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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW ODOT mower believed to have sparked blaze near Hugo ... Rogue Valley boat makers floating higher as economy improves ... Jackson County Jail needs help ... ODOT mower believed to have sparked blaze near Hugo ... Rogue Valley boat makers floating higher as economy improves ... Jackson County Jail needs help ... Under bright skies or lost in fog, Prescott Park enchants By BILL KETTLER,Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By BILL KETTLER,Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 28, 2003 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 17, 2010 at 7:42 PM By BILL KETTLER,Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 28, 2003 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 17, 2010 at 7:42 PM » Social News Hike of the Week Medford's Prescott Park offers a taste of spring long before the rest of Southern Oregon greens up. The graveled loop road around Medford's big, wildland park makes a good walking surface on a sunny late-winter day when the park's heavy clay soils want to stick to your boots. The road covers about four miles as it winds around Roxy Ann Peak. Cyclists also enjoy this route, and equestrians are welcome, too. The peak was named in the 1850s for Roxy Ann Bowen, who settled near the base of the mountain with her husband, John. On a clear day, the loop road provides excellent views of Mount McLoughlin, the high country around Crater Lake's rim and the tip of Mount Thielsen. On a foggy day, Medford and the modern world vanish in the mist, and the park feels wild and empty, especially on its east side. Prescott Park's 1,740 acres make it one of the biggest undeveloped city parks in Oregon. Barely three miles (as the crow flies) from downtown, visitors have seen deer, bobcat, elk, wild turkeys and bald eagles, and even the occasional cougar. To get there from town, take East Jackson Street to Hillcrest Road and follow Hillcrest Road past Cherry Lane. Turn left on Roxy Ann Road and follow it to the first big yellow park gate. The gate is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. (During the season of daylight-saving time, it's open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) A second gate a mile uphill is closed and locked to prevent off-road drivers from damaging fragile soils. Vehicle traffic beyond the second gate is not allowed. There's ample parking and turnaround space at the second gate. The road climbs gently as it heads northwest across oak savanna. If you look carefully at the trees, you'll see some that were killed when a grass fire roared up the peak in the mid-1990s. Many of the new houses below were built directly atop land that burned during that fire. At a hairpin turn, the road bends back on itself and heads southeast as it climbs. At the first fork in the road, bear to the right. This will allow you to walk the loop road in a counterclockwise direction to get the best mountain views. The road continues southeast through a mix of oak and madrone until it reaches the quarry gate. Turn to the right to avoid the quarry and follow the main road around the rock pit. The road turns north at the quarry and begins a long, slow climb up Roxy Ann's east flank. As the mountains come into your field of view, you'll see why it's best to walk this road counterclockwise. If you had gone clockwise back at the fork in the road, all those mountains would be at your back. As the road reaches the northeast side of the mountain, there's less summer heat and more moisture for conifers. There are stands of Douglas fir, ponderosa pine and incense cedar as well as oak and madrone. The loop road intersects a road to the summit on the north side of the peak. This half-mile road to the top is a steep climb, so avoid it if you're feeling weary. But if you feel comfortable with an additional mile, go on up for a mountaintop view. the time you reach the summit road junction, you've come more than halfway around the loop. The road continues gently downhill through stands of oak and manzanita to the junction where the loop started. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail By BILL KETTLER,Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By BILL KETTLER,Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 28, 2003 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 17, 2010 at 7:42 PM » 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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