Want to beat the heat? Take the plunge in a lake, river or creek at one of several Jackson County parks.

County park locations with lakes include Joseph Stewart, Howard Prairie, Emigrant, Willow and Agate, in addition to parks on the Rogue River, including Casey, Rogue Elk, Upper Rogue, Takelma and Dodge Bridge.

Cantrall Buckley is along the Applegate River. The Bear Creek Greenway trail follows that creek for 20 miles, from Ashland to Central Point, with access to multiple parks along the way.

Day-use parking fees are $4 per car at most parks. Contact the parks department at 541-774-8183 or jacksoncountyor.gov for more information.

In Josephine County, 15 county parks are located along the Rogue River, including Almeda, Chinook, Ennis Riffle, Ferry Hole, Galice, Griffin, Hog Creek, Indian Mary, Lathrop, Matson, Pierce Riffle, Robertson Bridge, Schroeder, Tom Pearce and Whitehorse. Other parks are at Lake Selmac and Wolf Creek. Day-use fees include $5 per vehicle. Visit josephinecounty.gov for more information.

Check out Riverkeeper Swim Guide

Rogue Riverkeeper, a program of the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, monitors water quality to determine if it’s safe to swim in area creeks and rivers, including the Rogue, Applegate and Illinois rivers, plus Bear, Wagner, Evans, Grave and Little Butte creeks.

To view a map showing the latest test results at the various locations, visit RogueRiverkeeper.org. Click on “The River” and then “Swim Guide.” 

Josephine County Fair runs Wednesday-Sunday

The Josephine County Fair runs Wednesday through Sunday at the county fairgrounds, 1451 Fairgrounds Road, in Grants Pass. It features a carnival, vendors, exhibits, midway entertainment, music, food and more. It’s open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Admission is free.

Take a hike with Medford parks and recreation

The city of Medford’s Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department offers hikes for people 55 and older, including a trip on Friday, Aug. 9 and Sept. 13 to the coolness of coastal weather at Crescent City, California. Register early, as space is limited.

Easy day hikes out of the area are offered to Stout Grove and the historic Battery Point Lighthouse near Crescent City on Friday and a hard hike of 5.2 miles is offered on Sept. 13 to the Boy Scout Tree Trail in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park near Crescent City. Cost is $49 for residents and $61 for nonresidents, per trip.

Other outings include an easy 2-mile hike on the Jacksonville Cemetery Loop on Aug. 13, a moderate 4-mile hike on the Sterling Mine Ditch Armstrong-Deming Loop on Aug. 20 and a hard hike of 7 miles on the Petard and Liz’s Loop at Jacksonville Woodlands on Aug. 27.

Meet at Rogue X, 901 Rossanley Drive, Medford, and take a van to the trail. Cost is $12 for residents and $18 for nonresidents, per hike. The outings start at 11 a.m.

To register or get more information, contact the department at playmedford.com, 541-774-2400 or 701 N. Columbus Ave. Space is limited.

Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Party is Saturday

The Siskiyou Field Institute is hosting its annual Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Party on Saturday at its Selma property, 1241 Illinois River Road in Selma. Gates open at 8 p.m.

The institute’s location provides good visibility of the night sky due to little light pollution. The party is free and held in conjunction with the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve.

Plan to arrive by 9 p.m. to allow your eyes time to adjust and to avoid headlight glare for other visitors. A ranger-led program starts at 9:30 p.m. Bring a camp chair or blanket to lay on and a red-light flashlight. There will be a food truck. Tent camping on-site is available by reservation. Call 541-597-8530.

The meteor shower is taking place nightly through Sept. 1 and is at its peak Aug. 12-13. Up to 110 meteors per hour strike the Earth’s atmosphere during the shower, which is a stream of debris along the orbit of the Swift–Tuttle comet. The best time for viewing is after midnight.

Get a look at the birds of Mount Ashland

Max McClarnon will be leading a bird walk to Grouse Gap at Mount Ashland on Saturday. The group, limited to nine participants, will leave from Wild Birds Unlimited store in Medford at 9 a.m. To sign up, call 541-772-2107 or stop by the store, 961 Medford Center.

Visit the Red Buttes Wilderness during work-party trips

The Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center has a number of work party outings scheduled for the Red Buttes Wilderness. Sign up early as space is limited:

• An overnight backpacking trip is set for 7 a.m. Saturday to 7 p.m. Sunday. The group will camp and work along the Steve’s Fork Tie Trail to install trail signs, clear brush and cut logs.

