Things to do in Alturas
High Rock Canyon National Historic Site
The Indian trail through High Rock Canyon was first recorded by Captain John Fremont in 1844. The Applegate brothers guided emigrant wagon trains through the canyon on their way to Oregon's Willamette Valley. In 1849 and into the 1850's it was a well beaten path to the gold fields and towns of California. But today it is far off the beaten path and that fact makes it a particularly special place. In nearby Cedarville. Call 916-279-6101 for more information.
Lava Beds National Monument
Lava Beds National Monument is a land of turmoil, both geological and historical. Over the last half-million years, volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano created an incredibly rugged landscape punctuated by cinder cones, lava flows, spatter cones, lava tube caves and pit craters. These lava tube caves, of which there are more than 500 in the Monument, are a favorite underground destination for visitors to explore. Call 530-667-8100 for more information.
Modoc County Historical Museum
The museum was established in 1967 when the Board of Supervisor purchased the private collection of Marc and Myrtle Belli. The Bellis, long-time residents of Alturas, had been collecting historic artifacts since 1926. Their acquisitions included hundreds of Indian artifacts, pioneer artifacts, historical pictures and papers, and most notable, an impressive collection of guns. Call 530-233-2944 for more information.
600 South Main Street, Alturas, CA
Modoc National Wildlife Refuge
Fed by snowmelt from the Warner Mountains, the Pit River creates an oasis for wildlife in the high desert of northeastern California -- Modoc National Wildlife Refuge. The 7,000 + acre refuge was established in 1961 to manage and protect migratory waterfowl Call 530-233-3572 for more information.
Pit River Recreation Area
The Pit River is the largest river in northeastern California and drains that section of the state and enters the Sacramento River at Shasta Lake. The north fork of the Pit starts at Goose Lake, while the south fork begins high in the Warner Mountains and they converge near Alturas, California.