The
Klamath Mountains are a rugged and lightly populated series of mountain ranges in northwestern
California and southwestern
Oregon in the western
United States. They have a varied geology, with substantial areas of
serpentinite and
marble, and a climate characterized by moderately cold winters with very heavy snowfall and warm, very dry summers with limited rainfall, especially in the south. As a consequence of the geology and soil types, the mountains harbor several
endemic or near-endemic trees, forming one of the largest collections of
conifers in the world. The mountains are also home to a diverse array of fish and animal species, including black bears, large cats, owls, eagles, and many species of salmon. Millions of acres in the mountains are managed by the
United States Forest Service.