Klamath River is an unincorporated community in Siskiyou County, California, United States, situated on the Klamath River. It is located on State Route 96, near the Oregon border. The name "Klamath" was derived from an Indian word Tlamatl which means "swiftness" in Chinook. The community of Klamath River is about 11 miles long and includes both sides of the river from Gottville to Kohl Creek. The population is 190.The Klamath River area was home to the Hoopa, Karuk, Modoc, and Yurok Indian tribes. Native Americans relied on the river for its abundance of salmon and trout.The California Gold Rush of 1848–1855 brought many miners to the Klamath River watershed. The miners caused disruption in the lives of the Native Americans of the area by damming and diverting water for mining purposes, which made it difficult for spawning salmon and other fish populations to survive. There are remnants of old mining sites along the river.