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Carousel

Everybody says the Smith River is a great place to swim. True, but the largest undammed white water river in the state does have some limitations. Hwy 199 intrudes on much of the middle fork producing crowds with beer coolers and boom boxes and the north fork is a devil of a long drive from just about anywhere. That pretty much leaves the south fork for day trips on the Smith.
Carousel is about 35 feet around and that’s just the deep end. From shore to shore the pool is a broad, flat 80 feet, which is to say not much of a vertical description. Entertainment comes in the form of an eddy where the main current of the Smith carries a swimmer 20 or so feet downstream to where a creek enters and cycles you back up and into the main current. Idle amusement, yes. But people reportedly spend large parts of a lazy afternoon rotating in a slow circle, looking at the sky.
Expectation of privacy is good, however a fire ring indicates some usership. A mountain bike is a good approach tool, although it’s a burly, burly ride back up. Be aware that a small part of the trail lies within the Siskiyou Wilderness and mountain bikes are prohibited. There’s no sign marking the wilderness boundary, but it’s shortly after Buck Creek. Personally, I wouldn’t consider it a crime against man and nature to ride all the way to Carousel, but it is against the regs.