Compared to the aspen groves in the Rockies or the large deciduous forests in the north east, Oregon isn’t particularly known for its fall color. However, just because it doesn’t blanket the countryside doesn’t mean that pockets of great fall color don’t exist in Oregon. Many towns have planted maple, ash, birch, alder and elm trees, creating capsules of reds, yellows and oranges within city limits. There are also numerous parks and Asian gardens around the state that are brilliant in the fall. One of the best places to search out fall color is along the banks of mountain streams, lakes and rivers.
In southern Oregon, one of the best shows of fall flare is along the upper Rogue River between Prospect and Union Creek early in the month of October. The conifer forest that lines Hwy. 62 is full of dogwood which turns pleasant but subdued hues of red and orange. The real show is to be found right on the river banks where the vine maples can make it look like the forest is on fire. The Rogue River Trail follows the Rogue River along this entire section and makes for excellent hiking in the fall when the temperatures are cool and the air is crispy. However, keep in mind that fall color season is also deer hunting season, so wear bright colors, announce yourself as you hike and be prepared to see camouflaged sportsmen toting rifles coming out of the underbrush.
To get to the upper Rogue River, take Hwy. 62 from Medford. You can also get there coming the other way on Hwy. 62 from Fort Klamath or on Hwy 138 which runs between Roseburg and Hwy 97. Accessing the trail is easy. Several side roads along Hwy. 62 between Prospect and Union Creek provide access to the river and the trail. Traveling from Prospect the river is off the left side of the highway. The roads that will take you down to the river are River Bridge, Woodruff Bridge and Natural Bridge. On each of these roads the river is two miles or less from hwy. 62. Where each road meets the river there is a parking area and access to the Rogue River Trail. The distance on the trail between each of the three roads is about four miles. The distance from River Bridge all the way up to Union Creek is between 15 and 20 miles, but it is very easy to day hike shorter sections of trail. For shorter hikes or with a single car it is great to make one or two mile, out-and-back treks. In this way it is possible to hike a section of trail from each of the bridges in a single day, covering a fair portion of the river. With two cars you can also leave a shuttle and hike point to point as far as you like.The trail is mostly flat as it follows the river and never strays far from the river bank.
My favorite section of the trail is upstream from River Bridge where it ducks through glowing tunnels of vine maple and stands of large fir trees. Along sections that have a view up and down the river both banks are fringed with reds and oranges bright enough to hurt your eyes. After about two and a half miles you arrive at Takelma Gorge. At more than a mile long and, in places, only 20 feet wide and 80 feet deep, the gorge is a fantastic geological feature. Take care along this section. The trail follows the rim of the gorge, there are no railings or signs and many of the rocks are moss covered and slick. A fall into the rapids below would be nearly impossible to survive. In most places the water carved canyon is so deep and narrow that it isn’t possible to see down to the bottom. Along the gorge itself the fall color isn’t particularly dense, but there are some great patches close by.
One of the most visited spots on the river is Natural Bridge. As the name implies, the entire river flows through an underground lava tube which forms a natural bridge. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per minute disappear into a large hole in the riverbed and then come bursting from the rock again a hundred feet or so down stream. There walls of the canyon at Natural Bridge are mostly basalt rock, so there aren’t many trees with color growing near the river, but a short hike upstream or downstream will reveal more crimson and yellow lined banks.
Just past Union Creek is the Rogue River Gorge viewing area. While not as long or as deep as Takelma Gorge, the Rogue River Gorge is very dramatic, with steep basalt cliffs and a series of waterfalls entering the canyon where the terrain drops radically. The parking for the Rogue River Gorge is only a few feet off the highway and there are paved paths, railings and viewing platforms, making it an easy stop even if you are just passing through.
Past Union Creek toward Diamond Lake there is a pretty good gain in elevation and the color producing deciduous trees mostly give way to high altitude confiers and the color becomes much less intense. However, the hiking is still great and the river becomes more rugged and cascading. National Creek Falls is worth the short drive back into the woods and Muir falls makes a great five mile round trip hike.