Acreage: 124

Historic woodlands & trails

The Southern Oregon Land Conservancy holds seven conservation easements on lands owned by the City of Jacksonville that are part of the Jacksonville Woodlands and Trails system. They permanently protect the natural setting so that locals and visitors alike can enjoy the peaceful and historic setting right in the town of Jacksonville. The Woodlands provide valuable habitat for the endangered lily, Fritillaria gentneri, and host a number of other native plants and animals. Pacific madrone, California black oak, ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir dominate the land, along with several old-growth whiteleaf manzanita. Small perennial streams run through the Woodlands supporting Oregon ash and some impressive, large Oregon white oaks and California black oaks.

Within the larger 255-acre park, you can enjoy 18 miles of well kept, all-weather trails with benches and interpretive displays outlining its colorful history and diversity of wildflowers and habitats. Brochures and maps can be found at various trail-heads. See below for a downloadable park map.

History

Since 1989 the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy has worked with the City of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Woodlands Association to safeguard land set aside for use by the public. Seven properties are conserved and include: the Beekman Woods (20 acres); the Britt Woods (70 acres); Rich Gulch (10 acres); the Beebe property (7 acres); the Burkhalter property (7.5 acres);  the Quarry (9 acres); and the Grove (6 acres). 

Each property has its own conservation story, such as the Grove, which has a long history in Jacksonville. During the Gold Rush years of the 1850s, early settlers used the area as a semi-permanent tent city. It was later purchased by Jacksonville pioneer and prominent banker C. C. Beekman. His daughter later sold the property to the University of Oregon, which sold the property to Dr. James Woods in the early 1990s. In 2006, with assistance from the Trust for Public Lands, the property was conveyed to the City of Jacksonville to become a park for public use and enjoyment. 

The vitality of the park system in Jacksonville is dependent on a number of agencies and organizations (the Jacksonville Woodlands Association, the City of Jacksonville, BLM and SOLC) working together to create, review, and revise a General Management Plan for the parks. Community volunteers maintain the trails and bridges and support efforts through events like the annual Woodlands Hike-A-Thon. These parks provide abundant outdoor opportunities for residents of Jacksonville and the many visitors who use the extensive trail system.

resources

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