Lower Table Rock Trail Report

Length: 6.3 miles

Elevation Gain: 816 feet

Lower Table Rock is practically Medford’s backyard — about 12 miles out, maybe a 15–20 minute drive if you hit the lights right. Because it’s so close, and because the views of the Rogue Valley are ridiculous in the best way, it gets busy on weekends. But honestly, it’s short enough that you can knock it out after work in a couple hours once the heat backs off. Just toss a couple bottles of water in your pack; even in the evening this trail will dry you out faster than you expect.

I went up on June 18th, which around here basically means summer is in full “oven mode.” There are still a few stubborn wildflowers hanging on, but most of what you’ll see on the way up is that classic Rogue Valley khaki — dry grasses, dusty shrubs, and the kind of crunchy foliage that screams July even when it’s still June. Doesn’t matter though. The views still hit hard.

Right at the start you’ll see a couple of warnings. No dogs — and for good reason. The plateau is full of delicate plants and critters that don’t handle dog scent or paws very well. There’s also a reminder to brush off your boots so you’re not hauling in seeds from somewhere else. They even give you a little boot‑brushing station. Use it. It’s quick trail karma.

Bonus points: the trailhead has an actual bathroom. Not a port‑a‑potty. A real one. It’s the little things.

The trail starts paved, but only for about 200 yards. Then you hit the split: straight up toward the mesa, or right onto the Oak Savannah Loop — a mellow half‑mile detour. After that, it’s dirt and loose gravel the rest of the way. Heads up: that gravel gets a little sketchy on the descent, especially if your knees or balance aren’t in the mood to cooperate.

Most of the trail is in solid shape, but winter rains have chewed up a few sections. Some spots have lost their gravel layer entirely, leaving rougher rock underneath. Even with my prosthetic leg and hiking poles, I managed them just fine — just slowed down a bit and picked my line.

There are two benches on the way up. You don’t have to stop, but honestly? Take the break. Sit down, sip some water, listen to the birds, feel the breeze. Hiking isn’t a race — the journey is half the point.

After the second bench, the trail gets a little more serious. A couple switchbacks help you gain elevation, and every time the brush opens up, you get these teasing little glimpses of Upper Table Rock and Mt. McLoughlin. It’s like the trail is warming you up for the big reveal.

And then — boom — the plateau just appears. One minute you’re climbing beside a basalt outcrop, the next you slip past some brush and suddenly you’re standing on this wide, open mesa. A few social trails branch off, but stick to the main one to protect the plants and critters up there. There is a legit side trail to the left that takes you to the rim and loops back, but I was racing the heat, so I stayed on the main path.

That long, straight stretch across the top? That’s the old airstrip from 1948. It never really took off — pun absolutely intended — and by the 1970s it was abandoned as the Table Rocks became protected. Now it’s just a weirdly straight line across the mesa, slowly fading back into nature.

At the end of that straightaway, the trail splits again. I went straight, found a comfy spot, and just sat for a while.

And wow. Totally worth it.

You get the whole Rogue Valley laid out in front of you — Roxy Ann, McLoughlin, the Siskiyous — all of it. I stayed longer than I meant to, and I’d do it again. In fact, I’m planning to come back in fall, winter, and spring just to see how the whole place transforms with the seasons.

If you haven’t done Lower Table Rock yet, or if it’s been a while, go. Seriously. Strongly recommend this one.

This Lower Table Rock Trail Report will be uploaded as a video in the next couple of weeks. Keep an eye out for it on YouTube on the Amputee Outdoors channel: https://www.youtube.com/@amputeeoutdoors

Green Springs Mt. Loop Trail Report: Hiking in Ashland, Southern Oregon

• Length: 2.8 miles

• Elevation Gain: 337 feet

• Dogs are allowed, but must be on a leash

You can watch the video trail review here: https://youtu.be/6CFKj7-Bzjw

Before I even get to the trail review, I want to tell you about the road up the mountain. It would make a great road for a James Bond car chase scene. The curves are numerous and tight, there are some guard rails, but there aren't any guard rails where you'd expect them to be. When you're driving up there, just take it carefully and slowly. OK, on to the hike.

Green Springs Mountain Loop Trail is about 30 miles southeast of Ashland and has a commanding view of the valley below. The last couple of miles to the trail head is along a dirt road with a few potholes, but my Subaru Forester handled it just fine. The trailhead parking is limited, so I recommend going in the morning on a weekday if you can. From the trailhead you walk along the road keeping an eye out for a trail on your left, it's perhaps 200 hundred yards from the parking lot and there's a sign about 30 feet up the trail that reads "PCT North Green Springs Mtn Loop Connector". The sign sits in the middle of a Y intersection and it doesn't really matter which way you go, as the trail is loop. I went right.

This puts you on a very, very small fraction of the PCT, (No, this doesn't qualify you to tell people you've done a "section" of the PCT. Sorry.)

Map courtesy of AllTrails.com

The trail is packed dirt and narrow. In the rainy seasons it's probably fairly muddy so be sure to have boots with good traction if you hike this in the fall, winter or early spring. In this case I had made it up the mountain when clouds still dominated the peak and so found myself walking through a grey, foggy forest that was dripping water on me from the accumulated dew. Being from England and having spent most of my life in western Washington, the conditions were perfect for me. However, I was a little worried that the sun would not come out in time for me to see the valley below. In the past, I've had other hikes spoiled by Mother Nature's penchant for disappointing hikers.

