One river, three forks and diverse landscapes – that is the Eel. It begins high in mountainous pine forests, flows through deep canyons, cuts through majestic redwood forests and finally runs through a long, sloping valley into the Pacific. Both known for salmon and steelhead fisheries, the Van Duzen joins with the Eel on a serene coastal plain.
Inside the beautiful Mendocino National Forest, the Middle Fork Eel River flows through the Yolla-Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness area. Here the terrain is scenic but challenging, characterized by natural landslides and jutting rock formations. Despite its unusually high sediment content from winter erosion, the river is home to steelhead, Chinook salmon and lamprey. The river remains accessible throughout the year with multiple points of access.