Attractions and Places To See in Modoc County - Top 20

A set of three hot spring pools with three grades of temperatures, each fitting one to two persons. They are fairly shallow, just down the embankment of the road, which might have affected the original natural setting and functioning of the springs, but they are still amazingly serene, with a view across the wide alkali lake plain to the mountain range to the east.

The perfect, almost developed wild hot spring: The water wells up from the sandy bottom and is held in a nice wooden tub, even protected from the elements by a wooden cabin with open sides and spectacular views of the reservoir and the surrounding mountains.

The town with the unlikely name at the intersection of US395 and Jess Valley Road these days consists of 3 businesses that provide the essentials for a hike to ne nearby hot springs: A saloon that share a building with a jail, a Grocery store, and a General Store,

Fed by snowmelt from the Warner Mountains, the Pit River creates a 7,000 acre oasis for wildlife in the high desert of northeastern California -- Modoc National Wildlife Refuge. you can find a variety of wildlife including the Sandhill Crane, Snow Goose, Tundra Swan, Bald Eagle, Otter, and more! https://www.fws.gov/refuge/modoc

Alturas is the county seat of Modoc County. Located in the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California, the city had a population of 2,715 at the 2020 census. Alturas is located at the confluence of the south and north forks of the Pit River, east of the center of Modoc County, at an elevation of 4,370 feet (1,330 m). Alturas is one of the largest cities in the region and a local economic hub. Alturas occupies what was initially an Achumawi (Pit River) village known as Kosealekte or Kasalektawi. The city was initially known as Dorris Bridge or Dorris' Bridge, named after Pressley and James Dorris, who built a bridge across the Pit River at this location. The Dorris Bridge post office opened in 1871. The town was renamed Dorrisville in 1874 and Alturas in 1876, the latter meaning "heights" in Spanish. The census of 1880 showed a population of 148. Settlement continued over the next two decades, until the city was incorporated in 1901. Because of its central location, Dorrisville became the county seat when Modoc County formed in 1874, even though both Adin and Cedarville were then larger towns. Alturas straddles the North Fork of the Pit River, near its confluence with the South Fork in the north end of South Fork Valley, in the extreme northeastern corner of California at 41°29′14″N 120°32′33″W. The tall Warner Mountains lie to the east, the wetlands and wild rice fields of South Fork Valley to the south, and the extensive Modoc Plateau to the north.

The strategic pass is today a starting point of several trails along the crest, and junction of historic pioneer emigrant trails, incl the Applegate-Lassen Trail

The Cedar Creek Trail follows an unused forest service road along a path traveled for centuries by native people and settlers in wagon trains. Pick up an interpretive brochure at the trailhead to learn more about the history and ecology of this place. After a hike, check out the charming Old Western town of Cedarville, about 3 miles down the road.

Walking across the unshaded scrubland, it's hard to believe there are lush landscapes in the lava tubes just underground. Take a short spur off of Lyons Trail to see down into the startlingly green Fern Cave. Ranger-led tours of the cave may be made by appointment, call: 530-667-8113