10 Fun Things To Do in Grants Pass That Are Totally Free

1. Golden Ghost Town

When Gold Fever hit California in 1849, it wasn’t long before prospectors caught wind of Southern Oregon’s own hidden treasures. Soon, thousands of prospectors with dreams of striking it rich flocked to the area, and soon, mining camps and towns popped up overnight. Today, you can still visit the remnants of Golden, a boom and bust town here in Josephine County.

Soon after the California Gold Rush, prospectors made their way north to the Rogue Valley and laid claim to the area along Coyote Creek near the present town of Wolf Creek. What makes this town distinguished among the rest, is the fact it had two churches and no saloons-earning its nickname as the “Driest ghost town of the West”. After the years, gold production slowed down and by the early to mid 20th century, the town was abandoned. Today, it’s a popular place for ghost hunters and has been featured on the Travel Channel’s show “Ghost Adventures”as well as Gunsmoke. Today, visitors can take a self-guided tour of the remaining church, schoolhouse, general store, and sheds. Follow the trail across the street that winds around the Coyote Creek Wetlands. Over the years, a restoration project has worked to restore the land back to its pre-hydraulic mining beauty.

2. Mushroom Foraging

Wildflowers aren’t the only thing popping up right now, spring is primetime for mushroom hunting in Southern Oregon. As temperatures heat up, morels, boletes, and oysters can be found throughout the valleys and foothills. Spring’s prized morels can be easily mistaken for a pinecone or buried beneath leaves, so you need to know what to look out for.

Morel Hunting Tips:

-Morels pop up after a fresh rain and a few days of good sun

-Morels like particular trees, especially cottonwoods, madrone, oaks, pines, old apple orchards, and burnt forests.

-During the early spring, find them on South-facing warmer slopes around the valley while late spring they prefer cooler North-facing slopes and higher elevations. You’ll have the best luck when nighttime temperatures and the soil hover around 45-50F.

-Morels like sandy, loamy, disturbed, and well-drained soil. While they do need water, they don’t like too much.

It’s important to remember the potential dangers of eating wild foods. After mushroom foraging, only consume mushrooms you can 100% identify. True Morels have hollow stems while false morels do not. Get a mushroom field guide to learn more about properly identifying wild mushrooms and follow local regulations.

For those who’d like to learn more about mushroom foraging, the Siskiyou Field Institute offers workshops every spring.

3. Josephine Community Library

Whether you’re looking for somewhere fun to take the kids, or needing a pitstop while driving along I-5, the Josephine Community Library in downtown Grants Pass offers free wifi and plenty of family-friendly fun. In addition to books, find games, toys, and computers in the children’s area. For those who are local, get a library card and borrow tools, cameras, musical instruments, games, and more from their ‘Library of Things’. Check their monthly calendar for other fun activities like Canine Reading Buddies, Storytime and Lego Club. Visit the other library branches in Williams, Cave Junction, and Wolf Creek.

4. Wildflower Hikes

A little fresh air goes a long way and a day spent outdoors will do you wonders. From riverside hikes to wildflower trails, Grants Pass offers dozens of trails for all skill levels. Looking for an in-town hike? Get a birds-eye view of the city along the Dollar Mountain Trail which showcases spectacular wildflowers and panoramic views of Grants Pass. The short but steep trail passes through manzanita tunnels and stunning vistas, offering a quiet retreat within walking distance of downtown. Leashed pets are welcome, good sturdy shoes are recommended, and keep an eye out for poison oak. The trail is also open to mountain bikers.

For an ADA accessible trail, make your way to the Illinois Valley and explore the Rough and Ready Botanical Trail. This diamond in the rough might look like a desert, but don’t be fooled. This area receives up to 160 inches of precipitation a year and has the highest concentration of rare plants in Oregon. Along the wheelchair-friendly trail which follows Rough and Ready Creek, explore this “rainforest desert” that’s home to thousands of plants that thrive in its serpentine soil. Below the Jeffrey Pines, ponderosas, and sea of manzanita, find the landscape covered by buckwheat, mariposa lilies, brodiaea, purple mouse ears, balsamroot, and Hall’s violets. The newly improved trail now includes interpretive signs, beautifully carved benches, widened hard-packed paths, and an extended trail system. Afterwards, visit the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base Museum that borders the botanical wayside.

5. Public Art Walk

For a town of its size, Grants Pass boasts a remarkable concentration of public art. From massive murals and larger-than-life sculptures to seasonal fixtures like the Evergreen bears, you’ll find art on every corner. Tour through Downtown’s Historic District by following the Public Art Walking Map and drop by the dozens of locally-owned shops and eateries along the way. Find maps at the Art Museum, Downtown Welcome Center at the corner of 6th and G St, or download one from our website.

