Cow Creek Tour Route

The Cow Creek Tour Route is a refreshing break from the steady highway pace; this 45-mile detour wanders with Cow Creek as it dips through the Coast mountain range. The route is spread with quaint farms and ranches, stately forests, massive rock outcroppings, and spring waterfalls. Depending on the season, you can absorb the plethora of wildflowers or the bright reds and yellows of autumn.

• Distance:  45 miles.
• Starting Point:  i-5, at Exit 103, 21 miles south of Roseburg

• Minimum Driving Time:  1-2 Hours.
• Best Time to Drive:  Spring for abundant waterfalls and wildflowers; fall for stunning colors.

1. A Quick Trip to a Slower Time

This relaxing route gives I-5 travelers a welcome break from the steady pace through Southern Oregon. In exchange for 23 miles of four-lane freeway between mileposts 103 and 80, it unfolds 45 miles of two-lane splendor along lower Cow Creek as it wanders through the Coast Range. Beginning at Exit 103, 21 miles south of Roseburg, follow Cow Creek Road as it passes Riddle, a railroad town named after an 1851 pioneer. It's no joke that Riddle has the last food and vehicle services until the end of the route. Here, watch for mine sites and tailings from the last operating nickel mine and smelter in the continental United States.

2. Go for the Gold

As you head west, picturesque farms and ranches give way to the forested landscape within Cow Creek Canyon. Shortly after passing Tunnel No.1 of the historic Oregon and California Railroad, you'll find a rest stop where you can pan for gold just as miners did here nearly 150 years ago. Even if you don't strike it rich, the numerous spring waterfalls and wildflowers, mixed with old-growth Douglas-fir and huge rock outcroppings, are something to treasure. In the fall, hardwood leaves turn to bright reds and yellows, and salmon return to spawn in the gravel of the creek.

3. Following the Cow Home

As you pass the West Fork of Cow Creek, you'll see two steel girder bridges built in 1905 and still in use today. As the road rises beyond Skull Creek Campground, the landscape transitions back into pastures and orchards. The route returns to I-5 at Exit 80, 18 miles north of Grants Pass. For more information, call the Bureau of Land Management Roseburg District Office at 541-440-4930