With two kids in sports and music, and Gary’s job at the hospital, life is hectic and sometimes stressful, so when the weekend comes, we want to disconnect as much as possible. That’s why staying at Buckhorn Springs was the perfect family getaway! From our home in south Medford, it only takes thirty-seven minutes to get to this little slice of heaven in Ashland.

Buckhorn Springs Resort just reopened to become a place of gathering and healing. Choose from eleven cottages varying in size, from one bedrooms with shared bathrooms, to one bedrooms and two bedrooms with private bathrooms, to their eight bedroom, eight and a half bathroom lodge! Every space has been remodeled and thoughtfully decorated, tucked among the trees in the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument.

We arrived Friday evening at our home for the weekend, the Creekside Cottage. We really enjoyed that it was kind of off, away from all of the other cottages with views all around us. We had two bedrooms and one bathroom with a nice size living room and a full kitchen area. In the bedroom the kids were staying in, there was a bunk bed, that Olivia loved of course. Since we didn’t quite know what to expect we planned on going out for dinner at Caldera Brewing just twenty minutes away. We stuck to that plan, but once we got the lay of the land we decided that we wanted to stay at the resort all day on Saturday, and decided to grabbed some groceries so that we could cook our meals.

See more photos of the inside of the Creekside Cottage here.

We started the next morning with a little walk around the grounds and got the chance to tour the eight bedroom lodge. We walked into a large living area that we could see our extended family enjoying for a reunion (we are already planning). There’s a fireplace downstairs as well as a huge commercial kitchen, and then when you go upstairs the rooms are all remodeled with accents of the old wood and new cozy lodge décor. Every window has a view of the meadows, blue skies, or the creek. It also boasts a huge deck with views of Emigrant Creek, tons of seating, AND a wood-fire oven. Such a cool place for family gatherings, weddings, or basically any type of retreat! See more photos of the lodge here.

Buckhorn Resort is full of history. The Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa tribes, now known as the Rogue River Tribes, inhabited the land taking advantage of the healing mineral waters found in Emigrant Creek, utilizing the carbonic acid gas to heal. Due to a treaty, even the Klamath and Modoc Tribes were able to experience the healing properties of these special waters. See more about our Native American history by C.B. Watson here.

In 1936, the Buckhorn Mineral Springs Corporation constructed a vapor bath house to harness the healing powers of the carbon dioxide gas. The building still stands today as a historic landmark but not in working condition. You can cross Emigrant Creek to take a look through the windows while you stay. Gary and I were fascinated and got the lucky opportunity to visit the inside of it.

After touring the grounds we decided to head out on our first hike of the day through the meadow and to the confluence of Baldy Creek and Emigrant Creek. The kids loved exploring around the creeks and of course Olivia had to touch the water to see how cold it is. We found a couple of pathways to explore and then headed up an old forest road that took us on a ridge above the property. It was a nice little two mile hike to get the blood flowing with magnificent views of the sky and forest below.

Once we got back to the cabin we relaxed a bit, enjoying our lunch, some games, and reading. There is no TV so we really enjoyed the quiet and I went out onto our private deck to soak in some winter sunshine. Later in the afternoon we headed out for our second hike of the day to the ‘Grandmother Tree’. While a fairly short one mile hike; it was basically straight up to get to the fantastic view that we were rewarded with. We planned it perfectly so that we could watch the sun set over the hills. The views were stunning and the serenity was welcome as we all walked around the top in our own little worlds, meditating, soaking it all in. Be forewarned, going down was quite steep so be prepared with a walking stick or at least shoes with good traction.

See more photos from our hikes at Buckhorn Springs here.

WHAT ELSE TO DO WHILE STAYING AT BUCKHORN SPRINGS

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

Buckhorn Springs is the perfect jumping off point for your outdoor adventures! If you want to head off property there are lots of hikes nearby for you to enjoy too.

HIKES

Hobart Bluff 3 miles out and back - 31 minutes away to trailhead

Green Springs Mountain Loop 2.2 mile loop - 22 minutes to trailhead

PCT - Little Hyatt Lake Trail 3 miles to the lake and back - 26 minutes to trailhead

PLAY IN THE SNOW

If you are a snow lover staying in the winter months skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing are close by!

Skiing and Snowboarding

Mt, Ashland 50 Minutes

Snowshoeing and Cross Country Skiing

Mt. Ashland Ski Area 50 minutes

Hyatt Lake Campground 28 minutes

If you need to rent gear Mt. Provisions in Ashland has daily with first come, first served. Get all the info on their website here.

Sledding

Table Mountain Snow Park 32 minutes

See where else to play in the snow in southern Oregon here.

WINE TASTING

Irvine & Roberts Vineyards 20 minutes

Belle Fiore Estate Winery 20 minutes

Eliana Wines 29 minutes

Grizzly Peak Winery 28 minutes

EAT

If you want to enjoy some dining out while staying at Buckhorn there are many great options not too far from the cabins! Cocorico is just 20 minutes in Green Springs or if you want to head into town your closest options are Oak Tree, Caldera Brewery & Restaurant, Luna Cafe, and El Paraiso just 17 minutes away. If you want to head over the freeway overpass you can enjoy everything from Sushi at Bonsai Teriyaki 2 to the most delicious vegan food at Sauce to hand tossed pizza at Northwest Pizza. Other favorites include Blue Toba, Falafel Republic, and Omar’s.

MORE

If you are looking for more to do beyond getting outdoors, we can’t forget the wonderful arts scene that is part of Ashland. Peruse multiple art galleries all throughout town, enjoy a play at the Oregon Cabaret Theater or world renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival, or even smaller productions at private venues with the Rogue Theater Company.

BEYOND ASHLAND

Buckhorn Springs gets you away from it all and yet is so close to so much. The Rogue River offers rafting, visit the nations deepest lake and Oregon’s only national park Crater Lake, go spelunking in the marble caves of the Oregon Caves National Monument and so much more. Visit our blog to read more stories about southern Oregon!

If you want to book your stay at Buckhorn Springs head over HERE to Book Stay Hop!

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Buckhorn Springs Resort is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa people. Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians are living descendants. Thank you the these stewards of our land.

Please always honor and respect these lands and Leave No Trace, including not carving or writing on tress or rocks, and please do not leave behind apple, orange, banana peels, nor toilet tissue.

PLEASE NOTE: While Book Stay Hop hosted our stay, our opinions are our own.

Endnotes: Buckhorn Mineral Springs Corporation information from oregonencyclopedia.com