A little side trip on the road to Butte Falls, Mt McLoughlin whispers in the clouds in the distance.

Forward ~ Diverse Loop Tour Map.

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

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, which is where you came in. Turn right and travel west on 62. At the junction for Union Creek, turn left on 62 and head south, turn west on 138. Not long after the sign for Medford appears, turn left and head southwest on 230. Be sure to look for viewpoints of Mt Thielsen & get one of the most spectacular views of the mountain. (Mt. Thielsen is behind you as you drive.) Travel further south, look off to the west and see Rabbit Ears off to your right. A little further south yet and see the sign for National Creek Waterfall. The trailhead to the fall is a few miles drive on a FS road; then an approximate ½ mile hike. Drive no more than 3 or 4 miles and the Rogue appears in a pretty cascade: the first view of the Rogue River unless you decided to stop at Rabbit Ears & walk through the forest to the edge of the bluff & look down. Be careful if you do; the dropoff is quite substantial with no markers & no fence. If you wait for the cascade, it will be on your left. Cross the bridge & the Rogue will be on your right. Soon after, the sign for 62 heading east appears; at this point, 230 turns into 62. To clarify: Hwy 62 makes a "U". Heading north from Medford, heading east from Union Creek, and heading south on the other side of the mountain until it intersects with Hwy 97.

Stay on 62 heading south for some spectacular views of the Rogue River Gorge at Union Creek where it forges through a narrow channel of volcanic rock before placidly settling into a peaceful river flow. The Natural Bridge is a lava tube through which the Rogue flows. Exit 62 at Prospect for the loop that will take you along Mill Creek.

Prospect Hotel is a renovated late 1800s hotel. Several personages from the old west stayed there, President Grant also. Mill Creek Bridge is just south of Prospect. The Avenue of Giant Boulders are viewable from the bridge, however, one can walk among the boulders. The gorge is accessible from two clearly marked paths. One path originates just north of the bridge where you can find a parking lot just across from the General Store. From there you can walk south to the stream. Or you can walk to the Avenue of Giant Boulders & Mill & Barr Creek Falls from a trailhead a little further south of Mill Creek Bridge. The trails are short, a walk really, & well marked. This is Boise Cascade land, but the trails are open to the public.

Continue traveling south to connect with 62. Stay on 62 until you come to Shady Cove. A short distance south of Shady Cove, 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.

You may want to bookmark this page before clicking on these links.

Travel to Gathering Light ...a retreat on the Umpqua Scenic Byway: Travel Directions, Map and Scenery.

Travel Directions to and Day Trips of about 100 miles from the retreat.

Little Known Scenic Places near to Crater Lake and the retreat: Directions, Map & Scenery . Local Maps Introduction.

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