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Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for 1 in every 10 acres of land in the U.S.

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Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is located south of the towns of Medford and Ashland in Oregon. It’s also located near the Klamath and Siskiyou National Forests and is less than two hours from Crater Lake National Park. The monument spans 114,000 acres and is unique in that it’s the only national monument that was set aside specifically due to its biodiversity. In a day, visitors can see desert, woodland, forest, grassland, and wet meadow landscapes. There are also hundreds of plants and animals to see, many of which are not found anywhere else.

The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument features one campground. To find other BLM sites with camping amenities, search for “BLM camping near me.”

What to See and Do

Hiking and Biking

Hobart Bluff

This beautiful trail is the ideal location for spotting wildflowers or doing some birdwatching.

Length: 2.5 miles

Intensity: Moderate

Green Springs Mountain Loop Trail

This trail, located in the national monument, offers incredible views of nearby Mt. Ashland.

Length: 2.8 miles

Intensity: Easy

Soda Mountain Trail

This trail can be a bit steep in places, but it offers spectacular views of the surrounding landscape.

Length: 4 miles

Intensity: Moderate

Pilot Rock Trail

This trail climbs up toward iconic Pilot Rock and offers gorgeous views. Winds can be strong at the trail’s higher elevations.

Length: 2.8 miles

Intensity: Difficult

Mount Ashland Trail

This trail in the Klamath National Forest connects to the Pacific Coast Trail system. The trail offers excellent wildlife viewing opportunities.

Length: 6.8 miles

Intensity: Difficult

Fishing and Boating

The Johnson and Jenny creeks in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument are popular with anglers thanks to the abundance of redband trout. Hyatt Lake is also a fantastic fishing option, and fishing enthusiasts can catch trout and smallmouth bass. The lake is also great for boating, but it is a no-wake lake.

Climbing

Greensprings, located near Ashland, offers great climbing opportunities. This beautiful area features about 30 climbs. About half of the climbs are sport, but there are also some traditional and top-rope routes. Emigrant Lake is another great nearby option. The lake area offers 27 climbs, most of which are sport and top-rope routes.

Wildlife Viewing

There is almost no better place to view wildlife in the area than in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument itself. Visitors will often spot bears, deer, mountain lions, eagles, songbirds, ducks, and bobcats. Because of the abundance of wildflowers, bees and butterflies are also common sights.

Picnicking

One of the best locations for a picnic is Lithia Park in Ashland. This beautiful park covers 100 acres and offers picnic areas, beautiful gardens, playgrounds, and pickleball courts. The Hyatt Lake Picnic Playground also offers picnic tables and fire pits.

Horseback Riding

Visitors will find that horseback riding is popular throughout the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, and many trails, such as the Soda Mountain Trail, are ideal riding locations. Many campgrounds in the area also offer equine camping, and campsites are equipped with corrals.

Snowshoeing and Cross-Country Skiing

Trails such as the Soda Mountain Trail offer excellent winter sports opportunities. Visitors can ski or snowshoe along many of the trails within the national monument.

Bureau of Land Management Camping

RV Camping

BLM RV camping is available at the Hyatt Lake Campground, which offers 44 campsites, many of which have electric hookups. There are also toilets, a dump station, boat ramps, picnic tables, and fire rings. Emigrant Lake County Park does not offer hookups, but the area is beautiful, and there is a dump station on-site. Ashland’s Creekside Campground & RV Park offers nightly, weekly, and monthly rates for sites with full or partial hookups. The park also features a dump station, laundry facility, heated swimming pool, playground, camp store, restrooms, and showers.

Free Camping

Bureau of Land Management free camping can be found at the Mt. Ashland Campground. There are few amenities and no water, but vault toilets are available. Campers can also set up a dispersed site in many locations throughout the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument itself.

RV Rentals Near Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Plan your next adventure

Credit: Vanna Mae, @vannamaeart

Planning your Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument BLM trip

The spring, summer, and fall months in the area around the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument are relatively mild, with temperatures in the 50s and 60s during the spring and fall and the high 70s and 80s during the summer. The winter months are quite cold, but they offer beautiful scenery. Summers also tend to be quite dry, but a little less than half of the days during the late fall, winter, and spring see rain or snow.

Because the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is so large, there are many popular locations to see. Visitors often enjoy exploring the Soda Mountain Wilderness, which spans 24,100 acres within the monument. Pilot Rock and Hobart Bluff also offer gorgeous scenery, and they are both excellent locations for landscape photography.

Before you head out on your trip, check out our blog for all you need to know about BLM camping.

Leave No Trace

Bureau of Land Management campgrounds can always benefit from leave no trace practices. These practices include picking up and properly disposing of all of your waste and cleaning away any litter you spot on trails or in campsites. Always use native firewood for building fires to reduce the spread of invasive species, and be very careful about fire safety. Stay on designated pathways. Don’t pick flowers or take any plants or animals home with you. If you do see a wild animal, observe it from afar, and do not try to approach it.

Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Location

From Medford, take the I-5 south for 12.5 miles. Take exit 14 for OR-66, then turn left onto OR-66 E/Ashland Street. Continue for about 17 miles until you see the national monument area.

Ready to visit Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument? An RV rental is a great way to experience your destination. Not only will you be close to all the action, but at the end of a long day exploring, you’ll have your RV to return to for the night where you’ll enjoy a full kitchen, bathroom, and nice soft bed. Not sure about renting an RV? Here’s a step-by-step guide to renting an RV with RVshare.