6. Attend a Festival

Festival season is upon us and Grants Pass offers year round celebrations. From parades and boat races to concerts and flower farms, the festival scene is starting to heat up this spring.

May kicks off an action-packed festival season, starting with Boatnik. For over 60 years, Boatnik has been held every Memorial Day weekend along the Rogue River in Grants Pass. Organized by the Active Club, the festival is not only a fun family-friendly weekend, but it’s also a charitable celebration.  All funds raised during the event are returned to the community by supporting local children and youth programs. Some of the fun and free activities include downtown’s Boatnik Parade, fireworks, and jet boat races.

Porchfest returns to the front porches of Grants Pass June 14th for a day of music, art, food, and fun. The free music festival, organized by the Rogue Gateway Rotary Club and generously sponsored by many local businesses, is held on NW Washington Blvd. Over 20 musical acts will set up on the front porches of historic homes in the neighborhood where festival goers can venture from lawn to lawn. In addition to the performances, food trucks and arts and craft vendors will be displaying along the street.

Follow the Southern Oregon Lavender Trail to six different lavender farms where you can walk through purple fields, pick your own flowers, and enjoy the sights, smells, and taste of lavender. During this annual summertime festival, many farms will be hosting special events, from live music, wand and wreath making, essential oil distillation demos, serving lavender inspired food, to sip and paints. The participating lavender farms include Dos Mariposas Vineyards and Lavender Farm, English Lavender Farm, Goodwin Creek Gardens, Lavender Ally, Lavender Fields Forever, and Murphy Creek Lavender. While the festival itself takes place over two weekends, most farms can be visited on select days of the week through the summer.

7. Reinhart Volunteer Park

Experience nature just minutes from downtown Grants Pass at Reinhart Park. Spring is one of the best times to visit, as vibrant blooms dazzle the park and wildlife calls the pond home. Explore the park’s nature trails and new ADA compliant playground which features a 2-5yr old area, a 5-12yr old zone, and a sensory space. While visiting Reinhart Park, get a view of the Rogue River on the pedestrian bridge and take a walk around the pond where you’ll find a wide array of birds and turtles.

8. Grants Pass Art Museum

Since its establishment in 1979, the Grants Pass Museum of Art, located in the heart of downtown’s Historic District has showcased regional, national, and international contemporary artists. When the non-profit museum was founded, it was one of only four art museums in the state. Today, it serves as the city’s primary resource for exhibitions, with eight total exhibits a year. The museum, which is free and open to the public, offers workshops for children and adults, as well as monthly events. Some of these special events include concerts, film screenings, poetry nights, and First Friday artist talks. Situated below the museum on G St., Gallery One operates as the museum’s gallery and gift shop. Here, you’ll find paintings, sculptures, jewelry, greeting cards, and more by local and regional artists. During downtown’s First Friday Stroll, the gallery offers live music and demos by featured artists. Visit the Museum and Gallery One Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm.

9. Gold Panning

Hit the mother lode or just have fun trying by panning for gold around Grants Pass. Spend an afternoon of treasure hunting in the Applegate Ranger District and along the Rogue and Illinois Rivers—— no permit necessary! While most National Forest and BLM land is open to recreational gold panning, it’s always best to check for other restrictions or mineral right claims. Recreational prospectors can remove less than one cubic yard of material from the river or creek bed of state scenic waterways or essential salmon habitat each year, and less than 50 cubic yards elsewhere. To get started, visit Armadillo Mining Company in Grants Pass where you’ll find pans, literature, and other tools to help you score some shiny nuggets and flakes. 

10. Pottsville Museum

If you consider yourself a history buff, head to Pottsville Historical Museum in Merlin, just a 15 drive from downtown Grants Pass. Take a self-guided driving or walking tour around the property, which features antique tractors, steam engines, mining relics, logging equipment, and other antiques from bygone days. Founded by former Grants Pass mayor and state senator Eugene “Debbs” Potts in 1959, Pottsville is home to thousands of items commemorating Oregon’s past, from its legislative halls to the local logging woods. While there, schedule a free tour inside the museum which showcases a red stagecoach that used to run between Kerby and Crescent City as well as the remnants of a fire balloon dropped by the Japanese during WW2. Museum tours are available by appointment 10am-6pm seven days/week. Leashed dogs and horses are also allowed to tour the outdoor exhibits throughout the property.