About Us
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Photo of Rogue River from Lower Rogue Trail |
CLIMATE
Climate on the Rogue River National Forest changes
with elevation. 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.
On the Siskiyou National Forest, the Coast Range
is a temperate rain forest covers the coastal area;
annual rainfall ranges from 60 inches to over 100
inches at higher elevations. Annual rainfall drops
to about 30 inches on the eastern edge of the Forest,
near Grants Pass. Rainfall occurs mostly from October
through June. The coastal climate is affected strongly
by the Pacific Ocean. 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.
LOCATION & DRIVING DIRECTIONS
The Rogue River National Forest area surrounds much
of the Rogue Valley in southwestern Oregon. The Forest,
which includes about 53,800 acres in California,
is easily reached from Medford, Oregon and nearby
communities along Interstate 5.
The Siskiyou National Forest area is located in
the Klamath Mountains and the Coast Ranges of Southwestern
Oregon, with a small segment of the Forest extending
into Northwestern California. The towns of Port Orford,
Gold Beach and Brookings are located to the west
of the Forest, along Highway 101. Cave Junction is
on Highway 199 to the coast, and Grants Pass is to
the east of the Forest along Interstate 5.
CASCADE MOUNTAINSEast of Interstate 5, the Forest contains the upper
reaches of the Rogue River, located along the slopes
of the younger, volcanic Cascade Range. [link to
map] 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.
Cascasde Mountains Photo Gallery
SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS
West of Interstate 5, the Forest includes the headwaters
of the Applegate River, within the ancient and complex
geology of the Siskiyou Mountains. [link to map]
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 ridgetops.
Siskiyou Mountains
Photo Gallery
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 Siskiyous. 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.
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