Trail Talk – August 2015

The City of Jacksonville has always had a strong commitment to providing a well-constructed and maintained city parks system for residents and visitors alike. The Parks, Recreation, and Visitors Services Committee is aptly named. From Doc Griffin Park with its spray-park and playground equipment, Cottage Street Park, to the Pheasant Meadows tennis courts, our small town has a big heart for outdoor recreation. But it also has something many bigger towns and cities do not have—one city park with hiking trails situated partly within the city limits, and the other trails only two miles outside the city limits. The Woodlands trail system, with its 16 miles of trails, is only two blocks from downtown, while the Forest Park trail system with its 24 miles of trails, is two miles from town. Both truly make Jacksonville the “Hiking Capital of Southern Oregon.” Together they are drawing over 25,000 visitors a year to enjoy the trails with hiking and mountain biking. The Woodlands is located so close to downtown that residents can step-out of their homes and be on a trail in five minutes or less while visitors can get off the Trolley at the Britt Gardens, enjoy the Gardens, and go right on to the Zigler Trail.

The Woodlands trails are mostly easy grades, but a few trails will provide a 500-foot elevation climb to the top for a mild workout. The Forest Park, with its 1,080 acres, 24 miles of trails, and a maximum elevation gain of 1,400 feet from top to bottom, provides a wide variety of hiking grade difficulty. From the almost flat Rail Trail, to the meandering, shaded Canyon Falls and Shade Creek Trails, up to the challenge of Leg Burner Trail, the Forest Park provides it all. Serious trail runners are up there on a regular basis. We have one trail runner who loves the challenge of the upper trails and has already run the Forest Park trails sixty three times this year! One member of the Forest Park Volunteers, who also is very active building trails, has run the trails 75 times this year. Outdoor recreation is very popular among young families and is something they look for when relocating.

Jacksonville has the draw of an historical town and is one of the premier wine tasting and touring towns in Oregon. Our trail systems add to the allure of Jacksonville and offer a third leg to promote Jacksonville. Best of all, these trail systems enhance the quality of life for area residents, fit well into the Jacksonville outdoor healthy living style, provide recreation, draw visitors to Jacksonville and our downtown merchants, and cost the taxpayers very little. What’s not to like about all these great attributes?