The Klamath River area was home to the Hupa (Hoopa), Karuk, Modoc, and Yurok Indian tribes.

The miners caused disruption in the lives of the Native Americans of the area by damming and diverting water for mining purposes, which made it difficult for spawning salmon and other fish populations to survive.

The Klamath River was used by the Quicksilver Mining Co. in the late 19th century where they extracted mercury and cinnabar located up Beaver Creek.

There are also many black bear, elk, bobcat, mountain lion, raccoon, quail, grouse, pheasant, squirrel, kit fox, river otter, beaver, badger, porcupine, weasel, skunks, coyotes, a variety of toads and frogs, blue herons, bald and American eagles, along with over 200 species of birds.

The weather in Siskiyou County varies with the seasons, with summer temperatures of 75 to 105 °F (24 to 41 °C), while in the winter, it can drop as low as 15 °F (−9 °C) with a high of 65 °F (18 °C).