Lower Table Rock - A Southern Oregon Hiking Treasure

Upper and Lower Table Rock are very special natural resources in Southern Oregon. It is possible to hike up both for spectacular views of Sams Valley and Mount McLoughlin. They are also sensitive habitat due to the presence of vernal pools, which are seasonal wetlands that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals found nowhere else. These species have adapted to the unusual "flood and drought" habitat conditions of vernal pools. Most of the historical vernal pool habitat has been destroyed. According to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife only 23 percent of Oregon's original vernal pool habitat in the Agate Desert remains intact. Being a designated area of critical environmental concern, it's important to remember to stay on the trails when visiting.

The hike to the summit of Lower Table Rock winds through mixed oak woodland and Oregon white oak savanna and chaparral ecosystems. Heavily grazed for an extended period, efforts are underway to restore these areas to the characteristic open habitat of the fire-adapted ecosystem. The trail begins off Wheeler Road. From Central Point, head east on East Pine Street about one mile and turn north (left) on Table Rock Road. Drive eight miles to Wheeler Road and turn west (left). The trailhead is about 0.5 miles on the left. There is no parking fee.  

The hike is 3.5 miles round trip gaining about 780 feet in elevation. The difficulty class is Class 1, Easy. Most of Lower Table Rock was dedicated as a nature preserve in 1979 by The Nature Conservancy.  Both the Upper and Lower Table Rock buttes are horseshoe shaped. According to the Bureau of Land Management,

About 7.5 million years ago, a shield volcano erupted near Lost Creek Lake and spread lava over the entire valley. This mass of lava caused the valley floor to rise in elevation to the height of the Table Rocks. Over millions of years, the ancient Rogue River meandered through the valley, eroding and carving away approximately 90 percent of the lava rock. What remains are a few solitary large rock masses, or monoliths, and two horseshoe-shaped mesas known as the Table Rocks.

Shield volcanoes are a type of volcano usually composed almost entirely of fluid lava flows. The lava has low viscosity which means it flows easily and forms low angle slopes.

An old airstrip is visible on the summit, which was closed in 1980. John Day, a local rancher, built the airstrip in 1948 to impress visiting celebrities from Hollywood. He intended to sell residential lots to celebrities who would use the runway.

Airstrip

This area of Southern Oregon is the traditional homelands of the Takelma tribe. The land between Upper Table Rock and Evans Creek was a temporary Indian Reservation between 1853 and 1856. The Table Rock Reservation was created by treaty in 1853 when Rogue River tribes ceded millions of acres of land to the United States in exchange for peace, safety, and a permanent reservation. Before a permanent reservation could be established, the Native Americans remained at Table Rock. However, they became a target of continued acts of genocide by settlers in the region. Because of this, they fought a series of battles and were forced onto the Grande Ronde in the western Willamette Valley. The peaceful tribes who remained on the Table Rock Reservation were marched over 300 miles to the new reservation between February and March 1856.

This is one of the most popular hikes in the Medford area with an estimated 50,000 visitors per year. Guided hikes are available through the BLM's Table Rock Environmental Education Program which posts a schedule. Hikes are on weekends in April and May and are free to the public with reservations required. Schedules are posted in March.

View of Upper Table Rock and Mount McLoughlin