We had a very dry November here in Southern Oregon, which meant there were lots of opportunities to get yard work done and, far more fun, get outside and enjoy the fall colors. When my daughter called and asked if I wanted to join her family for a hike up Upper Table Rock, just a few miles from my home, I jumped at the chance.

Dominating the landscape at the upper end of our valley, Upper and Lower Table Rock are two volcanic plateaus sitting just north of the Rogue River, which wraps around their bases. With each just a little over 2,000 feet high, they offer an easy to moderately challenging hike, with an elevation gain of around 800 feet and a round trip of 3 miles on the Upper trail and nearly 5 on the Lower. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Nature Conservancy, the two entities occasionally offer free guided hikes with a focus on the wildflowers, geology and history of the indigenous peoples of the area. But hikers come year ’round on their own to enjoy the views     and the unique flora and fauna that make the area their home.

We parked at the free lot on a Saturday morning with a few low clouds overhead which promised to burn off before noon. Restrooms and a few interpretive signs lie at the base of the trail, identifying some of the birds, wildflowers and insects one might encounter along the way. With two-year-old James in a child carrier on his dad’s back and five-year-old Sean eagerly scampering ahead, we headed up the well-maintained trail.

We wound up past white oak, ponderosa pine and Pacific madrone and through grassy meadows, with here and there an outcropping of andesite that offered Sean some fun opportunities to play mountain climber and get a different perspective of the valley below. We had to rein him in occasionally, as his spurts of charging ahead would end with declarations of being too tired to go on. (I distracted and encouraged him with the fable of The Tortoise and the Hare . . . it was moderately instructive, at least for a short while.)

We emerged on the flat top of the mountain   and rewarded ourselves with lunch before we headed off to explore and perch on the edge of the cliffs which drop to the river and valley below.    Views extended to the east to Mt. McLoughlin,      to the south almost to Mt. Shasta    and to the Coast Range to the west.

The downhill trek was easier and a bit faster. Little James wanted to hike, too, and he and big brother enjoyed gathering acorns and exploring the “tunnels” through low-hanging branches. We spotted an assortment of birds and a few chipmunks; but if some of the larger inhabitants of the area (deer, coyotes, rabbits and such) were around, I think we were too noisy for them.

Arriving at the parking lot about 3 hours after we’d started, we decided it was a very good outing and one we’d like to repeat in the future. If you’re looking for some multigenerational outings for your family, go to WhereverFamily and search by destination or activity for some great ideas.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor