The Pacific Crest Trail cuts through the Cascades-Siskiyou National Monument. The Soda Mountain Wilderness Council is hosting a free 3-mile hike on the trail with a botanist on June 14. Supplied photo

Join the Soda Mountain Wilderness Council for a free guided hike on June 14 in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. 

Hike with a professional botanist to see views from Porcupine Mountain in the monument. The hike is about 3 miles on varied terrain, including the Pacific Crest Trail, an old jeep trail and some cross-country. 

“You could wonder why Julie Andrews is not there bursting out in song,” Dave Willis, chairman of the council, wrote in a hike announcement. 

Sign up via sodamtnwild@yahoo.com or call 541-482-8660 for more information. 

Splash pads open in Grants Pass, Medford 

The splash pads at Medford city parks are open for the summer, as are locations at Riverside Park and Morrison Centennial Park in Grants Pass. The splash pad at Morrison was repainted while the pad at Riverside Park was pressure-washed in advance of its opening last week. Caveman Pool in Grants Pass is due to open for the season June 16. 

Learn about I-5 wildlife overcrossing 

A lecture about the proposed Mariposa Wildlife Overcrossing on Interstate 5 near the Oregon-California border is set for 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Southern Oregon University Science Hall, Room 151. 

Presenters include Jack Williams, a senior scientist for Trout Unlimited and co-coordinator of the Southern Oregon Wildlife Crossing Coalition. Also presenting is Karen Mager, a wildlife ecologist and SOU associate professor. 

Sign up for the lecture at bit.ly/43r6Cyy. Sign up for an associated webinar at bit.ly/3FDLfke. Learn more about the overcrossing at myowf.org/sowcc. 

Drop off hazardous waste for free 

Get rid of household hazardous waste for free from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday by taking it to Southern Oregon Sanitation, 131 Redwood Ave. in Grants Pass. 

Items accepted include cleaning supplies, pesticides, insecticides, weed killers, paint removers, swimming pool chemicals, fluorescent light ballasts and bulbs, alkaline and rechargeable batteries and thermostats containing mercury. 

Keep materials in labeled containers, securely closed, and place them in a box in the trunk or bed of your vehicle. 

For more information, visit bit.ly/4mJm9Bg. Contact the company at 541-479-5335. 

Tour Bear Creek restoration project 

Join the Freshwater Trust for a tour of a Bear Creek restoration project 10 a.m. to noon Friday at The Nature Center, 620 N. Mountain Ave. in Ashland. 

See native plants, learn about revegetation and hear about future plans for restoration. Register at ashlandoregon.gov/register. Contact the parks department at 541-488-5340. 

Gliding above the Applegate Valley 

The public is invited to the Ruch area June 8-13 in the Applegate Valley to view paragliders and hang gliders participating in the inaugural Rat Route 238, six days of fun competitions and socializing that attracts pilots from around the West. Last week’s Outdoor Adventures incorrectly listed the event’s start date. 

Launches take place from late morning to early evening from Woodrat Mountain, peaking about 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. The mountain is considered by organizers to be a premier launch site. Flying is weather-dependent, but landings are scheduled to take place at various venues, including wineries and a farm, offering food, drink, music and other activities. 

Landing sites include LongSword Vineyards, 8555 Highway 238 on June 8, 9 and 13; Kingfisher Lavender Farm, 7717 Upper Applegate Road, on June 10; Apple Outlaw Taproom, 15090 Highway 238 on June 11 (limited landings); and Red Lily Vineyards, 11777 Highway 238 on June 12. A private closing party is set for 6 p.m. June 12 at Raven’s Landing in Ruch. 

A symposium, “Four Decades of Flying,” featuring talks by senior pilots, is set for 2-4:30 p.m. June 9 at the Applegate Valley Fire District community room, 1095 Upper Applegate Road. Tandem rides are available for $200. Contact Sam Crocker at 503-781-1794 or sundogparagliding.com for a tandem ride. 

The event offers organized shuttles, weather briefings and posted tasks for participants. Organizers are Laura Houghton, Bala Ramos and Tonia Fox, in cooperation with the Rogue Valley Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association. More information is available at ratroute.com/schedule. 

