Yreka combines historic tours and traces of Gold Rush history with landscapes along creeks and a reservoir. Historic homes, the excavation of the third Chinatown, and the history of local performing arts offer different perspectives on the town.
Historic Tours in Different Formats
On the Historic Homes Walking Tour, you can visit more than 70 homes built before the turn of the century. The Third Street Historic Homes tour can be done on foot or by car. The 100 to 300 blocks of Miner Street form a free walking tour through Yreka's Old Town. It begins at the corner of Miner Street and Main Street; plaques on the historic buildings explain their history. The Miner Street tour has a designated starting point and plaques about the buildings' history, while the Third Street Historic Homes tour lets you choose between walking and driving.
Architecture, Gold Rush History, and Archaeological Research
The Yreka Carnegie Library is a Classical Revival-style building and the northernmost Carnegie library in California. The West Miner Street Historic District includes seven buildings recognized as California Historical Landmarks. The library's architectural style is the focus when visiting the individual building, while the district's designation applies to seven structures. In Discovery Park, a memorial plaque tells the story of the discovery of gold in Yreka in 1851. The 1969 excavation of Yreka's third Chinatown was among the earliest archaeological investigations of a Chinese community in California. Frenchman Leon Marniesse founded the Franco-American Hotel in 1855.
Creeks, Reservoir, and Trails in Green Spaces
The Yreka Creek Greenway is a natural riverside area along Yreka Creek and Greenhorn Creek. Greenhorn Park is built around a large reservoir fed by Greenhorn Creek; trails run through the surrounding hillsides and along the lake. Old gold-mining equipment and a small ghost town stand on the lake's south shore. The two places have different landscapes: the Greenway includes riverside areas along two creeks, while the park is built around the reservoir and lake.
Performing Arts as Part of the City's History
The Siskiyou Performing Arts Center (SPAC) has been based in Yreka since 1974; the Dunlap Theater in Yreka has been its venue since January 1975. SPAC produced its own theater and music events, written and directed by local artists. In recent years, the SPAC theater building in Yreka has hosted theater productions, musicals, poetry readings, acting classes, and benefit concerts. The performing arts add a distinct cultural perspective to the historic tours. If you want current events to be part of your visit, check the schedule before traveling.
Getting There
Interstate 5 is the main route in and out of Yreka for most visitors and residents, and therefore a key reference point for arrival and departure.
Discover more destinations: Mount Shasta, Dunsmuir, Dorris, Weed, Happy Camp, McCloud.
Go to the regional travel overview: Siskiyou.
