We are privileged to enjoy a beautiful forest setting along the wild and scenic Klamath River. Happy Camp is a friendly little town within the Klamath National Forest. It is a full service town surrounded by the Marble Mountains, Siskiyou and Red Butte Wilderness areas.

The Karuk who camped on the Indian Creek banks called this place "Athithufvuunupma" in their language. It was in July of 1851 that Happy Camp was renamed by by prospectors looking for gold who camped here. Newspapers on the coast referred to this place as “Murderer’s Bar” previous to that.

That spring a group of some thirty adventurous prospectors made their way up the Klamath River. They worked on the Trinity the previous year and at Gold Bluffs so they had experience in this frontier land. The planned for the winter and got proper provisions, however they were threatened with starvation by spring when a bunch of others, with less foresight and provision, and less patience, rushed to the field too early. The sheer numbers outweighed the supplies left but they did survive this “starvation time” on the Salmon.

The heavily wooded banks of the Klamath River canyon made the way difficult and they came north slowly. They were working the gravel bars looking for “color” of gold as they came. The party included Captain Charles McDermit, the Swain brothers, Captain Gwin Tompkins, Charles D. Moore, Thomas J. Roach, L. H. Nurch, J. H. Stichfield, Jeremiah Margin, Mr. Cochrane, William Bagley, Daniel McDougall, Jack McDougall, William McMahone, Robert Williams, Charles Wilson, John Cox, Charles Southard, George Wood, W. T. Stevens, James Buck, J. W. Burke, Jerry Lane, W. A. J. Moore, William Rumley, Barney Ray, Mr. Penny and others. According to Vera Toleman, these were the founders of the town of Happy Camp, the first white settlement in what was to become Del Norte County. Through the years however, the area was to be part of Trinity, Klamath and Del Norte County as politicians moved the borders, before becoming part of Siskiyou County. It is 75 miles to Yreka, the Siskiyou county seat, and 120 miles to Eureka on the Pacific Coast.

Happy Camp’s History is not dull! First came the Karuk Native American Tribe, and then came the miners. Happy Camp’s fortune revolved around gold, copper, chrome, and jade mining. One of the first businesses was J. Camp and Co, which was housed in a building built from bricks made in Happy Camp. There was a substantial population of China citizens who mined and were merchants. There was a whole “China Town” neighborhood until it was destroyed by fire. Mining began to be done by companies on a grander scale, and one book of ghost towns of California listed Happy Camp as a ghost town with none but a few salmon and steelhead fishing and hunting enthusiasts left. After mining declined, the numerous sawmills that made beams and flumes for mining and miner's shelters continued to operate.

The area became part of the national forest lands in 1905 with a ranger station on Indian Creek Road. Logging became the principal industry for nearly a hundred years. In 1928 the citizens worked together to build a log church. When the children needed a high school so they wouldn’t have to go to away to boarding school for an education, the community worked together to build a log high school in 1933 during the depression.

Timber resources declined due to political changes by preservationist environmental lawsuits. Efforts like the Northwest Forest plan did little to restore economic viability to the area. With no jobs in timber, family men moved away for work. But Happy Camp endured.

The Karuk Tribe, which had been here long before settlers arrived, was officially recognized in 1985. Tourism was supposed to provide jobs for displaced timber workers, which is a seasonal reprieve at best. They did bring a modern computer center to the community as Happy Camp discovered the benefits of new technology. Small cottage industries became the principal “business’ but Happy Camp endured.

Happy Camp has everything you need. It has been known as a friendly little town on the wild and scenic river since the trappers, prospectors and loggers came this way. With not a single stop light within nearly fifty miles of town, it is a real get away from traffic, congestion and pollution of the city life ills. Salmon and steelhead fishing, hunting, whitewater rafting and a variety of specialized agricultural endeavors as well as craft and cottage industries by entrepreneurs now present a diversified economy despite population declines. With such beauty all around and such friendly neighborly residents, Happy Camp is a wonderful recreational vacation opportunity, a wonderful community to raise a family, and a good place to retire.