At about half a mile into the trail, look for a path going left, this is the trail that will take you around Green Springs Mountain. Continuing straight will continue on the PCT.

As I progressed along the trail, the clouds grew lighter and the sun made the occasional effort at breaking through. By the time I reached the first meadow, the last whisps of low, grey clouds were dissapating revealing the valley and puffy white clouds high above.

The first meadow has a grand view of the valley, but it's the second larger meadow that is my favourite. It has a view of the valley, and looking east you can see to the horizon. It makes a great place to take a break, perhaps have lunch sitting on the side of the trail, (I recommend spraying permethrin on your backpack, boots, socks, sit pad, and anything else you might put on the ground. On your skin use picaridin, DEET or lemon eucalyptus.) I took the time to sit there for half an hour and just watch the shadows from the clouds move across the landscape.

After this meadow, you're on the last portion of the trail back to the signpost. Take your time going through. Keep your eyes out for squirrels, listen to the birds, admire the brightly coloured moss on the trees, do some forest bathing, drink it all in.

I recommend this trail for anyone looking for sweeping, grand views, and a chance to get out of the heat in the valley.

Upper Table Rock Trail Report: Medford, Oregon

My wife and I have just moved to southern Oregon and of course, I have to hike the two most obvious geological features of the Rouge River Valley, Upper and Lower Table Rock. In this report I cover Upper Table Rock, Lower Table Rock report will be post when I've done that trail. First some facts about these mesas:

1. The names 'Upper' and 'Lower' don't refer to their height, the names refer to their location along the Rouge River. Upper Table Rock is upstream from Lower Table Rock along the Rouge River.

2. How did Upper and Lower Table Rock form?  Well, about 7 million years ago the land looked very different.  The plateau top is actually the river bottom of where the ancient Rouge River flowed.  A volcano near where Lost Creek Lake is now, erupted in a slow lava flow that filled the river valley.  It formed a hard and erosion resistant bed that as the millennia passed stayed in place as the softer rock and sediment around it eroded away and formed the Rouge Valley we see today.  So, the plateau went from being the bottom of a riverbed, to being the top of a mesa as the ground around it was washed away by rain, wind and gravity. 

At the entrance you'll notice a couple of signs that dogs are not allowed on the trail.  Dogs aren’t allowed because Upper Table Rock is one of the most ecologically sensitive places in Southern Oregon, and even well‑behaved dogs can unintentionally damage the rare species that live only on the summit.

It’s about one and a half miles to the summit and once we reach the plateau, there’s about a mile of official trails.  Please note that I wrote 'official trails', more on that later. All told, you can expect a four-mile to four and half mile round trip on this hike. 

Elevation gain is only 744 feet, and the trail is in excellent condition with a mild rate of incline.  The last 10^th of a mile is a little rocky but not challenging.

It didn’t take me long to break out my umbrella hat.  I saw a lot of folks calmy hiking up and down the trail as if it were a walk in the park.  Having done all my hiking in the Pacific NorthWET, this felt more like a grueling hike in the desert.

There are two benches and one picnic table on the way up to take in the views and sit down for a break.  Since the journey is half the reason for my hikes, I made sure to use them.

The views as you advance up the trail get better and better.  Mt McLoughlin dominates the landscape in the distance, and the Rouge Valley spreads out below you as you gain elevation. Don't be distracted by the sweeping views, take some time to check out the flowers, unusual bark formations of the madrona trees and the basalt outcroppings on the way up. Also, keep an eye out for snakes, lizards and squirrels.

It being June when I did this hike, the flora had progressed to its summertime colours.  The grass was dry and khaki coloured, and most of the flowers were past their bloom.  I’m looking forward to doing this hike again in the fall, winter and spring to see how the flora changes with the seasons. I'll be sure to post those videos on Amputee Outdoors and of course if you want to see this hike check out the video here: https://youtu.be/PdKS8CtrMEI

I found arriving at the summit to be a little surrealistic as I’ve never hiked a mesa like this.  Spread out before me was a perfectly flat landscape with just a few short trees along the edges.

There are three official summit trails leading to the south, west, and north edges. I went along the trail to the west. This leads you to a view of the Rouge River Valley and Medford. There are a few low outcrops of rocks to sit on and have lunch while you check out the view.

It’s quite a sight to look down on the valley with no trees to block your view.  Watching hawks and turkey vultures glide along the thermals below and above me was a treat. If you've brought kids along with you, make sure to keep them from the edge, some of it hard basalt, some of it is dirt and gives way easily and its long way down.

I mentioned the official trails, well, I found that there are many unofficial trails that are so frequently used that you can easily believe they must be part of the official trail.  There are low split rail fences to guide you, but they don't completely demarcate the official trails leaving folks to wander about.

Not realizing my mistake, (and the mistake or intentional hiking of others) I wandered here and there along trails until I reached the northern edge of the plateau that looks out to the other side of the “V” shape that forms the Upper Table Rock plateau. Beyond it you can see Lower Table Rock.

After taking in the view for a while I followed the north/south trail that leads back to the trail that brought me up the hill.  It lines up almost directly with Mt McLoughlin. 

I rate this hike as an easy hike with the caveat that once you're at the top, having sunblock, sunglasses, and a hiking umbrella is a requirement if you're a fair skinned red head. :)