Day Trips from Gathering Light ... a retreat

The Diverse Loop Tour & Map:
Crater Lake National Park & the wild & scenic Rogue River

The wild and scenic Rogue River viewed from the Rogue Umpqua Scenic Byway on the Diverse Loop Tour offers much to delight.

Forward ~ Diverse Loop Tour Map.

Back Travel to Gathering Light ... a retreat via Medford, Oregon.

We offer a gallery of pictures for the Diverse Loop Tour. Not all are listed in the text that follows. Be sure to check them out.

The Diverse Loop Tour & Map

Traveling from Gathering Light ... a nature retreat, take 62 to Crater Lake. Enter the park at the south entrance. Take advantage of whatever beauty catches your eye & when leaving, exit the park at the north entrance. Turn left on Hwy 138, traveling briefly west and see the sign for Medford. Perhaps you might want to stop and check out Diamond Lake before heading south towards Medford on Hwy 230, the Rogue Umpqua Scenic Byway. (Another alternative you might want to consider, would to be head northwest a few miles until you see the sign for the Diamond Lake viewpoint. Turn right as indicated, drive up the hill to the parking lot, and find a spectacular view of Diamond Lake, Mt Bailey and Mt Thielsen. If you decide on this, return to Hwy 138, the Rogue Umpqua Scenic Byway, and turn left.

Once you see the sign for Medford, turn accordingly. This will now be Hwy 230, but it's still the Rogue Umpqua Scenic Byway. Heading south on the Rogue Umpqua Scenic Byway be sure to look for viewpoints of Mt Thielsen and get one of the most spectacular views of the mountain. (Mt. Thielsen is behind you as you drive.) Travel further south, and Rabbit Ears comes into view off to your right. The sign for National Creek Waterfalls appears a little further south on the left as you're driving south. That would be between the 6 and 7 mile markers. The fall is an easy drive of a few miles drive on a FS road; then an approximate ½ mile hike. Once you've seen the waterfall or even if you haven't, drive no more than 3 or 4 miles further south on the Rogue Umpqua Scenic Byway to the Rogue River and view a pretty cascade: the first view of the river from the road The cascade will be on your left. Cross a bridge soon after and the Rogue is on your right. Not long after, the sign for 62 heading east appears; at this point, 230 becomes 62, and the Rogue Umpqua Scenic Byway becomes the Crater Lake Hwy.

Stay on 62 heading south to see some views of the Rogue River at Union Creek where it forges through a narrow channel of volcanic rock before placidly settling into a peaceful river flow. A little further south, see the sign for the Natural Bridge interpretative site on the right. This is a spectacular view. The Natural Bridge is a lava tube through which the Rogue flows.

Continuing south: Exit 62 at Prospect for the loop that will take you along the south fork of the Rogue River.

Prospect Hotel is a renovated late 1800s hotel. Several personages from the old west stayed there, President Grant also. Picturesque Mill Creek Bridge is just south of Prospect. The Avenue of Giant Boulders is viewable from the bridge, however, one can walk among the boulders taking either of two paths. One path originates just north of the bridge. Find a parking lot across the street and not far down from the General Store. Park the car and walk south to the stream. If you choose this hike, you will see Pearsoney Waterfall, and come out at the creek below the Avenue of Giant Boulders. Keep following the trail, and at the easiest point you can decide to climb down the bank to get to the stones below. The easier route is the walk to the Avenue of Giant Boulders and Mill and Barr Creek Falls from a trailhead a little further south of Mill Creek Bridge. The trailhead is clearly marked from the road, offering a small parking lot. The trails are short ~ only a walk really ~ and are well marked. This is private land, but the trails are open to the public.

Leaving Mill and Barr Creek Waterfall: Turn left and continue heading south until the road connects once again with Hwy 62.

Continue traveling south to connect with 62. Once you connect with 62, stay on it until you come to Shady Cove. A short distance south of Shady Cove, you'll see a sign for Butte Falls, turn left and head east into the Cascades to Butte Falls. (Alternative route that goes into Ashland, Oregon.)

Butte Falls is a picturesque old logging town. This route affords some spectacular views of Mt McLoughlin as you travel the southwestern flank. The road ends at 140. Turn left & head east on Oregon's Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. Fish Lake is a small mountain lake on the right. Lake of the Woods offers the classic blue waters of a pristine mountain lake. At the 43 mile marker on 140, see the sign for Rocky Point and Fort Klamath. This is Westside Road. Turn left to drive around the north end of Klamath Lake. Stop at Rocky Point, the sign appears almost immediately. Rocky Point is privately owned, but Brad likes to stop & look at the lake from the deck. Try the restaurant. You can eat out on the deck.

When you leave Rocky Point, follow Westside Road until it comes down into rangeland, look off to your left and see Mt. Mazama, the peak of Crater Lake, & Mt. Scott, which forms the eastern boundary of the lake. Stay on this road until it ends; turn right. In about a half of a mile, you'll see a directional sign for Klamath Falls, Chiloquin, Hwy 62 & 97. Turn left. Stay on this road until you come to Hwy 62, or Crater Lake Hwy as it's otherwise called. Turn right on 62; follow it until you see the sign for Chiloquin. Turn left. This road will take you into Chiloquin & back to the retreat.

Travel Oregon and northern California while staying at Gathering Light ... a retreat
located in southern Oregon near Crater Lake National Park.