No visit to Ashland is complete without taking a long, leisurely stroll through beautiful Lithia Park. This 100-acre park follows the banks of Ashland Creek starting at the plaza. Shade trees, lawns, flowers, ponds, fountains, and, of course, the babbling brook are reminiscent of an English garden.
Summertime thrill seekers shouldn't pass up the chance to do some white-water rafting on the Rogue or Klamath River while in southern Oregon. Several companies offer trips between April and October. Try Noah's River Adventures, 53 N. Main St. (tel. 800/858-2811 or 541/488-2811; www.noahsrafting.com), or The Adventure Center, 40 N. Main St. (tel. 800/444-2819 or 541/488-2819; www.raftingtours.com), both of which have trips lasting from half a day to 5 days. Prices range from $69 to $89 for a half-day trip to between $119 and $139 for a full day, depending on the length and type of the trip. The former company also offers salmon- and steelhead-fishing trips, and the latter offers fishing trips as well as downhill bike rides ($69) from the top of Mount Ashland.
Bikes ($10 per hr. or $35 per day) can be rented at Bear Creek Bicycles, 1988 Ore. 99N (tel. 541/488-4270; www.bearcreekbicycle.com), which is just around the corner from the Bear Creek path. This paved path is a great, easy route to ride.
If you'd rather go horseback riding before the play, get in touch with City Slickers Trail Rides (tel. 541/951-4611; www.oregontrailrides.com), which charges $40 for a 1-hour ride and $70 for a 2-hour ride.
Miles of hiking trails, including the Pacific Crest Trail, can be found up on Mount Ashland in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Another stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail lies within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, which is located south and east of Ashland. This monument was created to preserve an area of outstanding botanical diversity, but is limited in its recreational opportunities. For more information, contact the Medford office of the Bureau of Land Management, 3040 Biddle Rd., Medford (tel. 541/618-2200).
In the winter, there's good downhill and cross-country skiing at Mt. Ashland (tel. 541/482-2897 for information or 541/482-2754 for snow report; www.mtashland.com), a small downhill ski area 15 miles south of Ashland. All-day lift tickets for adults are $39. You can rent cross-country skis and pick up ski-trail maps at Ashland Outdoor Store, 37 Third St. (tel. 541/488-1202; www.outdoorstore.com).
