Hiking in Southern Oregon (Medford, Grants Pass: camps, live in, activities)

[Vertigo]

I've live in Oregon for over 2 years and have yet to get out to do some hiking. Can anyone recommend some areas in Southern Oregon?

Yesterday I drove through Prospect and that was a gorgeous area and I was wondering if there were good areas around there...but I'm in Medford, so anything a day trip from there!

Thanks!

[ReturningWest]

Here are some links...there are TONS of places:

Oregon Hikes & Adventures


Oregon Hiking, Oregon Coast Trail, Rogue River Trail, Oregon Coast Hiking Trails, Southern Oregon Hiking Trails



Search Outdoor Recreation - Travel Oregon

Enjoy...I wish I was there...I miss Oregon sooooooooo much

[jdland]

You might try the Umpqua Trail to the East of Roseburg. It is probably close to 2 hours drive from Medford. You can hike for days on it or a few minutes. The trail switchbacks across the highway for easy access to bits and pieces of it. The scenery is breathtaking!

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Try the Mountian Lakes Wilderness area. One of my favorite areas.

[bluebird39]

Man, I just wrote a post that got gobbled up by cyber space... Darn!

There's a great book "100 day hikes in the Rogue Valley", or something close to that that has a ton of hikes.

Anywhere on the PCT is great, pilot rock, Hwy66 South into the Siskiyous, the back side of Mt Ashland (Especially in Spring). The Rogue River trails near prospect are great, Crater Lake, Redwoods, Marble Mountain Wilderness, Glass Mountain.

With kids, the Bear Creek path or the trails near Jacksonville....

Enjoy.

[mdvaden]

Contact the forest service in Medford, or the Star Ranger Station they have on Upper Applegate Road in Applegate Valley on the way to the lake. Get the Rogue River National Forest and Redwood Buttes Wilderness map.

Online, search for these trails:

1. Butte Fork Trail in Red Buttes Wilderness

2. Cook and Green Trail in Rogue River National Forest

Both trails are in very good shape.

On the first, most people won't want to hike all the way to Azalea Lake. Mostly within the trees, with a few views of the mountains. Accessible to drive to at least 10 months per year. Only snow would stop most people if it remains on one steep part of the road. The snow comes and goes around December to February.

Cook and Green is reachable almost all year, with very few days that snow is on the ground near Applegate Lake and the next couple of miles.

I've hiked it several times when no snow was on the ground at the trailhead, and just a little around 4 miles up at a primitive campsite. Several miles of this trail are pretty much an all year trail.

With the redwoods only 2 and a half hours away at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, I can't see why thousands more don't drive down from Medford and Grants Pass.

And this is maybe the best time of year to hike there when the brooks are starting to flow nicely.