Modoc County, California travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

Modoc County is in the Shasta Cascades region of California in the extreme northeastern corner of the state. It is home to only about 10,000 people, or slightly more than two people per square mile. The county's northern and western portions have been shaped by volcanism, as evidenced by the many lava flows, cinder cones, hot springs, and volcanic mountains that visitors will encounter, while the Warner Mountain range and its many alpine lakes are found in the county's eastern side. The county is home to several wildlife refuges where bald eagles, peregrine falcons, goshawks, golden eagles, mule deer, elk, wild horses, wild burros and pronghorn antelope can be seen.

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 86°F; winter lows dip to about 22°F. Wettest: Feb and Mar. (climate data from nearby Lava Beds National Monument)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
RDD Redding Municipal Airport, Redding — 111 mi away. Directions
MFR Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport, Medford — 123 mi away. Directions
RNO Reno Tahoe International Airport, Reno — 154 mi away (major hub). Directions

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Places in Modoc County

Alturas

City / town · 8 listings

Cities

Adin
Alturas
Canby
Cedarville

Other destinations

Tule Lake National Monument — one of the sites where Japanese-Americans were interned during World War II

Go next

- Located south of Modoc County, rural Lassen County sits at the confluence of the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains, the volcanic Cascade Range, and the high elevation Great Basin desert. Fishing, biking, hiking, and other outdoor activities attract most visitors to the area, with the 26 mi Bizz Johnson trail the county's most popular hiking and biking route. "The Bizz" follows the old Fernley and Lassen Branch Line of the Southern Pacific railroad along the Susan river canyon, traversing abandoned railroad bridges, trestles and tunnels and rewarding visitors with mountain views, beautiful fall foliage, and colorful spring wildflowers.
- Modoc County's southwestern neighbor is a land of mountains, lakes and rivers. Massive Shasta Lake, California's largest reservoir, is the "houseboat capital of the world", with rentals available for those who want to vacation on the water. Several spectacular waterfalls can be found in the county, including the 129 ft Burney Falls, which Theodore Roosevelt described as "the Eighth Wonder of the World", and McCloud River Falls, which is actually three scenic waterfalls. In the county's southeastern corner, Lassen Volcanic National Park is home to a geologic hotspot highlighted by 10,457 ft Lassen Volcano. The mountain can be summited via a steep trail, but plan to do so in the summer - the park's 600 - of annual snowfall make it the snowiest place in California.
- Modoc County's western neighbor is dominated by 14,179 ft Mount Shasta, the west coast's second-tallest volcano, towering nearly 10,000 ft above its surroundings; while a summit climb requires advanced mountaineering skills, its lower slopes are great for hiking, backpacking and cross-county skiing. The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway links Mount Shasta to Lava Beds National Monument in the county's northeast, home to over 800 lava tube caves, several of which are open to exploration. The county is also a premier destination for birdwatchers, with nearly two million birds passing through Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge during migrations, and North America’s largest concentration of snow geese arriving in spring.