Ashland

Southern Oregon arts city near California, anchored by the long-running Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Ashland is a small, culturally ambitious city in southern Oregon, about 25km north of the California border on Interstate 5. Its reputation rests on the Oregon Shakespeare Festival — one of the largest and oldest theatre festivals in the United States — which runs from late February to October and presents Shakespeare alongside contemporary plays in three venues: the outdoor Elizabethan Theatre, the Angus Bowmer Theatre, and the intimate New Theatre. Nine other theatre groups add to the cultural density. Opera, bluegrass, folk, and chamber music fill the calendar.

The town itself is pretty and walkable, with well-preserved pioneer and Victorian architecture, a good restaurant scene, and Lithia Park running along Ashland Creek from the centre of town into the hills. The Lithia springs that give the park its name taste truly terrible, which locals consider a point of pride.

The surrounding area offers serious outdoor recreation: Mount Ashland (44 ski runs, 24km from town), river rafting and jet-boat trips on the Rogue and Klamath rivers, fly-fishing for steelhead and salmon, and mountain biking on routes including the 28-mile Lithia Loop. Crater Lake National Park is about 90 minutes to the north.

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Day Trips

Crater Lake is the obvious day trip from Ashland — about 150 kilometres north on Highway 62, a drive of roughly two hours. The lake's extraordinary blue and the rim views are worth the round trip on their own. In summer, add a boat trip to Wizard Island.

The Applegate Valley to the west is an easy half-day wine country drive. The Rogue River, about 30 minutes north near Grants Pass, has world-class rafting and jet-boat trips on the wild lower canyon.

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Eating Out

Ashland has a restaurant scene that would be unremarkable in Portland but is genuinely impressive for a town of 22,000. The theatre audience demands quality, and the local farms and Rogue Valley vineyards supply it. You can eat very well here on a theatre weekend — whether you want farm-to-table Pacific Northwest cooking, wood-fired pizza, or sushi that holds its own against the cities.

The main concentration of restaurants runs along East Main Street and the plaza. Book ahead during peak summer season, when tables at the better spots fill up fast.

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Getting There

Ashland sits on Interstate 5, 25 kilometres north of the California border and 480 kilometres south of Portland. Driving is the most practical way to arrive.

By train, Amtrak's Coast Starlight stops at Ashland — one of the more scenic long-distance routes in the United States, running between Los Angeles and Seattle along the Pacific coast. The station is a short cab ride from the centre of town. The schedule is once daily in each direction; northbound in the morning, southbound in the afternoon.

By air, Rogue Valley International–Medford Airport (MFR) is the closest commercial airport, about 25 kilometres north in Medford. It has direct flights to several West Coast cities, though connections through Portland, San Francisco, or Los Angeles are usually required from further afield. Rental cars are available at the airport; the drive to Ashland takes about 20 minutes.

By bus, Greyhound serves Medford; the local Rogue Valley Transportation District (RVTD) runs buses between Medford and Ashland.

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Things to Do

Ashland punches well above its size. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival dominates the cultural calendar from February through October, but there is plenty beyond the theatre: Lithia Park is one of the finest urban parks in the Pacific Northwest, and the surrounding hills offer serious outdoor recreation.

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When to Go

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival calendar governs Ashland's tourism seasons. The festival runs late February through October, with the largest number of productions running from June through September. Summer weekends see the most visitors and the best weather for outdoor performances at the Elizabethan Theatre. Book accommodation well in advance for July and August.

Spring (April–May) is a fine time to visit: the festival is in full swing, Lithia Park is beautiful with blossoming trees and swollen creek, and prices and crowds are lower than midsummer. Autumn (September–October) is even better for those who can manage it — warm days, cool nights, fall colour in the park, and the final weeks of the theatre season with its best-reviewed productions.

Winter is quiet. Most of Ashland closes down or slackens considerably after the festival ends in late October. The exception is Mount Ashland, which opens for skiing from December through April, drawing a smaller off-season crowd.

Rainfall comes mostly in winter; summers are reliably dry and warm, occasionally hot.