Located
in the eastern Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon, Trillium
is located approximately 10 miles north of the California border. It is slightly less than an hour
drive from the small cities of Ashland, Medford, and Grants Pass. Trillium sits in a “banana belt” microclimate with warmer,
sunnier winters than most of the surrounding areas, making the
location excellent for organic gardening and year-round retreats. Four distinct seasons feature a luxuriantly green springtime, long
hot summers, colorful autumns brilliant with the turning of
deciduous trees, and mild winters with just enough snow to remind us
of the season.
Trillium lies deep in the
canyon of the Little Applegate River at its confluence with Birch
Creek, and between two roadless areas that have been nominated for
wilderness protection, and are part of the proposed 21,200 acre Dakubetede
Primitive Backcountry Area. The surrounding landscape supports a complex
mosaic of ecosystems, including old-growth conifer forest, oak
woodland, diverse shrublands, extensive dry grasslands, and wet
meadows. Trails at Trillium link with over 30 miles of hiking trails on the
surrounding federal land, surrounded by pristine mountains up to
5,200 feet in elevation. The Siskiyou crest rises at the head of the
Little Applegate watershed, where the Pacific Crest Trail weaves
between several peaks above 7,000 feet in elevation.
Topographically, Trillium
is blessed by a unique arrangement of mountains and canyons. The
Little Applegate River canyon runs east-west, brining in lots of
sunlight from early morning into the evening. Birch Creek canyon
opens to the south, providing the sweet little valley with a
southern exposure that fills with sunshine during sunny winter days. Surrounding mountains often create a local zone of high pressure,
ensuring many sunny days while other areas nearby are cloaked with
clouds or filled with fog.
Within a few hours’
drive of Trillium are many natural attractions such as Crater Lake
National Park, Cascade Siskiyou and Oregon Caves National Monuments, and the soaring volcanoes of the Cascade Range,
including 14,000-foot Mt. Shasta. Further
east lie the high deserts, and westward, the road to the coast
passes through Smith River National Recreation Area and Redwood National Park.
The tangled geology of this
Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion is carved by several world class Wild and
Scenic Rivers including the Rogue, Klamath, California Salmon,
Umpqua, Illinois, Chetco, Trinity, and Smith. Interstate Highway 5 provides
scenic access to distant cities: 5 hours north to Portland or south
to Sacramento.
The town of choice for
shopping, social life, and outside employment is beautiful Ashland,
a small city of about 25,000 nestled in a long narrow valley where the
Siskiyou and Cascade Mountains collide. Ashland, a university and arts town,
hosts Southern Oregon University and the world-renowned Oregon Shakespeare
Festival. The city also operates its own
snow board/ski area on 7,545-foot Mt. Ashland, highest peak in the Siskiyous.
At 22 miles distant, the closest town to
Trillium is Jacksonville, a National Historic Landmark, and home of
the wonderful outdoor Peter Britt Music Festival. Jacksonville’s restored pioneer
era buildings, museum, and the Southern Oregon Historical Society
bring history alive in everyday life.
DEEP Wild
Birch Creek
Arts & Ecology Center
DEEP
TELAV
