Siskiyou County sits at the northern end of California’s geographic ambition — volcanic peaks, old-growth drainage canyons, and high desert alkaline flats, sometimes within an hour of each other. This gallery pulls from three corners of that range.
The McCloud River corridor has been the most productive for me so far. The river drops through a series of distinct falls — upper, middle, and lower — each with its own character, and the surrounding canyon holds color well into autumn. Fowler Falls, a short distance away, adds another stop worth the detour.
Squaw Valley Creek is a favorite place to take a stroll. I’ve gotten a couple images I like there, once in spring when the water was high and green, and once in fall to photograph a PCT footbridge tucked into the turning foliage. Both visits were short. The creek deserves more time than I’ve given it, and I plan to get back.
Tule Lake is something else entirely. In winter, when the refuge crowds with waterfowl and temperatures drop hard, the shallow margins freeze into abstract sheets of shelf ice — cracked, layered, and lit differently every hour. It’s not what most people picture when they think Siskiyou County, which is partly why it’s here.
I definitely hope to spend more time in this wonderful county with a camera in my hand before long!
