Difference between revisions of "Lower Table Rock Hike"
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
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[[Image:Deer brush (Ceanothus integerrimus), Prescott Park, Medford.jpg|thumb|250px|Deer brush ''(Ceanothus integerrimus)'' on the Ponderosa Trail, Prescott Park ''(bobcat)'']] | [[Image:Deer brush (Ceanothus integerrimus), Prescott Park, Medford.jpg|thumb|250px|Deer brush ''(Ceanothus integerrimus)'' on the Ponderosa Trail, Prescott Park ''(bobcat)'']] | ||
[[Image:Octopus madrone, Prescott Park, Medford.jpg|thumb|250px|Octopus madrone, Manzanita Trail, Prescott Park ''(bobcat)'']] | [[Image:Octopus madrone, Prescott Park, Medford.jpg|thumb|250px|Octopus madrone, Manzanita Trail, Prescott Park ''(bobcat)'']] | ||
| − | [[Image: | + | [[Image:LowerTableRockMap.png|thumb|250px|The hike across Lower Table Rock to the southern viewpoint ''(bobcat)'' Courtesy: ''Google Maps'']] |
* Start point: [[Lower Table Rock Trailhead]] | * Start point: [[Lower Table Rock Trailhead]] | ||
Revision as of 17:29, 25 July 2021
,_Prescott_Park,_Medford.jpg)
- Start point: Lower Table Rock Trailhead
- Ending Point: Lower Table Rock South Viewpoint
- Hike Type: In and out
- Distance: 4.9 miles
- Elevation gain: 800 feet
- High Point: 2,020 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Seasons: All year
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: On weekends and in good weather
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Contents |
Hike Description
The horseshoe-shaped andesite plateaus of Upper and Lower Table Rocks are a singular feature of the Rogue River valley near Medford. With unique geology, ecology, and history, the 800-foot mesas both have popular hiking trails to their broad scabland plateaus. You’ll ascend through four ecosystems (oak savanna, chaparral, mixed woods, and mounded prairie, and gain views to Mount McLoughlin and the California Siskiyous as well as the urban settlements of the Bear Creek Valley. The area is jointly administered by the Bureau of Land Management and The Nature Conservancy: stick to the trails and no dogs allowed!
About seven million years ago, lava flowed down the valley of the Rogue from the Olson Mountain volcano near what is now Lost Creek Lake. These andesitic flows buried the conglomerates/sandstones previously deposited by the river. Over the eons, the Rogue River worked its way 800 feet down to its current bed, exploiting the weaker underlayers of conglomerate to leave only these two standing remnants of the ancient eruption. The human history here is more wrenching. Long the homeland of the Takelma, the plains around the plateaus were settled in the 1850s, giving rise to Indian confrontations with the U.S. Army. A reservation was created near Upper Table Rock, but the remaining Takelma were soon moved to the Grande Ronde and Siletz reservations.
A gravel trail leads off from the trailhead. Interpretive signs explain the geology and indigenous history all the way up to the plateau. You’ll soon pass the junction with the short Oak Savannah Interpretive Loop. In spring the grassy expanse blooms with camas and rosy plectritis and then you’ll enter lovely woods of white oak. Soon madrones and black oak join the mix, and spring blooms along the trail include cat’s-ear, larkspur, desert parsley, and blue-eyed Mary. Poison oak is ubiquitous. You’ll start getting views of Mount McLoughlin, Upper Table Rock, and the Medford area. The rim rock cliffs of Lower Table Rock loom above. As you wind up, you’ll pass strategically placed benches. The trail passes under arching birch-leaf mountain mahogany shrubs and switchbacks five times to reach the plateau in a thicket of buck brush, white-leaf manzanita, and oak.
A panorama of Siskiyou peaks stretches to the south; from right to left, you’ll see Dutchman Peak, Anderson Butte, Big Red Mountain, Wagner Butte, and Mount Ashland. The trail uses a boardwalk to cross a vernal pool. At the end of the boardwalk, stay right at a junction. Soon, you’ll find yourself hiking straight along a landing strip on the plateau scabland that was constructed in 1948. Look east to see the conical shape of Mount McLaughlin dominating the horizon. wildflowers on the plateau include gold stars, cryptantha, fine-leaf desert parsley, bicolored lupine, and rosy plectritis. There are a few vernal pools to the left. When these still have water in them in spring, you may be able to find two very endangered species: the dwarf woolly meadowfoam (Limnanthes floccose pumila), found only on the Table Rocks and nowhere else, and the vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi), which lays eggs before the pools dry up and then dies after living for a mere two months.
When you reach the south viewpoint, you’ll get more views down to the Rogue River and nearby vineyards, the sprawl of the Medford area, and the Siskiyou Mountains, from Mount Ashland west to three California peaks that are still snow-capped in spring: Cook and Green Butte, Red Butte, and Kangaroo Mountain. Due south, there are Roxy Ann Peak just east of Medford, Grizzly Peak, and Soda Mountain. Upper Table Rock (see the Upper Table Rock Hike is to your left.
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- No pets allowed!
- Restrooms, picnic tables, information kiosk, interpretive signs
- Car clout trailhead: take your valuables with you
Maps
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Lower Table Rock Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Lower Table Rock Hike
Guidebooks that cover this destination
- 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Southern Oregon & Northern California by William L. Sullivan
- Trips & Trails: Oregon by William L. Sullivan
- Oregon Favorites: Trails and Tales by William L. Sullivan
- Hiking Oregon’s History by William L. Sullivan
- Oregon’s Best Wildflower Hikes: Southwest Region by Elizabeth L. Horn
- Hiking Southern Oregon by Art Bernstein & Zach Urness
- Hiking Oregon’s Southern Cascades and Siskiyous by Art Bernstein
- 76 Day-Hikes Within 100 Miles of the Rogue Valley by Art Bernstein
- Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Craig Hill & Matt Wastradowski
More Links
- The Table Rocks (The Nature Conservancy)
- Table Rocks Management Area (Bureau of Land Management)
- Lower Table Rock (Bureau of Land Management)
- Lower Table Rock (Richard Hikes)
- Lower Table Rock Mesa (Southern Oregon) 23-Dec-2019 (Boots on the Trail)
- Lower Table Rock (Hike Oregon)
- Lower Table Rock Trail (All Trails)
- Table Rocks, Oregon’s Islands in the Sky (Travel Oregon)
- Lower Table Rock Hike (Outdoor Project)
- Lower Table Rock (Summit Post)
- Upper and Lower Table Rocks (Oregon Coast Aquarium)
- Upper and Lower Table Rocks (Oregon Adventures)
- Upper and Lower Table Rock (Wikipedia)
- Upper and Lower Table Rocks, Jackson County (Native Plant Society)
- Table Rocks Oak and Vernal Pool Habitats Restoration Assessment and Prioritization (Conservation Gateway)
- Table Rocks (Audubon)
Page Contributors
- bobcat (creator)