Sleek redwood dugout canoes have transported the Yurok people along California’s Klamath River for thousands of years. Called oohl’-we’-yoch, they are prized creations, considered living spirits by the Yurok people. They honor the sacred trees from which they were crafted and which come from the last remaining stands of old-growth redwoods in the world. Only 10 of these hand-carved canoes still exist—and today two of them float visitors on two- or four-hour river tours in what is now Redwood National Park.
More than your typical outdoor tours, Indigenous adventure operators like the Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours share ancient and living cultures that have intertwined with these landscapes since time immemorial. And travelers are increasingly interested in these Indigenous tourism experiences, particularly at our national parks...