Yreka (pronounced Why-REEK-uh), 22 miles south of the Oregon border, was incorporated in 1857, 6 years after Abraham Thompson discovered gold flecks on the roots of the grass his mules were eating. Miners soon swarmed into this lush valley, which had long been home to the Karuk and Shasta Indians. The boom fizzled out about 1885, after more than $60 million worth of valuable ore had been extracted from the earth. I-5 is a scenic route to and through Yreka. Learn More...