Agency targets dying trees, hosts field trip 

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is hosting a field trip to timber harvest areas from 5-7 p.m. June 11 in connection with proposed timber sales intended to reduce wildfire risk from dead and dying trees across about 5,300 acres in the Applegate Valley near Jacksonville. 

The harvests would remove dead and dying trees in strategic locations, including along roadways, near homes and in locations where fire managers could best stop fires while they are small, according to the agency. 

During the field trip, BLM foresters will discuss the bureau’s plans and show project sites where dead tree removal has already happened. Register for the trip at BLM_OR_AFO_VMP@blm.gov. For more information on the project, go to bit.ly/3Fj71d3. A public comment period about the project will close June 23. 

Fish and camp for free around Oregon

Camp for free at state parks in Oregon on Saturday and fish for free Saturday and Sunday throughout the state.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will waive day-use parking fees at the 25 parks that charge them and camping fees for all tent, RV and horse campsites on Saturday. 

In addition, no one needs a license to fish, crab or clam in the state on Saturday and Sunday. 

In a related matter, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has created a video introducing novices to trout fishing. View it at myodfw.com/articles/how-fish-trout. The agency also has produced an online guide about great places for families to fish in Southwest Oregon. View it at bit.ly/3ZCun4b. 

Land conservancy hosts annual picnic 

The Southern Oregon Land Conservancy is hosting its annual all-members picnic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 7 at the Rogue River Preserve near Eagle Point. 

There will be a mushroom and conks stroll, tai chi along the river, indigenous world view plant walk, children’s activity station and more. In a related matter, the Conservancy is honoring Robert Kentta, longtime cultural leader and member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. He was instrumental in the tribe’s recent acquisition of sacred lands at the Table Rocks. 

The picnic is free for members and $20 otherwise. Registration was required by May 30 at bit.ly/3FvyoR2. Call 541-482-3069 for further details. 

Central Point classes focus on greenway 

Central Point Parks and Recreation is offering a series of all-ages classes focusing on the Bear Creek Greenway in collaboration with the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy and the Klamath Bird Observatory. 

On June 18, join the Conservancy for a walk along the Greenway to view trees and plants and discuss their history and importance. The walk is set for 9-11 a.m. and cost is $5. Sign up at bit.ly/3Sp4FfA. 

On June 21, join the Observatory for a walk along the Greenway to learn about local birds. The walk takes place 9-11 a.m. and cost is $5. Sign up at bit.ly/4jn62q2. 

On June 28, join the Conservancy for a walk and nature journaling. Bring a notebook and chair. The event is set for 10-11:30 a.m. Cost is $5. Register at bit.ly/43C9VSk. 

It’s suggested that participants bring water and binoculars. Contact the department at 541-488-5340. 

An update about the Greenway program, city parks foundation and pollinator garden can be found on Page 5 of the department’s summer recreation guide, bit.ly/4dCBoIf. 

Jacksonville Woodlands offers summer camps 

The Jacksonville Community Center is hosting outdoor camps for children this summer, in cooperation with the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy and Pollinator Pals. 

The Jacksonville Woodlands Explorer Camps are for children ages 6-12 and will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 23-25 and June 30-July 2. Those camps are in partnership with the Conservancy. 

A third camp,The Eco-Adventures with Pollinator Pals, is for ages 7-12, and is in partnership with Pollinator Project Rogue Valley. The camp is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 28-30. 

Cost is $99 per session. Scholarships are available. Register at bit.ly/3HnU6ai. For more information, call 541-702-2585. 

Pacifica hosts summer camps 

Pacifica: A Garden in the Siskiyous is offering summer camps with a focus on the outdoors and other subjects, including engineering, sewing, horses, leadership, dance and art. Camps run June through August. 

The camps serve ages 6-18. Cost is generally $275-$300 weekly. Partial scholarships are available. Spots are limited. For details and registration, visit bit.ly/4jl3Dfs. 

Cities publish summer activity guides 

The cities of Medford, Ashland and Central Point have published summer 2025 activities guides that include events, classes, outings and other activities. 

View Medford’s guide at playmedford.com, Ashland’s guide at bit.ly/3Yjyhyi and Central Point’s guide at bit.ly/4dCBoIf. 

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