A
Little About The Umpqua River Area!
The Umpqua River
Valley’s riches nurtured generations of traders, loggers and
farmers. Its wealth of natural and historical treasures unfold as you
wind through the Coast Range to the Pacific.
This 66-mile journey offers sweeping vistas of the ever-changing
valleys of one the state’s most storied river corridors. The
Umpqua itself is at the center of the byway’s appeal, its
cascading waters giving way to rugged rapids and then wide expanses of
slowly meandering water as it nears its terminus. Recreational
opportunities abound—you can sip wine at one of 19 wineries that
are on or accessible from the route, wet a line in the Umpqua for
migrating steelhead or salmon or pause at waysides to spy rare birds
and trees.
The dense forests along the byway provide an ever-changing visual
treat—a riot of verdant greens in the spring and summer, and a
kaleidoscope of reds and yellows in the fall. Along the way,
you’ll likely come upon elk, turkey and other fauna that call the
Umpqua Valley home.
The Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area is the year-round residence for a herd
of about 100 Roosevelt elk. A mild winter climate and abundant food
allow the Roosevelt elk to remain at the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area
all year. Dean Creek is a Day Use Only site. The O.H. Hinsdale
Rhododendron Garden is located across Highway 38 from the elk viewing
area. The garden will be open for public tours on Saturday, May 11,
2013 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.