Klamath Falls (Bend, Grants Pass, Bonanza: for sale, house, theatre)

[jank]

I'm considering a move to Klamath Falls and would like to know about the area. I'm interested in just about everything: weather, recreation, housing, mood and feel of the town, services available. Are there good restaurants? I have read about Klamath Falls on the Internet, but I'd like to hear from people who live there now or have lived there.

I'm also interested in horseback riding opportunities in the area. I have two horses and will bring them with me. I notice there is an equestrian center and I wonder if anyone knows anything about it. Are there good areas to ride in the nearby hills/mountains? Any information is appreciated. Thanks.

[Woof]

Until someone more knowledgeable comes along, I'll say my impressions from shopping there once and going through town. It's barren, ugly, and very hot in the summer. Klamath Lake seems to have a lot of algae, and there are a lot of problems with farmers and environmentalists fighting over its use.

Shopping is good, especially big box stores. I don't know about restaurants. Cost of living is low, and of course there's no state sales tax which draws shoppers from California.

There are a lot of ranches in the general area, so I suppose there must be some there.

I'd say to google some images of the town to see if it might be what you want.

http://www.westcoastroads.com/oregon/images001/or-039_sb_at_klamath_falls-malin_hwy.jpg (broken link)

[ReturningWest]

Jank

I'm also considering moving to KFalls, I was thru there quite a bit years ago and like it.

One of the communities just out side of KFalls is Bonanza and it appears to have small properties for sale that would be suitable for horses.

I'm also one of the "horsey" set so that is one of my criteria for a place to move.

I hope you and I both hear from locals about "horse keeping" in the area.

What kind of horses do you have and do you compete in any dicpline?

[Cornerguy1]

WOOF obviously is not a fan of the high desert. LOL

Is Klamath hot in the summer? By most people's standards it's probably pretty warm with daily highs in the upper 80's and lower 90's. It is, as they say, a dry heat, though, with relative humidity levels likely in the 25-30% range.

The Klamath Basin sees only about 13 inches of precipitation annually, so this is not the place to expect towering Douglas firs; vegetation tends to run more to junipers, lodgepole pine and rabbit brush.

If you like a desert-type setting, it's beautiful. If your standards demand a verdant coastal-type forest, Klamath is not the place to look.

The Basin has the advantage of being a 25 minute drive from Winema National Forest in the Cascades for those who want to avail themselves of the recreational opportunities of the alpine terrain.

Klamath Falls itself offers very acceptable shopping, a good hospital, a wide selection of restaurants, a surprisingly good theatre and a downtown core which still maintains a small-town feel.

There are numerous venues for riding on the surrounding state and federal lands. Of particular interest might be the OC&E Woods Stateline trail which runs from Klamath Falls to Beatty to Bly to Thompson Resovoir. If the brochures are to be believed, the OC&E offers 105 miles of trail.

There are plenty of properties right on the edge of Klamath where residents keep a horse. Small hobby farms also abound in the outlying areas of Keno, Bonanza, etc.

Interestingly, property prices outside of Klamath Falls are higher than those in town. You can acquire a very decent in-town house for $150-200 K, but there are also out of town properties that are still affordable.

Off the top of my head I can recall recently seeing a 7 acre parcel with house and barn near Keno listed for $225K and an 80 acre parcel with house, barn and drive sheds near Bly for $199K.


Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder, so there really is no substitute for a personal visit to truly get a feel for a locale.

Good luck.

Pictures available if you like.......contact by PM

[jank]

Thanks CornerGuy for the information. I currently live in the Great Basin area and I find high desert appealing. It looks like there is opportunity to access rivers, mountains, lakes, and even the coast from K-falls. I don't mind living in high desert if I can access other areas without driving for days. The info about Bonanza and Keno is helpful too. I will need to visit the area soon, but it helps to know where to look.

ReturningWest, I have a quarter horse gelding and a paint (6 yrs/3yrs). I mostly trail ride for pleasure; however, I do want to compete on my quarter horse this year in trail and western pleasure. How about you?

