Modoc Point is a cliff on the east shore of Upper Klamath Lake

Upper Klamath Lake

Upper Klamath Lake is a large, shallow freshwater lake east of the Cascade Range in south central Oregon in the United States. The largest freshwater body in Oregon, it is approximately 20 mi long and 8 mi wide and extends northwest from the city of Klamath Falls...

, in Klamath County

Klamath County, Oregon

-National protected areas:* Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge* Crater Lake National Park * Deschutes National Forest * Fremont National Forest * Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge* Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge...

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, United States, approximately 15 miles north of Klamath Falls

Klamath Falls, Oregon

Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...

 on U.S. Route 97

U.S. Route 97 in Oregon

In the U.S. state of Oregon, U.S. Route 97 is a major north–south United States highway which runs through the state of Oregon . In Oregon, it runs from the Oregon-California border, south of Klamath Falls, to the Oregon-Washington border on the Columbia River, between Biggs Junction, Oregon and...

. It is part of the larger cliff known as Modoc Rim or Modoc Ridge.

The point is named for the Modoc

Modoc

The Modoc are a Native American people who originally lived in the area which is now northeastern California and central Southern Oregon. They are currently divided between Oregon and Oklahoma. The latter are a federally recognized tribe, the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma...

 tribe of Native Americans

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 because it was assigned to them when they moved on to the Klamath Reservation, following a treaty in 1864. This area was then part of the reservation. Captain Jack and his band lived in this area from December 31, 1869, to April 26, 1870. Due to continued harassment by the Klamath, the Modoc left the reservation to return to their traditional territory to the south on the Lost River

Lost River (California)

Lost River begins and ends in a closed basin in northern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. The river, long, flows in an arc from Clear Lake Reservoir in Modoc County, California, through Klamath County, Oregon to Tule Lake in Siskiyou County...

 in present-day California. This was before the Modoc War

Modoc War

The Modoc War, or Modoc Campaign , was an armed conflict between the Native American Modoc tribe and the United States Army in southern Oregon and northern California from 1872–1873. The Modoc War was the last of the Indian Wars to occur in California or Oregon...

 (1872-1873).

Klamath folklore frequently features this location; they called it Kiuti or Muyant. It was also called Nilakla, meaning "dawn" or "sunrise". William G. Steel stated that the point was known as Nilakla, the Klamath word for "dawn" or "sunrise".

Modoc Point

Modoc Point, Oregon

Modoc Point is an unincorporated community in Klamath County, Oregon, United States on U.S. Route 97 on the shore of Upper Klamath Lake.The post office takes its name from Modoc Point, a prominent point on Upper Klamath Lake just south of the community....

was the namesake for a railroad station and post office just north of the point.