Surprise Valley, Modoc County
Surprise Valley is an endorheic valley in extreme northeastern California, US, about 60 miles in length from north to south. Local people refer to the area as the Tricorner Region because of the region's location at the intersection of California, Oregon, and Nevada state lines. The valley is east of the Modoc County seat of Alturas. The area is part of the Great Basin which extends across most of the northern half of Nevada.
Terrain
Most of the valley is over 4,000 feet above mean sea level, and could be characterized as a high altitude desert valley. A series of alkaline lakes occupy low-lying areas. Forested mountains mark the west side of the valley. The Hays Canyon Range, is to the east, and the Warner Mountains border to the west. The valley is considered part of the Great Basin, a desert region roughly covering the geographic majority of Nevada and extending into Utah; also regions of southeast Oregon, and southern California, in the east.Communities in Surprise Valley include [Eagleville, Modoc County, California|Modoc County, California|Eagleville], Cedarville, Lake City, and Fort Bidwell.
Visiting
Most of the land west of the main north-south highway, Surprise Valley Road, is US Forest Service land. To the east of the road, most land is owned by the Bureau of Land Management. Recreational facilities on BLM lands tie in with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada . Over the region, opportunities for hiking, exploring dirt roads, birding, stalking antelope with cameras, fishing, camping, and mountain biking are available. Big game and bird hunting are popular among some area visitors. A BLM brochure warns, "Snowstorms occasionally strand travelers. May and June snowstorms are not uncommon." There are hot springs and abandoned mine shafts throughout the region.Transportation
Cedar Pass on State Route 299 is the main east-west road connecting the area with California and the county seat, Alturas. State Route 447 allows passage toward Reno, Nevada via the Black Rock Desert community of Gerlach, Nevada. It is about 152 miles from Cedarville to Reno via this route.A segment of the Applegate-Lassen Route, a nineteenth century pioneer wagon route to the area, crosses the valley diagonally from north of State Route 299 to Fandango Pass. The route is also known as the California National Historic Trail.
Other roads out of the valley are unpaved. Because of its location along the Nevada state line, it is normal to see patrol cars from the Nevada Highway Patrol and the Washoe County Sheriff's Department transiting the area.