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Shhh! One of the county's best-kept secrets Sunday Nov 20, 2005 at 2:00 AM Dec 18, 2010 at 5:42 PM JOHN DARLING,for the Mail Tribune ROGUE RIVER ' Set beside winding Evans Creek and populated with more than 70 varieties of trees, historic Palmerton Park and Arboretum in the town of Rogue River is the perfect spot to find a quiet moment ' or, with a wedding or reunion, to create a loud, happy one. The little-known, five-acre park was operated as a plant nursery from the 1920s by Orin Palmerton, a veteran of the Spanish-American War and one of the first nurserymen in Southern Oregon. He bought it from the pioneer Skevrington family and on his passing it was taken over by Jackson County. The city took charge of the spacious and mostly level park in 1994. In the New Year's Day flood of 1997, the bridge over Evans Creek, which joined the arboretum to Classick Bicentennial Park, was washed away and an imposing suspension foot bridge was constructed. To know what the trees are you need a map ' available at City Hall or the Woodville Museum on First and Oak. Most of the same large, esthetic species you find in Ashland's Lithia Park can be found here ' cedar of Lebanon, giant sequoia, ginkgo, tulip tree, mimosa, hawthorne, atlas cedar, sassafras, monkey puzzle and many colorful types of maples. — Jutting into the parking lot to greet you first is a big black locust. The most impressive gathering is just beyond the rest rooms: arborvitae, Arizona cypress, weeping hemlock and deodar cedar. The slow-flowing creek offers kids and grownups a lovely spot to skip stones or gaze at reflections of fall colors in the water. In summer, its draw is a cooling swimming hole. Kids leap into it by swinging on a rope, says City Administrator Mark Reagles. I shy away from calling it the greatest park in the state of Oregon, but it's certainly one of the gems in Southern Oregon, says Reagles. It's peaceful and restful, a great place to gather your thoughts. Hardly anyone has heard of it and that's a good thing. It's also ideal for parents to have a quiet moment off to the side, while kids are able to splash and run around and still be in view, he adds. For a more active time, cross the footbridge to play tennis and horseshoes. Strolling her playful young kids by the creek, Heather Drumm of Rogue River lets them get wet up to the waist, noting there's lots of room for them to run around, even if it's freezing. It's a great place for children. The park has paved, looping walkways leading to all the trees, as well as to picnic tables, grills and playground equipment. It's a favorite spot for class and family reunions, wedding receptions and office parties and may be reserved through City Hall by calling 582-4401. John Darling is a free-lance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at [email protected].