Oregon State Parks has announced that reconstruction at Bullards Beach State Park near Bandon has wrapped up and that campsites have reopened, just in time for spring break whale watching this week.

The construction upgraded a sewer system at the popular park, located at the mouth of the Coquille River near Bandon, a prime whale-watching location.

This week, Oregon State Parks is hosting Spring Whale Watch Week, through Monday, with volunteers and rangers stationed at 14 sites along the coast from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily to help visitors spot whales and answer questions. 

A map of volunteer-staffed sites is available at bit.ly/429wOwK. The sites include Face Rock Scenic Viewpoint in Bandon, Harris Beach State Park near Brookings and Shore Acres State Park near Coos Bay.

Migrating gray whales are typically about a mile out during their annual migration back to Alaska now through June.

Learn how to treat invasive species

Learn about treatments to deal with invasive species, including blackberries within streamside areas at an April 2 online workshop hosted by the Southern Oregon Extension and Research Center.

Topics will include reasons for their removal, the processes involved and the permitting required for Jackson and Josephine counties. The instructor is Caleb Galloway, who manages riparian restoration for the Applegate Partnership and Watershed Council.

The presentation takes place 6-7:30 p.m. Cost is $15 per person or sliding scale fee. Register at bit.ly/4bYy49n.

Go wild at annual film festival

The 2025 Wild & Scenic Film Festival hosted by the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center is set for April 12 at the Historic Ashland Armory and April 19 at the Grants Pass Performing Arts Center. Film topics include water, climate, salmon and wildlife.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for drinks, food and raffle and films start at 6 p.m. Regular admission is $20. There’s an online streaming option.  Tickets are available at www.siskiyoufilmfest.org. For more information, contact Allee Gustafson at 541.488.5789, extension 1014.

Take a hike with Medford Parks and Rec

Medford Parks and Recreation offers several hiking opportunities for adults 55 years and older, including the Provolt Recreation Area on April 8 and Canyon Falls on April 15 and Upper Table Rock on April 1.

Other hikes include Natural Bridge on May 9 and a dog-friendly hike on the Jacksonville Railway Trail on April 14. Waitlists exist for some hikes.

Cost is $18 for residents and $24 for non-residents. Participants meet at Rogue X, 901 Rossanley Drive, and take a van to the trailhead. For more information, visit bit.ly/3WJoNeZ or call 541-774-2400.

Siskiyou Field Institute looks to the sky

Join the Siskiyou Field Institute and astronomer Joe Stodola of the Grants Pass Astronomers Club April 5 for a free, family-friendly event to learn about the sun and view it through filtered telescopes.

The event, “The Sun as a Star.” is set for noon to 2 p.m. April 5 at SFI, 1241 Illinois River Road.

Learn about sunspots, solar flares, magnetic storms and more. For more information, visit www.thesfi.org.

Also, SFI is offering several field courses this spring and early summer, including astronomy with tent camping on June 27 at SFI’s location, $45.

Other courses include a visit to Lower Klamath Lake on Saturday, March 29, $20; mushroom harvesting near Ashland on May 4, $80; and foraging for medicinal plants on May 10 near Jacksonville, $80. 

There’s also serpentine botany on June 15 near Cave Junction, $75. Other courses include nature filmmaking on April 12-13 at SFI and coastal ecology at the mouth of the Coquille River on May 12, 17 and 18, $135.

Register at thesfi.org. Contact the organization at 541-597-8530.

Land Conservancy plans spring outings

Visit natural areas this spring with the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy, which has set a series of educational hikes, including those to Pompadour Bluff near Ashland, the Rogue River Preserve near Eagle Point and the Rough and Ready Creek Preserve near Cave Junction.

Learn about butterflies, wildflowers and more from expert outdoor educators. Registration opens online one month in advance of each hike. The hikes include the following:

• 9 a.m. to noon April 6, learn about the geology of Pompadour Bluff near Ashland with geologist Karen Grove.  – 3-5 p.m. April 9, view the wildflowers of the Agate Desert Preserve near White City with botanist and stewardship director Kristi Mergenthaler.
• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 19, visit the Rogue River Preserve near Eagle Point during Open Lands Day.
• 3-5 p.m. April 30, explore Pompadour Bluff with Mergenthaler.
• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 3, visit Rough and Ready Creek Preserve near Cave Junction with hydrology experts Gordon Lyford and Randy Frick.
• 9 a.m. to noon May 4, explore the natural history of the Jacksonville Woodlands with Myco Schroeder, education and engagement specialist.
• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 7, try sketching or painting with Sarah F. Burns at Pompadour Bluff. Before painting, artists may tour the bluff with Mergenthaler.
• 3-5 p.m. May 7, explore Pompadour Bluff with Wyatt Stein, land steward. 
• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 17, hike the Rough and Ready Creek Preserve with stewardship director Rebekah Bergkoetter and board vice president Molly Morison.
• 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. May 21, explore Pompadour Bluff with Steve Wise, executive director.
• 12:30-4:30 p.m. May 24, wander Bear Gulch in the Colestin Valley and the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 25, hike the Sharon Fen Preserve with Bergkoetter.
• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 14, visit the Rogue River Preserve on Open Lands Day.
• 1-4 p.m. June 18, explore Cobra Lily Springs, a new preserve on Eight Dollar Mountain near Selma with Mergenthaler.
• 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 28, enjoy one of the newest properties associated with Vesper Meadow’s Education Program.

To register, visit landconserve.org, call 541-482-3069 or send an email to events@landconserve.org.

Snowshoe with a ranger at Crater Lake Crater

Lake National Park offers free ranger-guided snowshoe walks on weekends through April and also on weekdays this week during spring break, through March 28.

The outings start at 1 p.m., last two hours and cover 1-2 miles over moderate to strenuous terrain.  Snowshoes are provided. Space is limited and reservations are required. Participants must be at least 8 years old. Park entrance fee of $20 applies.

Call 541-594-3100 to register.

View online recreational guides

Central Point, Ashland and Medford have published winter-spring recreational activity guides that include classes, events and outings.

Check out the Central Point guide at bit.ly/42giLWN, Ashland’s guide at bit.ly/WinterSpringGuide2025 and Medford’s guide at playmedford.com.

Send us news about your upcoming event

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.

Shaun Hall is a freelance writer living in Grants Pass. Reach him at 541-761-6726 or shaunmichaelhall@gmail.com.