Cave tours have begun on a limited basis at Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve, following a winter closure.

They are available Thursdays through Mondays until Memorial Day Weekend, when they will be available daily through the summer. Tours are offered 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tickets may be purchased on site or at the Illinois Valley Visitor Center in Cave Junction, 201 Caves Highway in Cave Junction. After April 26, online purchases are available at recreation.gov.

Cost is $10 for adults, $7 for children 15 and younger. Entrance to the park is free.

Tours are moderately strenuous and require the ability to walk and stoop through narrow, twisting passages, including an 88-foot passageway with ceilings as low as 45 inches.

Children must be at least 42 inches tall to take a tour. Pets are not allowed. The cave is 44 degrees Fahrenheit.

The main monument visitor area is a 45-minute drive from Cave Junction via the Caves Highway. Several hiking trails are nearby. The park’s historic Chateau is closed for restoration.

For more information, call 541-592-5125 or visit nps.gov/orca.

Help clean up Bear Creek

Help clean up Bear Creek from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at nine locations along the creek, from Central Point to Ashland, during Bear Creek Stewardship Day.

Gloves, bags, buckets and pickup devices are provided, or participants may bring their own gloves and tools. Register at bearcreekstewards.org.

Save the Phoenix Wetlands and Pollinator Project Rogue Valley are sponsoring related activities 9 a.m. to noon at Blue Heron Park, 4385 S. Pacific Highway in Phoenix. In addition, Bee City USA – Phoenix Oregon will sponsor an event at the park, featuring children’s activities and live music from noon to 4 p.m.

Ride the Tour de Pear

A bicycle-riding event, the Tour de Pear, is scheduled for Saturday with all rides starting and finishing near the Bear Creek Amphitheater, 1520 Siskiyou Blvd., in Medford. There are rides of 14, 30 and 62 miles, plus a family-friendly ride of 4 miles on the Bear Creek Greenway. Check-in starts at 7 a.m., rides start at 8 a.m., and the family ride starts at 9 a.m.

The event is part of the annual Pear Blossom Festival, which raises money for local charities. Costs are $25-$75. Register and get more information at pbbikeevent.com.

Take a walk in Jacksonville

The next outing of the Rogue Valley Walkers is set for 9 a.m. Saturday in Jacksonville. It’s a 6.2-mile walk, but participants don’t have to hike the full distance. A $2 donation is requested.

Meet in the parking lot on D Street, across the bridge from the library. For more information, contact freeburne@charter.net or visit roguevalleywalkers.com.

Hike Rough and Ready Botanical Wayside

Take a short wildflower hike to Rough and Ready Botanical Wayside near Cave Junction, at 10 a.m. Saturday hosted by the Siskiyou Chapter of the Native Plant Society and the Cultural & Ecological Enhancement Network.

The wayside is near mile marker 34 on Highway 199. Space is limited. Register at bit.ly/443LbSx.

Help clear the Illinois River Trail

The Siskiyou Mountain Club has scheduled a work party to help clear brush and logs from the Illinois River Trail Saturday and Sunday. A shuttle to the trail is available, starting in Gold Hill. For more information, visit siskiyoumountainclub.org.

Celebrate the Earth in Central Point

Central Point Parks and Recreation is scheduled to host its second annual Earth Day celebration 4-6 p.m. Monday at Don and Flo Bohnert Farm Park, 525 Stone Pointe Drive in Central Point. The event features crafts, a planting activity and the giveaway of 100 tree seedlings while they last. For more information, contact the department at 541-664-3321.

KS Wild to host Earth Day gathering

The Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center and Rogue Riverkeeper will host an Earth Day celebration 5-7:30 p.m. Monday at KS Wild facilities at 562 A St. in Ashland.

There will be music by the Eight Dollar Mountain duo, snacks by Chef Charlene, drinks, a screenprinting station and a backyard campfire. No signup is necessary. For more information, visit kswild.org or call 541-488-5789.

Hike the Table Rocks

The Nature Conservancy and U.S. Bureau of Land Management are offering free educational hikes at Upper and Lower Table Rocks during April, May and June. Space is limited and reservations are required.

Hikes in April include 10 a.m. Thursday at Lower Table Rock; 8 a.m. Saturday at Lower Table Rock; 9 a.m. Sunday at Upper Table Rock; and 9 a.m. April 27 at Lower Table Rock.

