Things to do in Southern Oregon

Things to Do:

Southern Oregon

Southern Oregon includes the counties of Douglas, Klamath, Josephine, and Jackson, south of Lane County and generally west of the Cascades, excluding the coast. It’s where you’ll find the cities of Medford and Roseburg among others, along with gold rush towns and lots of rivers.

Crater Lake National Park is one of the top attractions, with its main feature Crater Lake, the country’s deepest at nearly 2,000-feetdeep. It partially fills a caldera, formed by the collapse of volcanic Mount Mazama.

The still sapphire waters reflect the mountain peaks like a huge dark blue mirror providing a postcard-perfect photo op and the area is also a popular place to hike, swim, fish, take boat tours, or even dive into the flooded volcano and explore lava formations with remarkable visibility. The 33-mile loop Rim Drive features over 30 viewpoints winding around the edge of the lake and is open between June and midOctober.

Just north of the California border, the Oregon Caves National Monument is an incredible marble cave system that was formed by rainwater from the ancient forest above it.

There are multiple cave tours that can be taken, with the Discovery Cave Tour the main option. You’ll explore the depths of the underground with a ranger guide, strolling a maze of marble passageways while visiting sparkling flowstones and much more.

There’s plenty to do above ground, including six different hiking trails and abundant wildlife from deer and beaver to black bear and around 130 species of birds.

The Rogue River is located in the Wild and Scenic Rogue River Canyon and is one of the country’s top spots for whitewater rafting. It flows generally west from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific, and if you bring your own raft or rent one, it’s possible to enjoy an easy ride suitable for families with children from Lost Creek Dam.

The Rogue River is located in the Wild and Scenic Rogue River Canyon and is one of the country’s top spots for whitewater rafting. It flows generally west from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific, and if you bring your own raft or rent one, it’s possible to enjoy an easy ride suitable for families with children from Lost Creek Dam.

For the more experienced, drop in at Hogs Creek in Grants Pass. There are many river guides and outfitters offering both day trips and multiday trips where you’ll paddle through both gently surging waters and thrilling rapids among the spectacular Siskiyou Mountains.

Just five miles west of Medford, Jacksonville is a small, picturesque town and National Historic Landmark. It was birthed in the mid1800s after the discovery of gold nearby. It’s a fun place to wander with its historic aesthetics and also hosts a number of wineries and tasting rooms.

At the Beekman House, now a house/museum, you’ll see how families lived in a typical western goldboom town during the Victorian era with guided tours available on the third and fourth Saturdays of every month from May through October.

There are parks for picnicking, enticing eaters, and fun shops too. If you’re here in the summer, you can enjoy the Britt Music & Arts Festival performances that are held in an outdoor amphitheater nestled in the pines.

If you like waterfalls, take a scenic drive on the “Highway of Waterfalls,” officially known as the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway which runs between Gold Hill and Roseburg featuring 15 different cascades while following stretches of both the Upper Rogue and North Umpqua rivers.

Watson Falls is one of the tallest in the region at 272 feet while Toketee is a double-tiered waterfall that’s one of the most photographed. One can also discover fabulous redwood groves with a drive on the Redwood Highway from Grants Pass. There are lots of short, easy trails to hike that wind through the giant trees.

Gold Hill is less than a 20-minute drive northwest of Jacksonville offers a kitschy pit stop for road trippers. The Oregon Vortex has been around since 1930 when it started out as the House of Mystery. It’s a place where balls roll uphill, brooms stand on end, and visitors can experience a height change phenomenon, appearing to grow and shrink. It’s also said to be plagued by “supernatural energies,” something many have experienced over its nearly 100 years of operation.

When you’re ready for a cold brew you’ll find many great breweries in this region too, with Klamath Falls and Roseburg offering some outstanding options

Things to Do:

Southern Oregon

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