Fifteen minutes west of Medford, Jacksonville is the kind of town people mean to drive through and end up staying in. Gold was found in Rich Gulch in 1851, the settlement boomed, and then — crucially — the railroad went to Medford instead. Jacksonville simply stopped. What’s left is one of the most complete 19th-century townscapes in the American West, and a National Historic Landmark in its entirety.
Day one: the town itself
Start on California Street. More than a hundred buildings here predate 1900, and the walk takes about an hour if you read the plaques — longer if you don’t, because you’ll keep stopping. The Beekman Bank and the Jacksonville Museum in the old county courthouse are the anchors.
Have lunch on the main street, then walk up to the Historic Jacksonville Cemetery on the hill above town. It sounds an odd recommendation until you’re there: the views across the Rogue Valley are excellent, and the headstones are a compressed social history of the gold rush.
In the evening, check what’s on at the Britt Music & Arts Festival. From June to September, the Britt Pavilion hosts an outdoor concert series on a hillside above town — bring a blanket, arrive early, and eat on the lawn.
Day two: out into the Applegate
Head southwest on Highway 238 and you’re on the Applegate Wine Trail within ten minutes. Around sixteen tasting rooms are strung along the valley, most of them small and family-run, and the wines lean warmer than northern Oregon — Tempranillo, Syrah, Viognier and Cabernet Franc all do well here. Tasting fees are modest and appointments are rarely needed midweek.
Three or four estates is a comfortable afternoon. Bring a designated driver, or book a tour van and stop counting.
If wine isn’t the plan, the Applegate has excellent quiet hiking and the Little Applegate River for cooling off in high summer.
Where to stay
Jacksonville is small, and we think that’s the point — it’s a place to slow down rather than tick things off. Our Jville Gem puts you within walking distance of California Street, and our Medford and Grants Pass homes are both an easy drive.
Check availability and give yourself two nights. One is never quite enough here.
