Wild places > Northeast CA: Regional Map

Medicine Lake Highlands Potential Wilderness

Managing agency: Klamath and Modoc National Forests

Size: Approximately 25,692 acres in two units.

Location: Twelve miles south of Lava Beds National Monument and approximately 50 air-miles northeast of Mount Shasta City in Siskiyou County.

Description: The Medicine Lake Highlands potential wilderness and surrounding region is the most volcanically active area in California. Thermal vents, hissing gases, and extensive lava flows testify to this activity. The potential wilderness and surrounding region also contain the finest and largest ancient forests in the Modoc Plateau. The Highlands are an ecological transition zone between the Cascades, Great Basin, and Klamath Mountains and are thus a stronghold for a wide variety of plants and wildlife that would otherwise not be able to live in the area. Rare species include marten, fisher, northern spotted owl, goshawk, bald eagle, California pitcher plant (a carnivorous plant), and Rocky Mountain elk, among others.

The Mount Hoffman portion of the potential wilderness rises majestically above azure Medicine Lake, a popular recreation area. Mount Hoffman is cloaked in ancient forest that is often interrupted by lava flows and giant mounds of glass-like obsidian. Glass Mountain, a veritable wall of black, glassy rock, is a popular destination for visitors. The Burnt Lava Flow portion of the potential wilderness is a massive river of stone that is only 200 years old. Visitors can still find places where the lava flowed around the trunks of trees and left deep holes in the rock. Islands of ancient forest remain amidst the lava.

For additional information, please contact:
Ryan Henson
California Wilderness Coalition
P.O. Box 993323
Redding, CA 96099
Phone: (530) 246-3087