants Pass,
OR, a shorter route is possible during summer months
only after the
snow has melted and mountain roads are re-opened (via a paved
road linking O'Brien, OR on US 199 to Happy Camp, CA on CA Hwy
96). Please call us for more info and to find out if the
road is open for the season before attempting this route.
Maps
Get a full color detailed
Google Map or
Mapquest road map of our area with driving directions from
your location.
Regional Map
For those of you using a GPS or onboard navigation system, our lodge is
located at: 41° 16'30.30" N, 123°
20'47.63"W. The driving directions above give the best routes to us.
Beware: many online map services do not accurately display our
location. We recommend
Google Maps and
Mapquest. |
Local Map
|
Fly to us with
Google Earth (requires free
Google Earth software).
Arriving
The Eureka/Arcata Airport is the closest air terminal
and is served by
United Express and
Horizon Air. We offer an airport pickup
at 4pm for any guest who
flies in on Saturday, the day before classes begin and will drop you off
on the following Saturday when your course is over The airport
pickup is $40/person with free drop-off at the end of the course. (Flight schedules change so check
with Otter Bar about exact pick-up times before booking a flight.) It is a 2½
hour drive to the lodge on curvy mountain roads. Dinner will be waiting for you upon
arrival.
Departing
We will drop you
off at the airport on the final day of your stay (Saturday) in the late
afternoon or arrange a ride to the airport with a fellow guest. There is usually a flight departing around 4:15pm; try
not to make reservations any earlier than this. Arcata Area Lodging
Some people prefer to spend the night in
Arcata on Saturday and fly out Sunday morning. Arcata is an energetic
place featuring several good restaurants, nightlife, Humboldt State
University, a counter culture scene, and easy access to the Redwoods and
beautiful North Coast.
Click for more info on lodging in
Arcata [+]
Hotel Arcata: 800.344.1221 or 707.826.0217
This an old fashioned but upkept hotel located right
on the plaza in Arcata. Rooms feature clawfoot tubs and an ambience
from the past. We
will drop you off at the hotel when we do our airport drop-off on
Saturday. The Hotel Arcata isn't the Ritz but is a highly recommended
alternative to chain motels.
This is a new hotel right next to the airport.
There is a restaurant in the hotel; continental breakfast is included.
Quality Inn: 800.4CHOICE or 707.822.0409
Located outside of town. Airport shuttle
service operates 8am-5pm.
If none of these work out, give us a call.
Car Rental
If you need to rent a car,
National Car Rental operates out of the Eureka-Arcata airport.
All car rental agencies at the airport close at 5pm on Saturdays. |
