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DAY TRIPPIN' Day Trippin': Solitude in the Siskiyous A drive to the Galice area offers trails, beauty and quiet Comment By Steve Weskirchen for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Steve Weskirchen for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 29, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Nov 29, 2015 at 4:33 PM By Steve Weskirchen for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 29, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Nov 29, 2015 at 4:33 PM --> You can be a travel writer Do you have a favorite destination or scenic drive that’s within shooting distance of the Rogue Valley? If so, email us a 300- to ... » Read more X You can be a travel writer Do you have a favorite destination or scenic drive that’s within shooting distance of the Rogue Valley? If so, email us a 300- to 500-word story about it that includes directions, and send pictures if you have them, to Mail Tribune features editor David Smigelski at [email protected] » Social News Editor's Note: Day Trippin' is a recurring feature that gives readers a chance to play tour guide and tell us about a nearby getaway. The hustle and bustle of the holidays are already upon us, so it is a great time to take a pleasant drive and hike to absorb some of nature's cool and colorful medicine. To really get away from it all for a few hours, I like to drive to the Galice area, where I have numerous places to hike or enjoy one of the prettiest stretches of the Rogue River. To get there, take I-5 to Exit 61 in Merlin, and head west on Galice Road for 12 miles. You will pass a scenic viewpoint of Hellgate Canyon, which is always worth a stop, stretch and a few pictures, as well as the famous yellow bridge where flood waters rose in the flood of 1964, and historic Indian Mary Park. Soon after you the park you will pass Morrison's Lodge, and then you'll see a paved, well-marked road on the left called Briggs Valley No. 25. This is your ticket to solitude. The road narrows and winds, and you will quickly become aware you are getting deeper into the Oregon wild. Late autumn still offers an explosion of color, with leaves blanketing the roads and trails. At about the 2.8-mile mark from where you turned onto this road, there is an obvious turnout on the left, where you can stretch, read an informative sign about this wilderness, and go down a series of steps to get an expansive view of Briggs Valley. The next marked trailhead on this tranquil drive is Taylor Creek, just a mile or so after the Briggs Valley turnout. If you want to experience a denser, deeper forging of the forest trails, drive a bit farther (exactly 5 miles from your original turn from Galice Road). A bridge on the left will be the only marker for this adventure. You can walk for miles, if you choose, with all the various trails available. There is an obvious trail to the left and right, with Taylor Creek streaming below as you forge along the trail of your choice. The trails are a bit narrow, yet easy to walk, and sometimes you need to climb over a fallen tree or step across some trickling water; but that just adds to the mystique and magic of this area. I like to bring our three dogs along, because I can let them off-leash to romp and race along the trail, and even swim in some of the pools of the stream. I usually walk to the right and stay on the river's edge to end up at a gorge-like viewpoint about a 1.5 miles away. There are plenty of different trails branching off for more adventurous hikers. The trail to the left is also beautiful and will eventually lead you back to the Taylor Creek trailhead. You can also drive 7 miles beyond this trailhead on the main road to Big Pine Campground, which is home to what is advertised as the world's largest Ponderosa pine. Steve Weskirchen lives in Grants Pass. Editor's Note: Day Trippin' is a recurring feature that gives readers a chance to play tour guide and tell us about a nearby getaway. By Steve Weskirchen for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Steve Weskirchen for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 29, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Nov 29, 2015 at 4:33 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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