Thanks for your question! You’re asking about my hometown, so I’m happy to help. Not knowing your exact interests or the time of year you’re visiting Medford, I’ll try to hit the broad strokes! The good news is, it’s a small city, so wherever you’re staying, you’ll be close to everything. If you’re a fan…

You can find yurts at the state park campground between Medford and Grants Pass at Valley of the Rogue State Park, but they may be booked… they tend to book fast. For a really unique ‘glamping’ option right in Medford, I recommend Morriplum Farm Sanctuary. It’s between Medford and Jacksonville, and the couple who run…

Thanks for your question! It sounds like you’d like to stick pretty close to I-5 during your road trip, but if you haven’t seen it, I do recommend Crater Lake National Park, of course. It’s about two hours from I-5 via either Ashland or Medford. If that’s too far off-track, consider a stop in Ashland…

I suggest you focus on the town of Ashland, right off I-5, which has a fun energy and is accessibility-forward. I apologize I can’t give you specifics on what exact places will have wheelchair accessibility, but I do know that the city in general makes effort to be so. Take a stroll through Lithia Park, which…

Thanks for your question. Both 230 (leading to 62) and 138 can be equally snowy in December, but also equally easy to traverse, given conditions. For that reason, I would go with 138, which is your more direct route, knowing that the first 25 miles or so from Crater Lake will be at the highest…

! If you’re coming up I-5 from California, you’re first Oregon stop should be Ashland, our favorite little theater town. Ashland has a full summer season of Shakespearean plays, but at any time of year, this town is hopping with dining options, cocktail bars, and wineries. If you like wine, I suggest hitting the Applegate…

You have a great route picked out! There is so much to do in the outdoors in Oregon from Eugene through the southern part of the state. You’re going to love it. Here’s what not to miss: If you go from Eugene to the coast, make your first stop Reedsport, to check out the amazing…

Thanks for you question! Directly in Canyonville, there are several parks that are dog-friendly. Charles V Stanton Park is right off I-5 (hard to miss), and fairly large, but does get some freeway noise. If you take Tiller Trail Highway, however, you arrive at two smaller parks, Herberts Pond Park and Canyonville County Park (this…

Thanks for your question! In Southern Oregon, May is an excellent month for hiking, as it’s not too hot yet, but most trails have dried out from spring rain showers. One of my favorites is the Rogue River Trail. This epic trail is 40 miles, following the Wild and Scenic section of the river, but…

Glad you asked your question! Crater Lake is gorgeous in winter, and yes, March is still definitely winter there! Right now, you can still snowshoe, and I do recommend it; this is a great way to see the park in winter. If you’re coming from the Klamath Falls area, I suggest you check out this…

Thanks for your question! Of course, ‘best’ is a subjective term, but I’m happy to give you my personal recommendations for Ashland and Medford restaurants, as a local. There are many we love! In Ashland, I highly recommend checking out Brickroom for an upscale pub-like atmosphere; their cocktails and appetizers are their strongest suit, so…

Ashland is our hometown, and we love it! I’m sure you’ll enjoy a visit. Without knowing your interests, I can tell you that we believe the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to be a must-do; this season of high quality plays and performances run nearly year-round and peak in the spring through summer. I recommend seeing at…

I love your question! Like you, I must have elevation hiking, and I live near Rogue River. My Adam Sawyer has written a book on waterfall hikes in Southern Oregon; he also wrote a Travel Oregon story about specific waterfall hikes along the Umpqua and Rogue River. You can also go the other direction from Rogue…

If you visit in early November, check out the Ashland Culinary Festival. And to make a weekend out of it, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival often has discounted tickets on plays during late fall. November in Southern Oregon tends to be chilly and rainy, but the snow hasn’t usually flown at that point. This means that…

I think October is an ideal month to visit Crater Lake! The two campgrounds within the national park are only open during the summer, but there are several wonderful campgrounds located on Highway 62 between Prospect and the park, plus Diamond Lake, located just northwest. I suggest Natural Bridge Campground or one of the others…

Yes, you can RV camp below the rim at Crater Lake at Mazama Village Campground, the only RV camping in Crater Lake National Park. You can make reservations in advance online or by phone, but only for a limited number of RV sites. However, there are a number of first come, first served sites as…

In Southern Oregon you can find wonderful redwood groves by driving out the Redwood Highway (Highway 199) from Grants Pass to the Oregon Coast. Along the way you can access short hiking trails into the redwoods at several locations, as well as find redwoods along the Oregon Coast once you reach that point. From Crescent City, you’ll want…

I’ve fielded quite a few difficult questions, but this might take the cake. My initial response is, “why not both?” If you have time for both, obviously it’s a no-brainer. If not, there is no ultramarine blue that comes close to Crater Lake. I wish I was kidding when I say this but the first…

For gold panning, the Rogue River is a great place. We’ve seen many people panning for gold along the lower Rogue around Grave Creek (just past the little town of Galice…take the Merlin Exit of I-5 north of Grants Pass). You can pan on any public land stretch of river, and 1/4 a mile up…

Oregon in general is a very dog-friendly state! In my opinion, Ashland and the smaller, historic town of Jacksonville are the most dog-friendly towns in Southern Oregon, with plenty of restaurants that allow dogs on their decks and lodging options for travelers with dogs. Four-legged friends are welcome on all forest service trails in the area,…