Siskiyou County, the middle one of the three most northerly California counties, extends 70 miles southward from the Oregon border and stretches 120 miles from east to west. It is 5.2 times larger than the State of Rhode Island. The western half of the County is dominated by mountain peaks and canyons, and the eastern half by lava plateaus and mountain ranges. The County's mountains are covered with dense strands of Ponderosa and Sugar pines, Douglas and White firs, and Incense cedar.

The climate varies greatly under the influences of elevation, topography and proximity to the Pacific Ocean. The low valleys have hot summer days, cool summer nights, and mild winters with little snow. The higher elevations have cool summers and abundant winter snow. The humidity and precipitation drop rapidly from west to east. At Montague the center of the County, the average January temperature is 33.8 degrees with an annual rainfall of 12.2 inches.

Scenic landscapes, abundant snow in the mountains, a variety of game, and numerous mountain lakes and streams, attract people who like to ski, camp, fish, and hunt.