[ReturningWest]

right now I'm horseless, once I sell my farm and move I want a Mule this time.

I was into Dressage for about 10 years, but now trail riding is my area of intrest. And I want a great trail mule this time.

I've had an Arabian, 2 warmbloods, and a TWH at different times. I've also had a pony mule as a pasture mate.

Who knows if we both end up in KFalls, maybe we can hook up for some trail riding.

[Woof]

Originally Posted by Cornerguy1

WOOF obviously is not a fan of the high desert. LOL

Is Klamath hot in the summer? By most people's standards it's probably pretty warm with daily highs in the upper 80's and lower 90's.

Well, there's pretty high desert and then there's ugly high desert. Utah and Arizona have some pretty deserts. It's true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I've never heard anyone describe the Klamath Falls area as pretty. Some people seem to find the lake intriguing, and I think there are some wooded areas nearby that are nicer looking - if I remember correctly from going through on Amtrak.

It does get well over a hundred degrees fairly often during the summer.

But there is easy access to Lava Beds National Monument which has lots of caves to explore, it's on a waterfowl migratory route (sort of a line of swampy areas they follow), and it's only a few hours from Mt Shasta, Siskiyou Lake, and world-class fishing on the Upper Sacramento River. I guess the Klamath River also has very good fishing in some areas, some years.

The view of Mt Shasta is pretty, as it's a very large solitary volcano, not in a range.

[Cornerguy1]

The Klamath Falls region has a plethora of areas that are pretty. Now you've heard it. LOL


It's great WOOF is proud of his home turf, and the Shasta area certainly has some gorgeous scenary, but to compare its attributes to Klamath's is comparing apples and oranges.

To be fair, though, it must be acknowledged that Klamath Falls had the good sense to acquire a franchise of that great Shasta landmark, The Black Bear Diner. Cobbler to die for!

That chain of swampy areas WOOF mentions is known as the Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. This federally protected wetland is located directly on the Pacific flyway and annually draws tens of thousands of geese (Canadas, Snow, Brant), ducks (scaup, teal, mallards etc), cranes, pelicans and other assorted birds. An early morning spent in the reeds experiencing the fauna starting their day is truly a wonderous event.

For world-class trout fishing, one need not make the 3-hour drive to California when the Sprague River is available 30 minutes from town. There are also several lakes in the nearby Cascades which can reward the ardent angler with an excellent shore lunch.

Klamath Falls is located in a relatively flat-bottomed basin with the Cascades to the west and the High Desert to the east. It is not an alpine environment.

However, if one feels the need to experience truly breath-taking alpine scenery, a 45-minute drive north to Crater Lake National park will do the trick. The views from the rim road of the azure lake below in the crater of what was once Mount Mazama are uniquely spectacular.


The true beauty of an area is hard to appreciate if all one does is look out the window of a train that is likely running behind schedule. A little exploration can be very rewarding.

[Woof]

Oh I didn't mean the entire region was ugly, I just meant the city itself and nearby land.

[jank]

Thanks again for the responses. Both perspectives are interesting! Fishing was mentioned and I have another question about that. Where is the closest steelhead fishing to K-Falls? Over by Grants Pass on the Rogue? Just curious.

I'm looking to take the next step to advance my career and there is a job in K-Falls that will help me do that. So, I weigh many things when considering a move there, but really it comes down to affordability and job and lifestyle. I'm not considering jobs in some areas, say Bend, because I know I can't live there with a horse and a dog....probably couldn't even live there alone on a decent salary! I'm willing to give up some trees for a better quality of life, but I'd still like to be in a nice community with access to outdoor opportunities.

I've read two contrasting views about K-falls on this board (not just this thread). Some call it the next Bend while some think it is fairly awful. So, it is hard to know what to think until I go there myself I suppose.

One last question...does it really get over 100 degrees in the summer? The records and averages I've looked at don't indicate that...