The hike is about one easy mile and the work is within two miles of camp. No trail work experience is necessary.

• A day trip on the Boundary Trail is set for 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 15. Work will take place on brushy sections of trail within a couple miles of the trailhead. Signage will be improved, too.

• Spend two nights camped at Azalea Lake on Aug. 23-25 and help tackle sections of thick brush starting from the Fir Glade Trailhead.

Participants should have recent backpacking experience and be prepared for six moderate miles of hiking. No trail work experience is necessary.

To sign up, send an email to alex@siskiyoumountainclub.org. A shuttle vehicle will leave Gold Hill and can make pickups in Grants Pass, Selma, and Cave Junction upon request. For more information, contact KS Wild at 541-488-5789.

Tour Applegate organic herb farm

Oshala Farm, an organic herb farm in the Applegate Valley, is hosting a free walking tour from 3 to 4 p.m. Aug. 14 and Sept. 11.

Participants should wear closed-toed walking shoes and bring a reusable water bottle or tea cup if you’d like a cup of herbal tea.

Register at least 48 hours in advance. To register, call 541-846-1120 or visit oshalafarm.com. The farm is located at 14900 Highway 238.

Behave like a beaver at Vesper Meadow

Join the Vesper Meadow education program in collaboration with the Public Lands Store from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 15 to “behave like beavers” and help restore Latgawa Creek at the Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve. Participants will walk in the meadow and creek while learning restoration skills.

Sign up at vespermeadow.org.

Hang out with the birds of summer

See and hear a variety of birds that spend the summer in the Rogue Valley during an easy walk led by experts from 8 to 9 a.m. Aug. 17 and Sept. 21 through North Mountain Park, 620 N. Mountain Ave., in Ashland.

Register at buff.ly/3XoeM8j. For more information, contact Ashland Parks and Recreation at 541-488-6606.

Yurok Tribe to hold 60th salmon festival

The Yurok Tribe’s 60th annual Klamath Salmon Festival is set for Aug. 17 at 190 Klamath Blvd. in Klamath, California. The free event features a parade, food, music, more than 100 vendors, a fun run and childrens activities, in addition to a weaving demonstration and tournaments featuring stick games, Indian cards, arm wrestling, basketball and softball.

Visit yuroktribe.org for more information.

‘Provolt After Dark’ events set for Aug. 30, Sept. 6

The Applegate Partnership and Watershed Council, in collaboration with the Provolt Volunteer Team and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, are hosting events Aug. 30 and Sept. 6 entitled “Provolt After Dark,” focusing on creatures of the night and the night sky at the BLM’s Provolt Recreation Site, 14171 Williams Highway.

BLM biologist Zia Fukuda will lead a guided walk to learn about bats and owls and get a chance to view them during the first event, set for 8:30 to 10 p.m. Aug. 30. Veteran stargazers Barbara Yates and Mark Solomon will help visitors explore the night sky during the second event, set for 9 to 11 p.m. Sept. 6. Bring a camp chair, warm layers and a red-light headlamp if you have one. Snacks and telescopes will be provided.

Attendance is limited to 50 people. Register at applegatepartnership.org (click on “News & Events”). Direct questions to charlotte@apwc.info. Contact the partnership at 541-899-9982.

Cave Junction Labor Day Festival is Aug. 31-Sept. 3

The Illinois Valley Lions 51st annual Labor Day Festival is set for Aug. 31-Sept. 3 at Jubilee Park in Cave Junction. The event features a parade, games, food, vendors and tuff truck competition, among other activities.

The parade sets off at 10 a.m. on Sept. 2 from the area of Evergreen Elementary School, 520 West River St., and travels through downtown.

For more information, contact Monique Allen, parade chairwoman, at 541-659-2667 or David Anderson, vendor booth contact, at 541-597-4486.

The 17th annual Tuff Truck Race is set for the same days starting at noon. Vehicles race against time over a dirt course of curves and bumps. For more information about the racing, call John at 541-659-1074 or Tom at 541-287-0757.

Japanese Garden hosts moon-gazing event

The Ashland Japanese Garden is hosting “Otsukimi — Moon Gazing Festival” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 15. The garden is in Lithia Park and off of Granite Street near Strawberry Lane. For more information, contact the city’s park’s department at 541-488-5340 or go to ashlandcommunitygarden.org.

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.

Want to publicize your upcoming outdoors event for free? Send details to writer Shaun Hall at 541-761-6726 or shaunmichaelhall@gmail.com. Submissions about upcoming events are encouraged.