The Smith River is a river on the Pacific

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

 coast of northern California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, approximately 25.1 miles (40.4 km) long. It drains a rugged area of the Pacific Coast Ranges

Pacific Coast Ranges

The Pacific Coast Ranges and the Pacific Mountain System are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico...

 west of the Siskiyou Mountains

Siskiyou Mountains

The Siskiyou Mountains are a coastal mountain range in the northern Klamath Mountains in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. They extend in an arc for approximately from east of Crescent City, California northeast along the north side of the Klamath River into...

 just south of the Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

 border and north of the watershed of the Klamath River

Klamath River

The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...

. The catchment area is 719 square miles (1,862.2 km²). It is the second largest river system in California that flows freely along its entire course, after the South Fork Trinity River

South Fork Trinity River

The South Fork Trinity River is a major tributary of the Trinity River, in the northern part of the U.S. state of California.It is part of the Klamath River drainage basin. It flows generally northwest from its source in the Klamath Mountains, draining about of mountainous terrain...

. It was named for the explorer Jedediah Smith

Jedediah Smith

Jedediah Strong Smith was a hunter, trapper, fur trader, trailblazer, author, cartographer, cattleman, and explorer of the Rocky Mountains, the American West Coast and the Southwest during the 19th century...

.

It is formed by the confluence of its Middle and North forks in Del Norte County

Del Norte County, California

Del Norte County is a county located at the far northwest corner of the U.S. state of California on the Pacific adjacent to the Oregon border. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 28,610. The county seat is Crescent City, the county's only incorporated city. Del Norte is the abbreviated...

, in the extreme northwest corner of California, near the community of Gasquet

Gasquet, California

Gasquet is a census-designated place southwest of the Oregon border in Del Norte County, California, and northeast of Crescent City, with a population of 515. It lies at an elevation of 381 feet . The ZIP Code is 95543. Its area code is 707...

. The Middle Fork, 27.8 miles (44.7 km) long, rises in Del Norte County, approximately 60 miles (96.6 km) northeast of Crescent City, and flows west. The North Fork Smith River, 28.1 miles (45.2 km) long, rises in Oregon on the northeast slope of Chetco Peak

Chetco Peak

Chetco Peak is a mountain in the Klamath Mountains of southwestern Oregon in the United States. It is located in the southern Kalmiopsis Wilderness in southern Curry County in the extreme southwestern corner of the state, approximately inland from the Pacific Ocean and north of the California...

. The South Fork Smith River enters the Smith River near the community of Berteleda

Berteleda, California

Berteleda is a former settlement in Del Norte County, California. It is located on the Smith River across from Hiouchi, California.-References:...

. The 43.3 miles (69.7 km) fork rises on the eastern edge of the Smith River National Recreation Area

Smith River National Recreation Area

Smith River National Recreation Area is located northwestern California, United States. The Smith River National Recreation Area is in Six Rivers National Forest and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Created by Congress in 1990, Smith River...

, approximately 30 miles (48.3 km) east-northeast of Crescent City

Crescent City, California

Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...

, flowing southwest and then northwest. From the confluence with the South Fork, the Smith River flows generally northwest, entering the Pacific Ocean near the community of Smith River

Smith River, California

Smith River is a census-designated place in Del Norte County, California, United States. It is located north-northeast of Crescent City, east of the mouth of the Smith River, at an elevation of 52 feet . As of 2010, the population was 866. The ZIP Code is 95567...

, approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Crescent City. Smith River estuary is recognized for protection by the California Bays and Estuaries Policy

California Bays and Estuaries Policy

The Water Quality Control Policy for the Enclosed Bays and Estuaries of California is published by the California State Water Resources Control Board as guidelines to prevent water quality degradation. The policy is revised as needed.-Geography:...

.

The free-flowing nature of the river—without a single dam along its entire length—makes it especially prized among conservationists and is considered one of the crown jewels of the National Wild and Scenic River

National Wild and Scenic River

National Wild and Scenic River is a designation for certain protected areas in the United States.The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was an outgrowth of the recommendations of a Presidential commission, the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission...

program.