# Yreka

Yreka (pronounced wye-ree-kuh) is a city of 7,500 people (2019) in Siskiyou County in the Shasta Cascades region of California. Yreka is home to the College of the Siskiyous, Klamath National Forest Interpretive Museum and the Siskiyou County Museum.

## Get in

There are a few ways to get into Yreka. The easiest and most common is via Interstate 5. There are three exits from Interstate 5 into Yreka, 773, 775 and 776. If you are looking for fast food take exit 773. There is a McDonald's, Burger King, Carl's Junior, Subway and a Taco Bell. Exits 775 and 776 do not have fast food nearby. Exit 773 also has a Shell gas station. Exit 775 has a few different gas stations including Chevron and another Shell. 775 also has a 24hr Denny's nearby. If you are trying to get to Old Town Yreka 775 would be the exit to take. 776 has a Casa Ramos near it which is a sit down Mexican restaurant. It also has a USA Gas station that usually has the cheapest gas in town.
Other ways into Yreka include Highway 3 which enters from the south and the east, Old Highway 99 which enters from the south, Highway 263 which enters from the north, and Oberlin road which parallels Highway 3 as it enters from the east.

## Get around

Yreka is a very small town. Walking is almost always an option as well as a bicycle. There isn't much traffic in Yreka so a car is effective as well. The bus system in Yreka mainly runs to more rural areas around Yreka, but also runs within Yreka some. Taxi services come and go within Yreka, sometimes there is a taxi service and sometimes there isn't.

## See

The most impressive sights in Yreka are the mountains around it. Mt. Shasta can easily be seen from many places in Yreka.
* 41.710278-122.6594441 Greenhorn Park. A city park with Greenhorn Reservoir, which is a good place to feed the ducks. The park has many trails around it and a main trail that encompasses the reservoir. This trail is less than a mile and well maintained. It also runs through the old mining town now referred to as Ghost Town. Ghost Town is a place where one can see old mining equipment and see where miners actually used to prospect in the early days of Yreka. (updated Mar 2025)
* Old Town Yreka. Taking exit 775 and traveling west on Miner Street will take you through Old Town Yreka. Miner Street is lined with many old stone buildings.

## Do

* Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds. During August they hold the Siskiyou Golden Fair. The area is almost all grass or paved walkway. There is a rodeo, talent show, destruction derby and a concert every year at the fair. Also held at the fairground are the races. They take place on a dirt track. They have several divisions.
* Mountain Valley Paintball (M.V.P.). Grenada

## Buy

The easiest place to find things in Yreka is at Walmart. It is at the south end of town.

## Eat

* Casa Ramos. A sit down Mexican restaurant. They have a variety of Mexican dishes. The service is good.
* Black Bear Diner. Black Bear Diner is also a sit down restaurant with good service.

## Drink

As far as night life goes, there isn't much of it in Yreka. There are a few bars: The Rex Club and Jolley's Club.

## Sleep

There are several motels in Yreka. There are almost always vacancies with several of the motels. One thing that does fill up the motels is that every few years Siskiyou Summit on I-5 gets shut down due to stormy conditions and severe snow. When this happens traffic is stopped at Yreka. There is not another safe way to go north from Yreka so the motels will fill up pretty quickly. Many people will sit on I-5 hoping to wait out the storm. It is important to exit I-5 and find a motel as soon as possible because they WILL fill up. Sometimes conventions are held in Yreka which will also affect availability. Prices for motels are fairly competitive in Yreka.
* Best Western Miner's Inn, 122 E Miner St, ☏ +1 530 842-4355, fax: +1 530 842-4480.
* Motel 6, 1785 South Main St, ☏ +1 530 842-4111, fax: +1 530 842-7864.
* Baymont by Wyndham, 148 Moonlit Oaks Ave (Exit # 773), ☏ +1 530 841-1300. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Indoor pool and spa, free breakfast and Internet, business center, guest laundry, whirlpool suites available. $80.