Southern Oregon
Our physicians say the best thing about living in the Rogue Valley is the wide variety of activities that are available. The Rogue Valley is located in southwestern Oregon along the I-5 corridor stretching from Ashland to the south and Grants Pass to the north. With a mild climate and four distinct seasons, there are activities for everyone.
In winter, skiing and snowboarding are available at Mount Ashland, about 45 minutes from Medford, or Mount Shasta, about 1 1/2 hours from Medford. There are also a multitude of Nordic trails and local areas for cross country skiing and snowmobiling in the surrounding mountains.
In the spring, summer and fall months, there are a variety of hiking trails, including the two mesas that are iconic to the Rogue Valley, Upper and Lower Table Rock. A portion of the Pacific Crest Trail winds through the Cascade Mountain Range, which is also home to Mount Mcloughlin, a dormant volcano of the Cascade Range with an elevation just under 10,000 feet.
There are plenty of water activities, including kayaking, canoeing, and boating on many of the surrounding mountain lakes and white water rafting along the Rogue River. The surrounding forests and wilderness are ideal for hunting and fishing activities.
For sports enthusiasts, there is an all turf 15 field complex for soccer, baseball, and softball. The Rogue Valley hosts nine golf courses. The Bear Creek Greenway acts a walking and biking trail along Bear Creek, which traverses the valley north to south. The Medford Rogues, a collegiate wood bat baseball team, currently play home games at Harry & David Field in Medford.
Catch Broadway-worthy performances at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland that runs from February through October. Music lovers can enjoy live performances of both popular music groups and orchestral music during the warm summer evenings at the Britt Festival in Jacksonville.
For food and drink, the Rogue Valley has a growing wine community that has produced some exceptional varietals. Beer lovers can enjoy many craft beers at the local breweries. There are a wide range of farmers markets, restaurants and local eateries featuring local ingredients, including locally grown Harry & David pears and the famous blue cheese produced by the Rogue Creamery out of Central Point.
For even more activities further from the Rogue Valley, you only need to pick a direction. To the west you can experience the beauty of the rugged Oregon Coast with whale watching, tide pools and wide open beaches. To the east lies one of nature’s wonders, Crater Lake, Oregon’s only national park and one of the clearest, deepest, most beautiful lakes. Continuing east is Bend, which hosts a multitude of winter and summer sports and world class skiing and snowboarding at Mount Bachelor. To the north is Eugene, home of the University of Oregon Ducks, and Corvallis, home of the Oregon State University Beavers. Further north is Salem, the Oregon state capital and Portland, the largest metropolitan area in Oregon, approximately 4 1/2 hours from Medford. Venturing south, you will cross over the Siskiyou Mountain Range into Northern California, passing Mount Shasta and Shasta Lake. Further south lies Sacramento and San Francisco.
To experience all of the beauty the region has to offer, the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport serves a variety of airlines. There are direct flights to Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City or Denver, making access to the rest of the country and the world easier.
