Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

About Us

Photo of Rogue River from Lower Rogue Trail

CLIMATE

Climate on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest changes with elevation and as you move inland from the coast. The Coast Range is a temperate rain forest where rainfall ranges from 60 inches to over 100 inches at higher elevations. Rainfall occurs mostly from October through June. Further inland, annual precipitation drops to about 30 inches at the lower elevations of the Siskiyou Mountains. Much of the precipitation comes from October to April in the form of rain at the low elevations and as snow in the higher elevations where very cold temperatures are possible. Although snow is possible in the lowest elevations, it is infrequent. Late spring, summer and early autumn tend to bring clear, sunny days with moderate temperatures. Temperatures near the coast seldom exceed 75 degrees in the summer and snow is rare in the winter. Inland, the ocean influence diminishes and summer temperatures frequently reach the 80s and 90s, and snowfall is common in the higher elevations in the winter. Inland, the ocean influence diminishes and summer temperatures frequently reach the 80s and 90s, and snowfall of over ten feet is common in the higher elevations of the Cascades in the winter.

LOCATION & DRIVING DIRECTIONS

The southern portion of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest area encompasses much of the Rogue River basin in Southwestern Oregon. Forest headquarters, located in Medford, Oregon and the nearby communities of Grants Pass and Ashland are situated along Interstate 5.

The northern portion of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest is accessible via Oregon State Highways 62 and 140. The western portion of the Forest can be reached via U.S. Highway 199 between Grants Pass and Crescent City, CA and from U.S. Highway 101 along the coast.

CASCADE MOUNTAINS

East of Interstate 5, the Forest contains the upper reaches of the Rogue River, located along the slopes of the volcanic Cascade Range. Although the southern Cascades tend to have fairly gentle relief, several deep canyons, such as the Middle Fork of the Rogue and the South Fork of Little Butte Creek, are located in this part of the Forest. The highest point (9,495) is the top of Mount McLoughlin, one of the major volcanic cones in the Oregon Cascades. The area's extensive forest of Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine and other conifers is enlivened by occasional meadows, lakes and meandering streams.

SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS

West of Interstate 5, the Forest resides within the ancient and complex geology of the Siskiyou Mountains. This is a country of narrow canyons and high, steep ridges. Elevations range from almost sea level near the coast, to 1,600 feet above sea level on the Applegate River, to 7,533 feet at the summit of Mount Ashland (the highest point in Oregon west of the Cascades). The variety of environments includes open oak woodlands, dense conifer forests, and barren, rocky ridge tops.

BOTANICAL RESOURCES

During his studies here in 1950, Dr. Robert Whittaker found that only the Great Smokey Mountains rival the Siskiyou Mountains in plant diversity. The old and complex geology, the global position and transverse orientation of the Siskiyou Mountain Range, which connects the Cascade and Coast Ranges, are responsible for creating this myriad of species. Geologic parent rocks range in age from 200 million years old to the recent ice-age alluviums that are about 50,000 years old. The rocks vary in composition from granitics to the metamorphosed peridotites (serpentine) that support the habitat for many of the sensitive species of plants. By contrast, much of the Cascade Range (a mere 60 million years old) is composed of relatively recent igneous rocks, and the Coastal Ranges are dominated by sedimentary rocks.

Together the varied geological substrate and the climatic extremes of the Siskiyou Mountains provide a range of niches for a rich reservoir of genetic material. There are 28 different coniferous species, 20 of which are used commercially. Of the approximately 400 sensitive plants in the region, about 100 are found in the Siskiyou's. The area has been sectioned into 15 plant series that can be divided into 92 plant associations, each of which vary in potential and react to management activities differently. The Siskiyou Mountains biologically challenging to manage.