Nearby Attractions

National Parks

Circle of Discovery is seven national park sites in southern Oregon and Northern California

John Day Fossil Beds

Lithia Park, 42 acres of this park are designated an historic place. If you enjoy history and visiting locations designated National Historic Places, find more options at the National Register of Historic Places . Use the search feature for Oregon, Crater Lake or any local area.

 

The Pacific Northwest Region of the U.S. Forest Service includes 19 National Forests, a National Scenic Area, a National Grassland, and two National Volcanic Monuments within the states of Washington and Oregon.

USFS Photo “Guide to Your National Forests and Grasslands (PDF)”, 2006.

United States Forest Service (USFS)

North of Crater Lake

Deschutes National Forest encompasses nearly 1.6 million acres near Bend, Oregon. A special place to camp, hike, fish, or visit waterfalls is the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Within Deschutes National Forest visitors can also explore five unique Wildernesses including Diamond Peak and Mount Thielson which can be seen from points along Crater Lake's Rim Drive, three National Scenic Byways and National Wild and Scenic Rivers.

Ochoco National Forest located near the geographic center of Oregon consists of 845,498 acres of land divided into three ranger districts: the Lookout Mountain Ranger District, the Paulina Ranger District, and the Snow Mountain Ranger District. The forest is home to Big Summit Prairie,a wildflower and migratory bird habitat, Big Summit Wild Horse Territory, and much more including Crooked River National Grassland.

South and East of Crater Lake

Fremont - Winema National Forest ranges from towering snow-capped peaks to wide-open sage basins, and four wildernesses. Visit Mitchell Monument (Closed September 2021 due to Bootleg Fire) the only location in the continental United States where Americans were killed as the result of enemy action during World War II.

South and West of Crater Lake

Rogue River - Siskiyou National Forest is located in southwestern Oregon and extending into California, and ranges from the crest of the Cascades Range, west into the Siskiyou Mountains, and includes southern portions of the Coastal Range, extending nearly to the Pacific Ocean. Includes 340,000 acres of the wilderness, and over 200 miles of streams as National Wild and Scenic Rivers.

West and North

Umpqua National Forest is nestled on the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains and characterized by its many waterfalls. Enjoy the Rogue-Umpqua National Scenic Byway and three unique wildernesses.

 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

Oregon-Washington - Recreation Activities | Bureau of Land Management (blm.gov)

• Rogue Wild and Scenic River The Rogue National Wild and Scenic River is part of the Bureau of Land Management's National Conservation Lands. The Smullin Visitor Center is located on the river near the town of Galice, at the Rand National Historic Site pproximately 20 miles from I-5 on the Merlin-Galice Road.
• Steens Mountain Popular activities include camping, picnicking, sightseeing, and exploring the open country on foot and horseback. Hiking is available in all areas.
• Table Rocks Brochure Rising dramatically above the Rogue Valley, these two prominent, lava-capped mesas offer outstanding hiking opportunities and access to an incredible array of biological diversity.

 

Ducks in flight over Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge

FWS Photo 2017 by Volunteer Mary Hyde/USFWS

US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

The Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge located in rural northeastern California and Southern Oregon, was established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908 as the Nation's first waterfowl refuge. The Refuge Complex Visitor Center and headquarters, is located at 4009 Hill Road, Tulelake, CA 96134 and can be reached by calling [phone].

Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge wetlands are primarily wet meadows with some open water wetlands. This natural plant community is maintained by a program of cattle grazing, haying and prescribed fire to create fall and spring feeding habitat for waterfowl and sandhill cranes.

Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge is part of a complex of six National Wildlife Refuges in the Klamath Basin whose combined mission is to protect what remains of what once was the largest wetlands area west of the Mississippi River. Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and Crater Lake National Park are 25 miles apart on the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. Rocky Point, a rustic Oregon lodge with a marina, is the gateway to the refuge.

 

More Hiking and Biking

PCT Oregon - Pacific Crest Trail Association (pcta.org)

Prescott Park Trail System is 1,740 acres of hiking and mountain biking trails, both paved and unpaved, with unparalleled views of the Rogue Valley.

Rogue Gorge Trail and Natural Bridge

the Rogue River disappears underground into a 250-foot lava tube, with a small amount of water escaping from the tube, forming a pool under the bridge. All of the water reappears at the surface further down the river. There are many different ways to hike this stretch of the Rogue River. Natural Bridge itself can be reached via the Upper Rogue River trail.

Birds Wildlife Fish

Home - Klamath Basin Birding Trails (klamathbirdingtrails.com)

J. F. Kimball State Park is a pristine site located at the headwaters of the Wood River. 32,000 acres of wildlife habitat, ten miles of level trails, plus camping, fishing, and paddling.

Klamath Fish Hatchery provides legal-sized trout to Klamath and Lake counties, and fingerlings for lakes from the southern Cascade Mountains east to the Idaho border. The hatchery produces about 3 million fish each year.

 

Scenic Drives

Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway travels north–south along the Cascade Mountain Range past numerous volcanoes in California and Oregon. Visit spatter cones, lava tubes and caves, bubbling mudpots, pumice plains, soaring peaks and unforgettable Crater Lake.

ScenicByWaysGuide2016 Access the grandeur of Southern Oregon. See page 42 for the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway, page 54 for descriptions of the Umpqua River Scenic Byway, page 32 for the Cascades Lakes Byway.

Museums
Collier Memorial State Park features a campground, outdoor museum of historic logging equipment, relocated pioneer village and a new four-corral, primitive horse camp and trailhead. The state's finest logging museum showcases rare and antique logging equipment dating to the 1880s.

The High Desert Museum, near Bend, Oregon, reveals the West’s High Desert region through artful exhibits, alluring animals, engaging programs and meaningful history.

Train Mountain Institute (tminst.org) Train Mountain is the world's largest model railroad with over 35 miles of 7.5" gauge track on 2200 acres near Chiloquin, Oregon.

Fort Klamath Museum includes the parade grounds of an 1863 military outpost near the western end of the Oregon Trail.

Klamath County Museum presents the rich histories of Klamath County and the surrounding basin including art, nature, and anthropology. Outdoor exhibits may be viewed anytime.

 

The culture, history, and natural beauty of Southern Oregon is abundant and on display at local museums. A 2019 fiber exhibit at Klamath County Museum, a bird of prey exhibit at The High Desert Museum, and the largest model railroad at the Train Mountain Institute are a few possible places to explore.

All images courtesy of Linda Powell