Smith River Noel Ranch, Smith River Stowe Marsh (Undeveloped), Umpqua River Rainbow Plaza Boat Launch, Umpqua River Bumblebee Boat Ramp

The confluence of the Umpqua River, Smith River, and Scholfield Creek near Reedsport serves as a major hub for paddling and historical exploration, marking the ancestral home of the Lower Umpqua (Kuitsh) people. The Umpqua River, named by David Douglas in 1825, was a critical artery for the Hudson’s Bay Company fur trade and later became a center for the commercial salmon canning and timber industries that founded Reedsport. The Smith River bears the name of explorer Jedediah Smith, whose 1828 expedition met a violent end at this confluence during a conflict that left 15 of his men dead; today, a memorial stone outside Reedsport commemorates this pivotal event. Branching off the main stem, Scholfield Creek was named for Socrates Scholfield, a member of the 1850 expedition that founded Umpqua City. For modern paddlers, this area offers a diverse range of water trails: the main Umpqua provides broad, navigable reaches, while the Scholfield Creek Wetlands offer a more intimate, wildlife-rich experience through tidally influenced channels and protected old-growth forests.