Modoc Plateau

The Modoc Plateau is a large volcanic tableland in the northeast corner of the state. Most of the ares sits at an elevation of between 4,000 and 6,000 feet. The bulk of the plateau is composed of ancient lava flows and volcanic tuff dating back between 10 and 2 million years ago during the Tertiary period.

It is lonely country out in the Modoc. Primary industries such as farming and ranching along with a little lumbering and mineral extraction are the only major industries. The plateau is covered primarily in a mixture of grasslands and ponderosa pine forests and is home to several national wildlife refuges. Seasonal tourism to these federal lands brings in much needed revenue. .

Grain Elevator

Grain elevators store grain for farmers waiting to ship their crop to market. In this northerly latitude, relatively high elevation and with harsh winters, Modoc farmers are limited to specific crops. Grains are well adapted to such constraints.

Volcanic Relief

Volcanic outcrops, like this one in Lava Beds National Monument, stand in bold relief to the otherwise gentle contours of much of the Modoc Plateau.

Alturas

The old hotel in Alturas could double for a western movie set. This is a land where working cowboys still roam.

Likely

Likely is not much more than a general store and post office on U.S. Route 395. It is about as far as you can get, literally and figuratively, from the multicultural metropolises in the southern portions of the state. Both laterally and culturally, the small towns in the northeast corner are closer to parts of Idaho and eastern Washington than they are the coastal communities of south central and southern California.

Modoc Country

Mt. Shasta looms high over the Modoc Plateau. Towering nearly 10,000 feet above the plains, Shasta is visible throughout much of the Modoc Country.

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