Smith River National Recreation Area

This office is open Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm, closed on the weekends and holidays. During open hours we can assist with information, souvenirs, maps, and customer inquiries, permit sales, and bill payment.

This office is located in Gasquet, CA. The rural townsite of Gasquet, founded in the late 1800s along the beautiful Smith River, has a population of 400. Services offered to the community include a post office, country store, hamburger stand motel/restaurant, church, primary and middle school, and a volunteer fire department. The Mediterranean coastal climate results in summers that are dry with temperatures in the 75-95 degree range, while the winters are mild but quite wet (average yearly precipitation is 90"+).

Most of the recreation area’s personnel live in the nearby seaport town of Crescent City. Crescent City, population 8,000, is a full-service community providing all medical, schooling, social, cultural, religious, and shopping needs. The College of the Redwoods has a branch campus in Crescent City, and a commuter airline services the city.

The Northcoast is strongly oriented to outdoor recreation with many activities focused on the ocean, magnificent redwoods, and miles of scenic rivers. Fishing for trout, steelhead, and salmon is popular as is kayaking, white water rafting, wilderness hiking, backpacking, and trail riding. The landscapes and waterscapes are truly spectacular, the life-styles and culture diverse, and the pace of living relaxed in the Northcoast area.