Medford Running Options: Multi-Use Trails, Prescott Park, Winery Roads

There are some decent running options in Medford, a city of 85,000 located 12 miles north of Ashland. Here are our recommendations:

Multi-Use Paths. The Medford section of the 20-mile Bear Creek Greenway runs just east of downtown, near I-5. Head north or south. Off Highland Dr. (8/12 mile mark of the Greenway), connect to the Larson Creek Path, which runs for 1.3 miles east along Larson Creek to Murphy Rd.

Prescott Park. Located 6 miles east of downtown, this 2,000-acre scenic park is a popular hiking spot. There are several miles of trails — some wider (paved & unpaved) and some more rugged, with scenic overlooks. Landscape is a combination of open and some wooded sections.  Note: Not maintained in winter. TRAIL INFORMATION & MAP

Rogue River Greenway. Located 13 miles northwest of Medford, this paved multi-use trail runs for nearly 10 miles between Gold Hill and Grants Pass. The trail follows the Rogue River, though it’s sandwiched between Highway 99 and I-5 a good part of the way. There are a few gaps in the trail. We’ve mapped 3.6 miles between Valley of the Rogue State Park and Rogue River. ROUTE MAP

Winery Roads. Just west of Medford, there are many quiet, scenic roads passing by the area’s orchards and wineries. Here are a few recommended spots:

• Off W Main St.  Just west of town, off W. Main St., there are some quiet, scenic roads.
• Off Oregon St. Also west of town, Oregon St. connects several of the area’s wineries. Oregon St. has a decent shoulder and is runnable. More preferable are some of the quieter roads headed west of Oregon St.
• South of California St. Numerous quiet roads and trails in Jacksonville, south of California St. and east of Highway 238.
• West of Highway 238. West of Jacksonville and west of Highway 238, a large network of roads in the hills.