To register, visit tinyurl.com/TableRocksHikes2024. For more information, call the BLM at 541-618-2200 or The Nature Conservancy at 541-708-4990.

Explore with Land Conservancy

Learn about birds, butterflies, wildflowers and more during upcoming hikes, work parties and outings hosted by the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy. Registration is required and early sign-ups are suggested.

Events include the following:

• Explore Pompadour Bluff near Ashland, 3-5 p.m. on Wednesday, on April 24 and on May 8. Learn about the geology of Pompadour Bluff, 9 a.m. to noon April 27.

• Open Lands Day at the Rogue River Preserve in Eagle Point is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday featuring self-guided tours and guided hikes. The preserve includes 2 miles of riverfront along the Rogue River, a large floodplain forest and oak woodlands with meadows.

• Take a stroll through Whetstone Savanna Preserve near White City, 9 a.m. to noon Sunday and May 14.

Sign up online at landconserve.org. For more information, call 541-482-3069.

Hike with Medford Parks & Rec

The Medford Parks and Recreation Department is offering day hikes for people 55 and older. Space is limited. Register at playmedford.com or 541-774-2400.

Local hikes in April include an easy 2.3-mile trek on April 23 from Canyon Vista to Canyon Falls. On April 30, a steep 2.5-mile hike is scheduled to Twin Peaks.

The trips start at 1 p.m. at Rogue X, 701 N. Columbus Ave. in Medford. Participants take a van to the trail. Cost per hike is $12 for residents, $18 for non-residents.

A five-hour, hard hike up Bolt Mountain near Murphy is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 26. Afterward, there might be time to stop at a farm stand or winery on the way back.

Cost is $49 per trip for residents, $55 for non-residents. Participants meet at the appointed time and take a van to the trail.

A dog-friendly hike from Tunnel Ridge to Bear Gulch Loop is scheduled for April 29. It’s a challenging hike of 5 miles. Meet at the trailhead at 1 p.m. The hike leader will provide directions. Bring your well-mannered pooch. Dogs must be on a leash.

Cost is $9 for residents, $15 for non-residents.

Take a walk with others at libraries

Libraries in Gold Hill and Butte Falls offer weekly walks, rain or shine:

• A neighborhood walk is held noon to 1 p.m. every Wednesday from the Gold Hill Library to the Gold Hill Sports Park and back. Call 541-855-1994 for more information.

• A neighborhood walk is held 1-2 p.m. Thursdays from the Butte Falls Library to different directions around town. For more information, call 541-865-3511.

Plant a tree at Arbor Day event

In honor of Arbor Day, a tree-planting work party is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon April 26 at North Mountain Park, 620 N. Mountain Ave. in Ashland. All ages are welcome. Equipment, instructions and snacks are provided.

Meet at the park’s nature play area. For more information, call 541-488-6606 or visit ashland.or.us/register.

Learn about water on national monument

Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is holding a Hike and Learn event about water April 26-27.

A lecture about the history of Western water development is set for 6 p.m. April 26 in the Science Building at Southern Oregon University. And a hike is set for 9 a.m. April 27 to visit water development structures in the monument.

To register, visit cascadesiskiyou.org.

Ride over to annual bike swap

The 2024 Rogue Valley Bike Swap is set for noon to 2:30 p.m. April 27 at the Ashland Parks and Recreation Grove, 1195 E. Main St. in Ashland.

Buy, sell or donate a bike, parts or accessories. Test ride an e-bike, register your bike with the Ashland Police Department and learn about bike events and advocacy efforts.

Drop off your bike for sale or donation before the event 4-6 p.m. April 26 at Rogue Valley Transit District offices, 229 S. Front St., Medford, or at the Grove 5-7 p.m. April 26 or 8:30-10 a.m. April 27.

For more information, contact Sulaiman Shelton at 541-552-2264 or Sulaiman.shelton@ashland.or.us.

Help clear brush at Kerby Peak

Join trip leader Jeff Thieret with the Siskiyou Mountain Club for a weekend of brushing on Old Kerby Peak Trail near Selma, from 7:45 a.m. April 27 to 5 p.m. April 28. For more information, contact Thieret at 541-598-4820 or jthieret@hotmail.com.