Reflection of Another Time

There’s something about the Klamath – people will tell you it has been a magical place since time began. As you might expect, it was Native Americans, fishermen and hunters who first discovered the beauty and bounty of the Klamath as they plied their canoes in the rivers and wetlands. As sportsmen and adventuresome tourists visited the area, posh resorts with their dance pavilions, midnight oyster feasts and lake tours followed. Moguls and millionaires made it their playground. Its similarity to the Swiss Alps encouraged railroad mogul E. H. Harriman to purchase the Pelican Bay Lodge in 1899, rename it the Harriman Lodge and vacation there in the early 1900s.  Banker J.P. Morgan, naturalist John Muir and President Teddy Roosevelt were guests at Harriman’s table, and Klamath’s reputation spread.

In 1909, the railroad opened Klamath Falls and the lake’s wonders to new audiences. Prominent San Franciscans and members of the exclusive Bohemian Club became regular visitors.  Klamath Lake drew California’s elite through the thirties. 

Fortunately, thanks in part to the Running Y^™ Ranch, the Klamath Basin is no longer the exclusive playground of the wealthy. Many enchanting rewards greet the visitor throughout the region today.