The Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway is a
National Scenic Byway
A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
. It provides a tour of the environs of the
North Umpqua River
The North Umpqua River is a tributary of the Umpqua River, about long, in southwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains a scenic and rugged area of the Cascade Range southeast of Eugene, flowing through steep canyons and surrounded by larg ...
, the
High Cascades, and the Upper
Rogue River.
Route description
Starting from
Roseburg on
OR 138, at the junction with
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...
, the scenic byway travels eastward. Near
Glide, it begins to parallel the
North Umpqua River
The North Umpqua River is a tributary of the Umpqua River, about long, in southwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains a scenic and rugged area of the Cascade Range southeast of Eugene, flowing through steep canyons and surrounded by larg ...
. It continues roughly eastward until it meets
Diamond Lake, where it turns southward along the east shore of the lake. Near the southern tip of the lake the scenic byway turns west and then southwest on
OR 230. Here it follows the
Rogue River, eventually merges with
OR 62 near
Union Creek. On its last leg the route meets up with
OR 234 and passes near
Upper and Lower Table Rock
Upper Table Rock and Lower Table Rock are two prominent volcanic plateaus located just north of the Rogue River (Oregon), Rogue River in Jackson County, Oregon, U.S. Created by an andesite, andesitic lava, lava flow approximately seven million ...
. The byway's terminus is at
Gold Hill. The entire scenic byway is long.
History
The road was designated a
National Forest Scenic Byway
The National Forest Scenic Byways are roads that have been designated by the U.S. Forest Service as scenic byways. Many are also National Scenic Byways (NSB). The program was initiated in 1987.
List
The following roadways were listed by the Fede ...
on October 21, 1990, by the
National Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...
. It was later named an
Oregon State Scenic Byway on February 19, 1997, and a National Scenic Byway on June 13, 2002.
Major intersections
References
External links
{{Attached KML
Official web site
National Scenic Byways
Scenic highways in Oregon
Cascade Range
Umpqua National Forest
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Tourist attractions in Douglas County, Oregon
Tourist attractions in Jackson County, Oregon
1990 establishments in Oregon