Discovering Southern Oregon – October 2023

Fall is the time of year when pumpkins and squash are harvested, ciders are brewed, and the leaves turn from green into a beautiful array of vibrant reds, warm oranges, golden yellows, and rustic browns—making the landscape look like a painting. October and November are a delight to our senses and Southern Oregon offers some beautiful spots to enjoy fall foliage. Here are the top five areas with stunning fall colors:

Jacksonville—Our historic town is one of the greatest spots to experience fall in Southern Oregon. Stroll along our quaint streets lined with huge trees that turn vibrant shades of red and orange during this season. With crisp mornings and warm afternoons, it’s a perfect time to sit outside one of our three coffee houses and enjoy a warm mocha or enjoy a glass of wine and live music at one of the many wineries. Take the historical trolley Fridays through Sundays, tour both the history and color, or try the new Wine Trolley, where you can sit back and enjoy six of the local wineries from noon to 6pm.

Ashland—The town is famous for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and boasts a variety of tree-lined streets and parks with incredible fall color, but the crown jewel is Lithia Park. The park is filled with a variety of colorful trees, including maple, dogwood, beech, ash, sycamore, and ginkgo. The park’s stunning grounds, captivating fountains, gorgeous flowerbeds, and a new Japanese garden are full of beauty. A long walk in the park following Ashland Creek up to the dam, followed by a meal at one of the many restaurants located on North Main in the plaza next to the park, makes for the perfect day.

Crater Lake National Park—Known mainly for its stunning deep-blue lake, the surrounding forest offers fantastic fall foliage. The Park’s diverse tree species, including maples and aspens, create a striking contrast against the lake’s backdrop. Once at the rim you can tour the historic lodge, have a meal overlooking the lake, check out the Visitor Center at the historic Kiser Studio, offering some of the best views of the lake from Sinnott Memorial Observation Station, built into the caldera cliff hovering 900 feet above the lake. Take time to drive around the rim, stop at Cleetwood Cove Trail and take a steep but short walk down to the lake.

Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway—This is one of the best drives any time of year, but during fall you have the addition of stunning fall colors on bigleaf and vine maples, Pacific and red dogwoods and more. Hwy 62 takes you along the Rogue River past Lost Creek Lake and you can make stops at Mill Creek Falls, Natural Bridge, and the Rogue River Gorge. Make sure to stop at Becky’s café for pie before heading to National Creek Falls and onto Hwy 230 then past Diamond Lake and down Hwy 138 which will hug the Umpqua River all the way to Roseburg. On Hwy 138 you can take your pick of many waterfalls, plus Susan Creek Falls, Fall Creek Falls, Watson Falls, Lemolo Falls, and the most famous, Toketee Falls.

Applegate Valley—The Applegate Valley is stunning to see with the Applegate River flowing through the floor of the valley and the Siskiyou mountains climbing up steeply on both sides. The canvas of fall colors along the river, combined with the vineyards, make it an excellent destination for wine tasting amid the autumn foliage. Take a drive to one of the many wineries or go enjoy the view from the new restaurant at the Applegate Lodge, now called Lindsey Lodge.

Remember the timing of peak fall foliage can vary from year to year and can depend on factors like weather conditions and elevation. To catch the peak colors, check out the “2023 Foliage Prediction Map” at https://smokymountians.com.