Southern Oregon (roughly the southwestern and southcental area of the state, excluding the coast) is physically a jumble of mountains and river valleys, including the magnificent Rogue River and the less well known but magical Umpqua. The 1,943-foot-deep and intensely blue Crater Lake is in the caldera formed when Mount Mazama erupted and caved in on itself 6,600 years ago; it's Oregon's only national park. The highlight of a visit to Crater Lake is a boat trip to Wizard Island. Culturally, Southern Oregon is a mix of the largely wealthy and sophisticated newcomers (i.e., California expatriates) and the generally more down-to-earth old-timers. But the greatest cultural activities - Ashland's Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Jacksonville's Peter Britt Music Festival - are long-standing and did much to attract the newcomers, in whose wake great restaurants and classy hotels have followed.
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- Judy Jewell for AAA Destination Discovery
Southern Oregon (roughly the southwestern and southcental area of the state, excluding the coast) is physically a jumble of mountains and river valleys, including the magnificent Rogue River and the less well known but magical Umpqua. The 1,943-foot-deep and intensely blue Crater Lake is in the caldera formed when Mount Mazama erupted and caved in on itself 6,600 years ago; it's Oregon's only national park. The highlight of a visit to Crater Lake is a boat trip to Wizard Island. Culturally, Southern Oregon is a mix of the largely wealthy and sophisticated newcomers (i.e., California expatriates) and the generally more down-to-earth old-timers. But the greatest cultural activities - Ashland's Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Jacksonville's Peter Britt Music Festival - are long-standing and did much to attract the newcomers, in whose wake great restaurants and classy hotels have followed.
- Judy Jewell for AAA Destination Discovery
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Must See
- #1 Oregon Shakespeare Festival
- #2 Crater Lake National Park
- #3 Rafting Rogue River
- #4 Jacksonville and Britt Festival
- #5 North Umpqua waterfalls
Skip It 'til Next Time 
- #1
Oregon Caves National Monument (if you share our "seen one cave seen 'em all" opinion)
- #2 Some would tell you to skip the Oregon Vortex but we think it's a combination of the cheesy the cool and the mysterious.
