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Scenic Drives in Valleys and Volcanoes Region of Northeast Siskiyou County
Small towns and wide open spaces - Butte Valley, Lava Beds, Tule Lake and the largest volcano in Siskiyou County!
Butte Valley and Eastern Siskiyou County
is an area of dramatic contrasts. Take a day to drive the "Round the Mountain Loop" from Weed through Butte Valley, Lava Beds National Monument, and down the Modoc Scenic Byway through the Medicine Lake Highlands, and on to the town of McCloud. Gasoline is scarce in this area, so fill up in the little town of MacDoel. Restaurants and motels are available in Dorris and Tulelake.
Medicine Lake photograph by Jane English. |
Tulelake Wildlife Refuge Driving Tour
- The National Wildlife Refuges offer four seasons of exceptional bird and wildlife watching. Don't miss the turn-off from Hwy 97 to Hwy 161 just before you reach the Oregon border. The area is poorly signed, with just a "wildlife watching" marker and a small Tulelake sign. The Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuges border Hwy 161 as you drive to the Hill Rd. turn-off to the Tulelake Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. Stop at the Visitor Center and pick up a map of the levee roads that criss-cross both refuges. Ask for a brochure to help you identify the most prevalant species on the refuges.
With over 263 species of birds using the refuges throughout the year, visitors can expect a show at almost any time of the year. Fall is a dynamic time, with three-quarters of the waterfowl migrating along the Pacific Flyway visiting the refuges. By late December, the remaining waterfowl attract thousands of raptors, including the largest concentration of wintering bald eagle in the lower 48 states. By early spring, shorebirds begin filtering back to the refuge, and will remain there to nest, and during spring and summer, young broods of ducks and geese can be seen. Be sure to stop by the Tulelake Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center on Hill Rd, to pick up a driving tour map, and bird list.
Lava Beds National Monument
- is an beautiful volcanic landscape which showcases nearly all volcanic features. Visitors will see cinder cones, shield volcanos, pahoehoe(smooth ropey) and aa(rough and clinker-like) lava, spatter cones, chimneys and lava tubes. More than 300 lava tubes have been counted within the monument, and a number of them have mapped trails and ladders for easy access. Mushpot Cave, near the visitor center is lighted. It also contains all the important battlefields of the Modoc Indian Wars. The monument is dedicated to providing good old-fashioned direct, friendly contact with rangers for interpretation and information. There is a year-round 40 unit campground for tents, pick-up campers, and small trailers. There are no hook-ups. RV parks are close by near Tulelake.
Modoc Scenic Byway - This newly signed byway has a northern entrance in the town of Tulelake. It continues down Hwy 49 past Lava Beds National Monument, a great place to start your exploration of the volcanic landscape of eastern Siskiyou County. It continues down Hwy 49 to Forest Road 15, which meets Hwy 89 at Bartle. Go west on 89 to the southern entrance of the byway in the town of McCloud. The best interpretive material of this exceptional area is the "Medicine Lake Highlands Self-Guided Roadside Geology Tour" available at visitor centers throughout the county. Along the route you will visit Medicine Lake, Glass Mountain, Paint Pot Crater, Pumic Stone Mountain, and Jot Dean Ice Cave, as well as a number of collapsed lava tubes.
Medicine Lake Highlands is the largest identified volcano (in total area) within California. The large Hawaiian shield-type volcano's gently sloping profile, stretching nearly 15 miles from east to west and 25 miles north and south, blends so well into the surrounding terrain, it is easy to forget that you are driving on the slopes, and into the caldera of a massive volcano. As you drive through the Highlands, you will see mountains of glass, pumice deposits, cinder cones, and collapsed lava tubes. Pick up a copy of "The Medicine Lake Highlands Self-guided Roadside Geology Tour" at the Forest Service office in McCloud, or a visitor center, to help you spot all the volcanic wonders of this area.
Find more information on the Modoc Scenic Byway at the national America's Byways web site: http://www.byways.org/browse/byways/2297/...photos, map, calendars, places to visit, and more.
Shasta Valley Loop Drive
- After a stop in Yreka for a tour of the $1 million gold display in the County Courthouse, and a visit to the Siskiyou County Museum, pack a picnic and head east to Montague for the beautiful Shasta Valley. This scenic drive will take you through the ranch lands of the Shasta Valley. Begin your tour in the town of Montague.
Take the Montague/Granada Road past beautifully tended ranches, with the Shasta River visible at certain points along the route. Turn left at A-12, and continue through the more volcanic areas of the valley. Lakes and wetlands alternate with dry grasslands as you travel down A-12 to Harry Cash Road. This road passes one of the oldest cemeteries in the County before coming to Lower Little Shasta Road. Stop to look more closely at the Little Shasta Church, a favorite location for weddings. Go west on Lower Little Shasta Road to Ball Mountain Rd. Stop at the Shasta Valley Wildlife Area for exceptional bird and wildlife watching, then continue on Ball Mountain Rd. to Montague.
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