The Applegate Siskiyou Alliance has built and opened the Tallowbox Trail, which traverses open slopes on the southern face of Tallowbox Mountain near Ruch, offering views of the Upper Applegate Valley and passing through wildflower fields, oak woodlands, conifer forests and thickets of flowering chaparral.

“We hope the Tallowbox Trail helps to build appreciation for the unique natural values, incredible scenery and astounding biodiversity of the Applegate Valley and the surrounding Siskiyou Mountains,” Luke Ruediger, executive director of the alliance, said in an announcement.

The organization spent years gaining approval for the project as part of the Upper Applegate Watershed Restoration Project. Trail construction was funded in part by a grant from the Ashland Food Co-op, with extensive labor provided by volunteers.

The trail is on land with wilderness characteristics that is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. It can be hiked from top to bottom as a relatively strenuous 4.2-mile hike one way with an elevation gain of more than 2,000 feet. Shorter options are available.

For more information and directions, go to bit.ly/458Tqxr or visit applegatesiskiyoualliance.org.

Visit streamside restoration sites in Ashland

The Freshwater Trust will host a tour of streamside restoration sites 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 8. Meet at the gate near 950 Glendower St. in Ashland.

Each tour will last about two hours and include a short walk to view a streamside revegetation project. Participants will see native plants in action to reduce erosion, providing shade for fish and create a more resilient landscape.

Staff members will be available to answer questions about The Freshwater Trust, which is working for the city of Ashland. Sign up at bit.ly/4bY6ckI.

KS Wild sets work trips, workshop

The Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center is leading overnight work trips June 8-9 and June 28-30 to maintain a network of trails surrounding Babyfoot Lake in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness in Josephine County. People interested in signing up should send an email to alex@siskiyoumountainclub.org.

In another matter, KS Wild is hosting a one-hour training June 12 for people to learn how to submit public comments to the U.S. Forest Service regarding its Northwest Forest Plan. The “Forest Defender” workshop is set for 6-7 p.m. June 12 at Clyde’s Corner, 4495 S. Pacific Highway in Phoenix.

Participants will be provided sample language and suggestions to ensure their comments are as effective as possible. The forest plan is the largest, science-based forest and ecosystem management plan in the country. Register at kswild.org.

Siskiyou Field Institute offering field courses

The Siskiyou Field Institute is offering field courses titled “Birding by Songs and Calls,” from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and “Early Summer Mushrooms of the Cascades,” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 9. Cost is $70-75.

The organization also is offering a course, “The Wide World of Butterflies & Diurnal Moths,” 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 18-20. Cost is $195. And a course titled “An Immersive Marine Biology Experience” is set for June 21-23. Cost is $285.

The last course on the schedule is “Unraveling Oregon’s Coastal Geology,” which is set for 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. July 12. Cost is $70.

For more information, call 541-597-8530 or go to thesfi.org.

Forest Service waives fees at recreation sites

The U.S. Forest Service is waiving most day-use fees at recreation sites on Saturday for National Get Outdoors Day. The fee waivers are good at USFS trailheads, picnic areas and visitors centers, among other sites. View sites at fs.usda.gov.

Tour gardens at North Mountain Park

Explore the gardens and natural areas of North Mountain Park in Ashland during a summer plant walk set for 10-11:45 a.m. on Saturday.

Learn how to identify and ethically harvest plants for food, medicine and more, including the uses and benefits of wild and cultivated herbs.

The park is at 620 N. Mountain Ave. in Ashland. Register at buff.ly/3XoeM8j. For information, call 541-488-6606.

Artist reception, talk-and-hike scheduled

The Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is co-hosting a reception on Friday for scientific illustrator Serena Richelle, who was chosen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management as an artist-in-residence this year at the monument.

The organization also is offering a lecture-hike series about aquatic habitat at the monument on June 14-15.

The artist reception is set for 5-7 p.m. Friday at 300 N. Pioneer St. in Ashland. Richelle will spend two weeks at the monument this month. At the reception, she will showcase some of her work. Follow her on Instagram @serena_richelle.

The hike-and-talk is about the world beneath the surface of creeks and streams at the monument. Chris Volpe, Medford District BLM fish biologist, will discuss the monument’s watersheds, the species that call those habitats home and challenges facing watersheds. The hike will explore aquatic habitats such as Jenny Creek and areas that have undergone restoration.

The talk is set for 6-7:30 p.m. June 14 at the Ashland Food Co-op Community Classroom at 300 N. Pioneer in Ashland. For those taking the hike, meet at 9 a.m. at the Rite Aid in Ashland, 2341 Ashland St. Carpooling is optional. Return at 7 p.m.

For more information or to register, go to cascadesiskiyou.org or call 541-378-3039.

Horse racing season starts in Grants Pass

Grants Pass Downs is hosting its summer race meet June 15 to July 4 at the Josephine County Fairgrounds. Post time is 1 p.m. on June 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 and July 4.

Admission is $4 for adults and children 13-17 years of age. Children 12 and under are free.

The event is presented by the Southern Oregon Horse Racing Association, which begins its fall race meet Sept. 8. More information is available at racingontherogue.org.

Grants Pass Airport hosts Airport Day

Grants Pass Airport Day is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday with aircraft displays and demonstrations at the airport, 1441 Brookside Blvd., near Merlin. Admission is free.

Aircraft on hand are expected to include Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters, a Dutch Bros Coffee jet, National Guard Humvees, vintage military aircraft and emergency service vehicles. Demonstrations are scheduled to include aerobatics, Siskiyou Rappel Crew and a chicken drop. The chicken drop features a rubber chicken dropped by passing aircraft at a target on the ground.

Other activities include a car show, pancake breakfast, live music and truck vendors. Children’s activities include paper airplane making, visits with Smokey Bear and Amelia the Air-Pig Mascot.

Parking and a shuttle are available at the National Guard armory at the airport.

Cities publish summer program guides

Summer program guides are available from the cities of Central Point, Medford and Ashland. They include information on senior, adult and youth programs, including classes, day camps, swim lessons, events and concerts.

Tour Jacksonville’s historic district

Outdoor walking tours of Jacksonville’s historic district are offered 10 a.m. on Saturdays through Aug. 31.

Tours are about a mile long and last about an hour, with stops leaving from Jacksonville’s City Hall, 205 N. Fifth St.

Reservations are required. Call 541-245-3650 or visit historicjacksonville.org.

Lithia Park tours held Saturdays

Experience the history, flora and fauna of Lithia Park in Ashland during a guided tour led by volunteers at 10 a.m. on Saturdays through September.

The free walks are 60 to 90 minutes and open to locals and visitors alike. Meet guides at the front entrance of Lithia Park across from the Plaza.

The walks have been offered since 1989 by the Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission.

For more information, visit ashland.or.us/lithiaguidedwalks.

Tell us about your upcoming outdoors-related events by sending us brief details, contact information and other important info so that we can tell others about your events in our weekly column, Outdoor Adventures.

Send to reporter Shaun Hall at shall@rv-times.com or 2 E. Main St., Ste. 200, Medford, Oregon, 97501. Reach Hall at 458-225-7179.