Siskiyou County is located on the west coast of the United States of America. Siskiyou County is one of the northernmost counties in California, sharing its northern border with the state of Oregon. Its latitude ranges from 41° N to 42° N. The longitude ranges from about 121° 27'W to 123° 43'W. The western boundary of Siskiyou County is approximately 20 miles (32 km) from the Pacific Ocean. Siskiyou County is midway between Portland, Oregon and San Francisco, California. Both cities are about 275 miles (400 km) away (as the crow flies). The most spectacular landmark in Siskiyou County is Mt. Shasta which towers 14,162 feet in elevation!

Photo by Bob Wagner

European fur trappers entered the area in the 1820's and found several small Indian tribes:  the Shastas, Karuk, Klamath, Modoc, and Wintu. By 1851, gold miners had pored into the region, attracted by large deposits of gold mainly located northwest of Mt. Shasta. Ranchers and farmers began settling in an area called Shasta Valley north of Mt. Shasta.

Around 1877, with the coming of the railroad, logging exploded and sawmills and tent camps began popping up mainly north around Tennant and the area east of McCloud which the locals call today "McCloud Flats." The towns of Tennant and McCloud expanded into a full logging community as did Mount Shasta and Weed while Dunsmuir grew as a railroad town and still is today. Yreka boast of its gold mining history.

Today after a severe decline in the logging industry the local communities now attract many tourists and climbers who come to visit our spectacular and scenic area. Our region offers outstanding outdoor recreation activities nestled in pine-covered mountains, clean mountain air and water.

Siskiyou County is the fifth largest county in California and is rural and sparsely populated with roughly around 45,000 people.