3 Best Sights in Grants Pass, Southern Oregon

Few winemakers in southern Oregon have a more devoted following than Troon, whose swanky tasting room and winery in the northern Applegate Valley is patterned after a French country villa. Troon produces relatively small yields of exceptional wines, including some less typical U.S. bottles, such as orange wines and a revered Tannat.

In the Klamath Mountains and the Coast Range of southwestern Oregon, this 1.8-million-acre forest contains the 35-mile-long Wild and Scenic section of the Rogue River, which races through the Wild Rogue Wilderness Area, and the Illinois and Chetco Wild and Scenic rivers, which run through the 180,000-acre Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area. Activities include white-water rafting, camping, and hiking, but many hiking areas require trail-park passes. You can get advice on exploring the rivers and forest, and buy passes both online and at the Grants Pass Wild Rivers Ranger District office.

A 1¼-mile hiking trail follows the bank of the Rogue, the river made famous by novelist and fisherman Zane Grey; it joins with a picturesque 4-mile stretch of the multiuse Rogue River Greenway Trail, which will eventually span 30 miles and connect Grants Pass with Gold Hill and Central Point. There's a campground along 3 miles of shoreline with full RV hookups as well as yurts (some of them pet-friendly). Day visitors appreciate the picnic tables, walking trails, playgrounds, and restrooms.