INNKEEPER'S DISPATCH
 
 
Whether you love to hike, bike, or run, Ashland is your wilderness trail town. Outside magazine recently named it one of the ten best bike towns in America — the only town in Oregon to make the list.
"Ashland is celebrated for its annual Shakespeare Festival," wrote Outside columnist Graham Averill, "but this southern Oregon town deserves to be just as famous for its biking."
Trail Runner magazine also recognized Ashland as one of its Top Trail Towns, a nod to the deep running culture that calls us home.
Threading through more than 15,000 forested acres of the Ashland Watershed and into the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest beyond, our trail system stretches for more than 50 miles with trails that climb from the edge of town all the way to the alpine reaches of Mt. Ashland.
To help you make the most of your time on the trails, I've put together a few serious resources below — for hikers, bikers, and runners alike.
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Ashland Woodland & Trails Association is the volunteer-driven nonprofit that designs, builds, and maintains much of the trail network you'll be running, riding, and hiking on.
Their website is one of the most useful planning tools you'll find, with curated lists organized by how you travel: a select hike list sorted by distance for those on foot, a mountain bike list sorted by distance for riders, and for runners, a sortable collection of routes you can filter by distance, vertical gain, and trailhead.
Pull up any of these, and you'll be ready to hit the trails as soon as you arrive. Shown above is Mt. Ashland as seen from the aptly named Wonder Trail.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rogue Valley Runners on East Main Street is worth knowing about before you arrive. The store is owned by Hal Koerner, a two-time champion of the Western States 100-miler, winner of the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run, and a holder of fastest known times on both the Colorado Trail and the John Muir Trail — with over 150 ultramarathons completed in all.
He also wrote the book on the subject, literally: Hal Koerner's Field Guide to Ultrarunning, published by VeloPress, is the standard reference for anyone training for distances from 50k to 100 miles.
The staff shares his depth of knowledge and will fit you for shoes using complimentary video stride analysis — a useful stop whether you need new gear or just want local trail advice. They also host weekly running clubs, a good way to connect with Ashland's trail running community before you head out.
 
 
 
 
 
 
If your visit falls in mid-July, you may find yourself in the middle of something special. The Siskiyou Out Back Trail Running Festival — now in its 27th year — takes over Mt. Ashland the weekend of July 10-12, drawing runners from around the world for six race distances.
These range from an 8K introduction to trail running to the newly added Brink 100, a hundred-miler that starts in downtown Ashland and finishes at the summit of Mt. Ashland. The 50K and 100K are both Western States and UTMB qualifiers, running along the Pacific Crest Trail with views of Mt. Shasta and the Cascades.
It's a non-profit race with a strong local feel — live music, complimentary post-race food and drink, and a welcoming community. Hal Koerner, who owns Rogue Valley Runners just down the hill, directs the event.
 
 
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The Handlebar is exactly what it sounds like — a bike shop and a coffee bar, all under one roof on East Main Street. For guests who want to get on the trails without hauling a bike from home, they offer rentals alongside a full range of sales, service, and professional bike fitting.
Co-owner Nathan Riddle spent 14 years as an instructor at the United Bicycle Institute, where he certified thousands of bicycle mechanics, and every repair is double-checked by a second mechanic before the bike goes back out.
Fuel up with a Noble Coffee and a pastry from local bakery Sisters Sans Gluten before you roll out, and on Tuesday evenings at 5:30 they lead free mountain bike rides through the Ashland trail system, open to all. Note that the shop is moving to bigger digs at 25 E. Main by end of June. Shown above is shop owner Nathan Riddle riding the trails.
 
 
 
 
 
 
After a day on the trails, Skout Taphouse & Provisions is where Ashland's hikers, bikers, and runners tend to land.
Situated just across from Lithia Park in the heart of downtown, it's a riverside gathering spot with craft beer, cocktails, and a menu that swings from hearty burgers and bratwursts to veggie bowls and oversized pretzels.
The patio is dog-friendly, the vibe is relaxed, and on any given evening, you're likely sharing a table near people who just came off the same trails you did. A good place to compare notes.
 
 
Graham Sheldon
Innkeeper
graham@ashlandcreekinn.com
AshlandCreekInn.com