Happy Camp, California

Happy Camp (Karuk: athithúf vuunupma) is a census designated place (CDP) in Siskiyou County, California, United States. Its population is 905 as of the 2020 census, down from 1,190 from the 2010 census. The town of Happy Camp, "The Heart of the Klamath," is located on State Route 96, about 70 mile (113 km) west of Interstate 5 and 100 mile (161 km) northeast of Willow Creek. The town of Takilma, Oregon is accessible from Happy Camp (which is nearly 40 mile (64 km) away). The shortest route to Oregon, over the Grey Back Pass, is a seasonal summer road and is not cleared or maintained in snowy conditions. The Forest Service, located in Happy Camp on SR 96, provides road closure information.

Happy Camp was so named by miners in the early days of prosperity. It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names. H. C. Chester, who interviewed Jack Titus in 1882–83, states that Titus named the camp because his partner James Camp, upon arriving there, exclaimed, "This is the happiest day in my life." Redick McKee mentions the camp on November 8, 1851, as "Mr Roache's Happy Camp" at the place known as Murderer's Bar. (Indian Report 1853:178)

Happy Camp sits on the Klamath River and a nexus of creeks including Elk Creek, Little Grider Creek, Indian Creek, Doolittle Creek, Ikes Creek, Deer Lick Creek and Cade Creek. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 12.3 square miles (32 km2), 12.1 square miles (31 km2) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (1 km2) of it (1.94%) is water. The town of Happy Camp is also known as the "Gateway to the Marbles". There are many trailheads for this wilderness area within 10 mile (16 km) of the town for which the U. S. Forest Service provides trail information. The Marble Mountains cover thousands of acres, and contain almost a hundred lakes. Among the most interesting lakes are Spirit Lake, which contains a luminescent chemical and has been seen to "glow" in the dark; Ukonom Lake, which is very large and beautiful even though the area is recovering from fire damage; and the Green and Blue Granite Lakes, where trout swim in the cold and clear waters. Deer, bear, elk, and mountain lion are common here.

The 2010 United States Census reported that Happy Camp had a population of 1,190. The population density was The racial makeup of Happy Camp was 814 (68.4%) White, 2 (0.2%) African American, 277 (23.3%) Native American, 7 (0.6%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 18 (1.5%) from other races, and 71 (6.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 95 persons (8.0%). The Census reported that 1,190 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 525 households, of which 129 (24.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 208 (39.6%) were opposite sex married couples living together, 63 (12.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 26 (5.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 63 (12.0%) unmarried opposite sex partnerships, and 5 (1.0%) same sex married couples or partnerships. 175 households (33.3%) were made up of individuals, and 67 (12.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27. There were 297 families (56.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.84. The population was spread out, with 238 people (20.0%) under the age of 18, 98 people (8.2%) aged 18 to 24, 232 people (19.5%) aged 25 to 44, 428 people (36.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 194 people (16.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.2 males. There were 646 housing units at an average density of , of which 299 (57.0%) were owner occupied, and 226 (43.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%. 677 people (56.9% of the population) lived in owner occupied housing units and 513 people (43.1%) lived in rental housing units. The Bigfoot Jamboree is an annual festival hosted by the Happy Camp Community Council. Happy Camp is situated along the "Bigfoot Scenic Byway," an 89 mile stretch of California State Route 96 named by the United States Forest Service. The town has an 18 foot tall Bigfoot statue made of recycled metal.

Happy Camp has a mediterranean climate. It is marked by very hot summer days, being shielded in the valley behind the mountains from the cooling Pacific influence affecting nearby coastal locations. The winters are much cooler and snowier than in inland locations further south, albeit still very mild compared to areas in the east of the continent. The dry and hot summers make the surrounding forest prone to wildfires, as occurred during the 2014 Happy Camp Complex Fire, which took months to extinguish and burned nearly to the Oregon border. High winter rainfall, however, keeps the area greener than its summer climate would suggest. Average lows remain cool year round, relieving the intense daytime heat and keeping the average July temperature at around , in sharp contrast to the average highs.

The Karuk Tribe is headquartered in Happy Camp. The U. S. Forest Service maintains an office in town. Happy Camp is the administrative site for the Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger Districts of the Klamath National Forest. and
Federally, Happy Camp is in .

Gold prospectors, conservation groups, the California Department of Fish and Game, the U. S. Forest Service, and the Karuk, Hupa (Hoopa) and Yurok tribes are at odds with each other over what constitutes fair and ethical use of the river. The range of issues includes property rights, endangered species, and Native American civil rights.