2015 Map of Cold Fork

About this map

Skinner Mill Place and several other family-named sites anchor this portion of the northern California landscape, where the foothills of the Trinity National Forest meet the drainage systems of Tehama County. The terrain is defined by a dense network of gulches and flats, many bearing names that suggest early homesteading and resource use, such as Schoolhouse Flat, Woodyard Flat, and Shakecabin Flat. Water sources are vital features in this environment, with S Fork Cottonwood Cr and the Cold Fork providing the primary drainage for the area's numerous springs, including Halley Spring and Sulphur Spring. These features, alongside peaks like Stevenson Peak and Salt Creek Peak, illustrate a geography where small-scale settlement patterns were dictated by the availability of water and the orientation of the ridges and canyons.