Welcome to Big Valley

• You want to quickly find a website and/ or phone number of a local business, then CLICK HERE!
• You dont live here and want to visit or move here and want to find out what Big Valley is all about, then STAY ON THIS PAGE!
• You are vacationing or passing through and want to learn about events then CLICK HERE!
• You are looking to purchase real estate in Big Valley, then CLICK HERE!
• You want to see pictures of Big Valley life, then CLICK HERE!
• You want to read news happening around Big Valley, then CLICK HERE!

Big Valley is located in beautiful, rural North Eastern California. etc. etc etc. Come on now, every Chamber of Commerce website starts off with the same canned phrases describing how wonderful their area is. When was the last time you read a Chamber website that that said "we are a miserable ugly harsh place to live", and remember, one man's paradise is another man's hell. "Big Valley is beautiful" is as empty a phrase as "cute kittens" or "beautiful baby"

Well, we really do think Big Valley is a fine place to live or visit, but why? This website seeks to describe Big Valley to visitors or prospective residents in a realistic way and will allow you to explore the area. Descriptions of the countryside and our ways of life, lots of pictures and a real online newspaper with extensive archives are here. You can get a picture of what Big Valley is and what we are all about.

In a nutshell, you may like Big Valley if:

• You like country living along with a close community.
• You hate traffic jams
• You like clean air and dark skys where you can see the milky way.
• You want to live where you can't see you neighbor.
• You want to experience all 4 seasons.
• You cant afford to buy a house where you are now.

In the same nutshell, you won't like Big Valley if:

• You need to be close to shopping.
• You want lots of night spots and restaurants and bars near by.
• You can't find employment here.
• You need to live near people.
• You can't handle snow.

The Big Valley Area:

Big Valley consists of four small towns, Nubieber, Bieber, Lookout and Adin. The valley itelf is flat farmland measuring about 20 miles North to South by 15 miles East to West. Although Big Valley is nothing more than a map name, the residents of the 4 towns and surrounding area always refer to the area as :Big Valley". It is a tight knit community and activities generally involve all 4 towns. The total population is about 1500 making it a very low density area. Big Valley is at the boundary of 2 California counties, Lassen and Modoc which are in the extreme North East part of California.

The big social event of the year is an annual celebration calld "Big Valley Days" where everyone gets together with events such as a parade, a logging show and lots of other creative activities. There are also nearby County Fairs in Shasta and Modoc Counties. This is the way we entertain ourselves along with regular "fund raising events" for various community causes. It's a great way to keep in touch with neighbors.

U.S. Geologic Survey maps show the center of Big Valley as a swamp. It is not really a swamp but wetlands created by the wandering Ash Creek drainage. Most of the area designated as "swamp" is part of the Ash Creek Wildlife Area which is a bird sanctuary.

The Pit River flows through Big Valley, but it is not much of a picturesque river until it flows out of the Valley where it carves steep canyons as it flows west. Here it is a slow moving river (except during heavy rains) and is generally not navigable or good for fishing. Excellent trout fishing is available close by at either Eagle Lake or in Burney, a big Fly Fishing area.

Surrounding Big Valley (It is a valley after all) are low mountains (or high hills for some) which are generally well forested by Pine, Fir, Juniper etc. Much of the land is Bureau of Land Management or U.S. Forest Service land meaning it is open, unfenced and free to hike, horseback ride, camp or let your dogs have fun. You only need to travel less than 10 miles from the valley to experience this.

You can see Mt. Lassen and Mt. Shasta, both volcano's, from most of Big Valley. They are about 50 miles away and can be seen on most days due to our clear air. Most of the year they are snow covered.

Our major industry is logging, cow farming and cattle feed farming. There is little else other than firefighters hired by CalFire who has a major station and heliport in Bieber. Telecommuting, i.e. doing business via the internet is viable for folks who can do this. You don't have to work in the big city! There are several people in the valley who found refuge here using thier computer for work. Accountants, technical help reps. etc can do this.

