Southern Oregon

Southern Oregon is home to Crater Lake, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, the wineries and farms of the Rogue Valley and world-class river rafting.

Southern Oregon covers the Rogue Valley, the Siskiyou Mountains and the southern Cascades, reaching from the California border north to the Umpqua country. It is warmer and drier than the rest of western Oregon and has a long growing season. Crater Lake National Park is the main attraction: a caldera lake more than 1,900 feet deep, the deepest in the United States, ringed by cliffs with Wizard Island rising from the water. The Rim Drive is the classic way to see it, though parts close for snow for much of the year. Ashland is the cultural center, with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which runs from spring to fall, and the green expanse of Lithia Park. Medford is the largest city and the home of the regional airport. Jacksonville is a preserved Gold Rush town with summer concerts at the Britt Festival. The Rogue Valley has a growing wine industry that includes Syrah and Tempranillo as well as Pinot Noir, and the pear orchards around Medford supply a well-known gift-fruit company. Oregon Caves National Monument near Cave Junction offers guided marble cave tours. The Rogue River near Grants Pass is a center for rafting and jet boating, and the Umpqua National Forest has hot springs, waterfalls and Diamond Lake. Klamath Falls and its wildlife refuges are popular with birdwatchers. Late spring through early fall is the best time to visit, and Interstate 5 is the main route.