Day Hike - Upper Illinois River Valley Waysides & Trails (Oregon)

April 18 8:00am in Selma (US199 & Illinois River Road junction), then proceed to Eight Dollar Mountain trailhead and upper Illinois River Valley.  Early/mid-afternoon, time and interest permitting, we'll return to US199 and proceed north in convoy to US199 to Limpy or Waters Creek botanical trail.

April 19 8:00am meet at US199 and designated junction (provided by leader on April 18) for turnoff to Limpy or Waters Creek trail.  We'll convoy to trailhead.

Extend your Siskiyou spring wildflower explorations - adding 1 or more naturalist trip days:  April 15 Upper Table Rock; April 16 Lower Table Rock; April 17 Rough & Ready and Star Flat botanical trails. 

Participants are responsible for arranging own accommodations.  Tent/yurt camping (Valley of the Rogue State Park or Josephine County parks) or motel in Grants Pass/Medford/Selma areas.  Leader is camping at Valley of the Rogue State Park.  If you wish to stay at yurt, reserve ASAP.

Before registering, be aware of drive times.  Approx drive time (mod. traffic), add 1+ hr for possible heavy I-5 traffic:  Seattle to Grants Pass/Medford 8-9 hr, Valley of Rogue SP to Selma/Cave Jct 45/55 min.  Carpooling encouraged.

Wildflower photos for Eight Dollar Mtn botanical area, Illinois River Road area, Limpy Creek & Waters Creek:  www.pnwflowers.com/photos/april

For info on Klamath-Siskiyou Serpentines see: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/serpentines/ .  Outstanding info on serpentine geology, plant adaptations, serpentine endemic plant list for this region, plant photos, and more.  We'll be visiting premier sites recommended for the Oregon Siskiyous.  "The Klamath-Siskiyou Mounains of northwest California and southwest Oregon are the largest serpentine area in North America."

Books recommended (leader will bring): Oregon's Best Wildflower Hikes: Southwest Region (Horn), 100 Hikes in Southern Oregon, and Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest (Turner & Gustafson).

If time, consider exploring one or more other special SW Oregon nature destinations for scenic trails, wildflowers, birds & more wildlife, caves & more! - Agate Desert Preserve and Jacksonville Woodlands/Beekman Arboretum trails (both nr Medford), Upper Rogue River valley (nr Grants Pass), Oregon Caves Nat Mon (nr Cave Jct), Crater Lake Nat Park (snow travel in spring), S. Oregon coast.