Winter break is the perfect time to explore the Rogue Valley and enjoy all that Southern Oregon has to offer. Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventures, cozy indoor activities, or great local food and wine, Medford is the ideal home base for your winter getaway. From snow-filled sno-parks to local events and dining, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Plan your winter break in the Rogue Valley and make the most of the season!
All aboard the Polar Express! Come on down and enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday train display at the Rogue Valley Mall, presented by the Medford Garden Railroaders. This is the perfect activity for kiddos fascinated by trains or just a wholesome holiday experience for the entire family. The display will be open during mall operating hours between Friday, November 29th and Tuesday, December 31st.
Let the holiday shopping begin! Make a visit to The Village Medford Center this December for their Winter Market in partnership with Rogue Valley Growers & Crafter Market. Every Sunday in December until Christmas you'll have the opportunity to shop and dine through The Village at this special Rogue Valley Growers Winter Market. Find handmade gifts, local produce and art for everyone on your list. Shop local this holiday season at the Winter Market! The market will be open from 2-6 p.m. but be sure to check out the other amazing offerings at The Village including Tinseltown Cinemark Theater, Violets & Cream Handmade Ice Cream, and more. Whether you're looking for a girls' group shopping day or a family outing with a variety of fun, The Village is the place to be this holiday season.
The Lake of the Woods / Siskiyou Summit holds several different sno-parks just waiting for you to explore them. Each park offers different sets of activities for their specific landscape, such as cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and especially snowmobiling.
One of the most notable places to snowmobile is Great Meadow Sno-Park, just 35 miles west of Klamath Falls. In the winter, you'll find over 165 miles of groomed trails for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Snowmobilers can cruise from Great Meadows to Diamond Lake and connect with a network of trails that crisscross Southern Oregon.
The snowmobile trails around Great Meadows are well-maintained. In a typical winter, 150-250 miles of trails are groomed every week. Douglas, Red Shasta, White firs and lodgepole pines shadow the trails around the meadow, with a sprinkling of aspen trees on the west end. This park is perfect for advanced and beginner riders alike, with large open spaces for learning and trails for the more experienced.
After a busy day of adventuring around the park, food and lodging are available at Lake of the Woods and Fish Lake resorts. Fill your hearts desire full of winter fun, and explore the endless possibilities of trails at Great Meadow Sno-Park!
It wouldn’t be Christmas without A Christmas Carol. In this new stage version, Patrick Barlow takes Charles Dickens’ classic story of greed, grief, ghoulish ghosts and eleventh-hour redemption, and makes it feel brand new again. Our holiday gift to you and your family! Located inside The Village Medford Center, the Collaborative Theater Project will be showing, "A Christmas Carol" from Thursday, November 21st to Sunday, December 29th. Food and drink are available for purchase for a delightful evening of holiday magic, tucked right inside of Medford.
Experience the full magic of Victorian Christmas this December as lights shine bright at up to 35 stops along the Jacksonville Holiday Trolley Lights Tour. For 45 illuminating minutes, the classic trolleys will whisk you through town along charming streets that feature boutique inns, beloved businesses, churches, wineries, historic residences and grand City landmarks decorated especially for the season. While on board, sip on hot cocoa and coffee, enjoy the festive music and marvel at the twinkling lights. Everyone is welcome, adults and kids alike, to enjoy this truly special experience and the old-fashioned goodness that makes Jacksonville the perfect place to celebrate the holidays. The tours will run every evening in December except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
You haven’t experienced a winter wonderland until you have seen Crater Lake. With an average of 42 feet of snow per year, the lake becomes a prime location for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The infamous Rim Drive that features a scenic look around the lake closes in the wintertime, and becomes a designated ski and snowshoe trail. Completing the entire circumnavigation of Crater Lake (31 miles) is an adventure for experienced winter adventurers and skiers, but does require more advanced knowledge and a backcountry permit.
If you are looking for a less intense adventure, there are several beautiful trails to explore. One of the easiest and shortest ski trails in the park is the Mazama Loop, a 1.7-mile loop trail. The trail passes through the Mazama Campground and features views of the adjacent Annie Creek Canyon.
Whether you take the whole family out for some sledding, discover one of the trails, or trek Rim Drive, Crater Lake is the ultimate snow-filled paradise for winter family fun!
Whether you ride a Polaris, Arctic Cat, Yamaha, or Ski-Doo, Union Creek Resort is your one-stop for outdoor winter snowmobile adventure. The resort is your headquarters for 150 miles of well-groomed, uncluttered snowmobile trails packed with snow-laden trees, open meadows, deep snow and pristine vistas.
The magnificent scenery of this winter wonderland provides for a truly awesome experience. With plenty of room to get out and ride, this remote snowy region creates a perfect winter getaway for visitors and locals alike.
Located east of Medford and Grants Pass on Highway 140 (the route to Klamath Falls), this popular trout reservoir is an excellent place for ice fishing. January is often the best month to ice fish, when the lake is at 4,600 feet and has ice around 6-24 inches thick. Besides book trout, Fish Lake also has rainbow fish, land-locked Chinook salmon and a hybrid species known as a tiger trout.
The latter species was planted strictly to reduce the numbers of nuisance fish found here, and they must be released while the other species are available for harvest.
Start your visit near the resort, which is typically open Friday through Sunday during the winter season, and rent an ice auger to drill your hole. When you are finished with a successful trip of fishing, the resort also serves hot food and drinks to warm you up before your trip back home.
Explore everything winter in the Rogue Valley has to offer. From light festivals to candy cane hunts to tubing near alpine lakes, plan your visit to Medford this winter.