The climate is best described as "High Desert" meaning we have 4 seasons, some cold winters and hot summers. It must be said that even during the coldest winters, because of the clear skys, low humidity and high altitude, (4100 feet), you can go out on a cold winter day dressed in nothing more than a long sleeve shirt. In summer time, the low humidity makes it a lot more comfortable and easy to cool. So called swamp coolers do very well and real air conditioning is usually not needed.

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE IN BIG VALLEY

Big Valley (not an official name) consists of 4 small townships, Adin, Bieber, Lookout and Nubieber and the surrounding area which consists of ranches and lots of open government owned land. Big Valley is remote being in the high desert in the extreme North Eastern part of California. 

There is no close by shopping except for some small grocery stores and a few local businesses. The nearest "cities" are about 100 miles away. Becaue of this remoteness, most people organize their shopping by making a monthly or bi-weekly trip to one of the nearest cities of Redding, Susanville or Klamath Falls. 

Despite being remote, and the long trips necessary for supplies, it is cheaper to live here than in a city. Housing costs are lower and you don't need much in the way of fancy stuff to keep up with the Kramers (or Jones's). 

Is Big Valley a good place to live? Well, one man's heaven is another man's Hell. Some people describe it is a forgotten lonely "Bumfu_k" place to live. I find it different!

Maybe my tastes are strange, but it is a fact that most people who actually live here find it great. It is a fact, and a fact which you will find in few cities, that families who live here stay here. Even people who grow up here and move away to seek their fortune, come back to this area to live. There are still families who settled here 100 years ago living on their original land or settling nearby. Many of the roads are named after families who still are part of the community, and a true community it is. 

Big Valley is remote and it is peaceful. Like any other community it has it's brilliant productive leaders and it's town drunks and fools. It has rich folk, poor folk and everyone in between. It has crime, it has  drug  and alcohol problems and it's misfits. It has creative hard working happy people who raise fine families. There are beautiful houses with well manicured gardens, middle class homes and it's stereotyped trailer courts. It has is scandals and small town politics and at has it's heros. Big Valley has what every community has but it is different.

How is it different from life in a more populated area? Other than the indisputable fact that families stay in Big Valley for generations, there is an extremely strong sense of community. We get together during fund raising dinners which are used to finance everything from building a new building for an Ambulance Center to sending grade school classes on visits to San Francisco. We get involved in local politics at the regular Chamber of Commerce meetings which are informal enough to encourage anyone to show up. Our local county supervisors are usually there and discuss citizen concerns.

Life in general is less hectic, more relaxing and more satisfying than in a big city because we feel that we have a say in and can take part in deciding what our community should be like.

So please, if you like what you see here, come on up for a visit. Best time is spring or autumn, but even in the midst of winter the roads are usually well plowed and even in the summer, it feels a bit cooler then the thermometer says because of the low humidity and altitude. Enjoy our open spaces and clear skys.
 

Some interesting facts about Big Valley (and nearby)

We are in volcano country. Although Mt. Lassen last errupted about 100 years ago, there are active hot springs in Big Valley. They are on private property and you can see them steaming during cold winters.

The Hat Creek Radio Astronomy Site, operated by the University of California is within easy deiving distance. It is a serious radio observatory in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Water fowl such as Canadian Geese and ducks nest here in springtime. The sky is covered with them at times and you can hear them honking as they fly overhead

Both Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles live here and can be seen resting on telephone poles along the road.

Much of the land around the valley is BLM (Bureau of Land Management) or U.S. Forestry land. There are no fences so you are allowed to enjoy it.

Deer commonly wander around downtown (if you can call it downtown) sections of Big Valley. Antelope herds are often seen nearby.

Most people do their heavy shopping (once a month or so) by making a trip to Redding CA. or Klamath Falls Oregon. The drive takes about 2 hours and is along some very scenic 2 lane highway with no chance of traffic jams. Oregon has no sales tax!

There is nothing wider than a 2 lane road within many miles of Big Valley. They are well maintained and plowed in the winter, even the unpaved ones.

Big Valley spans 2 California counties, Lassen and Modoc, but you can hardly tell the difference between the two. Law enforcement and medical services and schools are well shared.