Enjoy it while visiting Medford in Oregon
Roxy Ann Peak rises 3,576 feet above the eastern edge of Medford, Oregon, forming the centerpiece of Prescott Park, a 1,740-acre municipal green space and the second largest city park in the state after Portland’s Forest Park. The mountain towers roughly 2,000 feet above the valley floor, visible from nearly every corner of the Rogue Valley and serving as Medford’s most prominent natural landmark and recreational resource.
The lower slopes of Roxy Ann Peak and the broader Bear Creek Valley were inhabited by the Takelma people, specifically the Latgawa band, who moved seasonally through the region for at least 8,000 years. Archaeological surveys within Prescott Park have uncovered jasper and agate flakes from stone tool production, though evidence of permanent settlement on the mountain itself remains sparse. The earliest European observers to lay eyes on the peak were likely Peter Skene Ogden and his party of Hudson’s Bay Company trappers, who passed north along Bear Creek on Valentine’s Day in 1827.
The peak acquired its name in August 1853 from pioneers arriving via the Oregon Trail, who named it after Roxy Ann Bowen. She and her husband John Bowen had established a donation land claim at the base of the mountain, becoming some of the earliest non-indigenous settlers in the area. Roxy Ann Bowen lived on the claim well into her later years, and her name became permanently affixed to the dominant peak overlooking the valley.
In the early 1930s, the city of Medford acquired the land from the Lions Club and the federal government, establishing Prescott Park in 1937. From 1933 to 1942, crews of the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed the primary access road, built 18 miles of hiking trails, installed drainage ditches, and developed several picnic areas and scenic overlooks that remain in use today. Much of the CCC stonework and trail infrastructure can still be found above the main parking area, accessible only on foot.
Prescott Park’s trail system offers a network of paths ranging from wide paved routes suitable for casual walkers to narrow singletrack beloved by mountain bikers. The Roxy Ann Peak Trail climbs steadily from the main parking area, winding through oak savanna and grassland before entering mixed conifer forest near the summit. Mountain bikers find dedicated routes along the lower and mid-elevation slopes, with technical sections that challenge intermediate and advanced riders. Seasonal wildflowers, including lupine, camas, and Indian paintbrush, blanket the meadows in spring and early summer.
The summit of Roxy Ann Peak rewards visitors with a sweeping 360-degree panorama of the Rogue Valley and surrounding mountain ranges. Looking south, Mount Shasta looms on the horizon at over 14,000 feet, while Mount McLoughlin rises prominently to the northeast. Rotating clockwise, visitors can spot the distinctive flat-topped Table Rocks to the north, the Siskiyou Mountains to the southwest, and Mount Ashland anchoring the southern skyline. On exceptionally clear days, the snow-capped Three Sisters peaks are visible far to the north.
The mountain’s vegetation transitions from classic oak savanna on the lower slopes, with widely spaced Oregon white oaks scattered across grassy hillsides, to a denser mixed coniferous forest higher up. The upper slopes and summit area feature Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and incense cedar, with Pacific madrone and manzanita adding texture to the understory.
Birdwatchers frequent the park to spot red-tailed hawks and golden eagles riding thermals above the peak, while western bluebirds and California quail inhabit the lower oak woodlands. Deer sightings are common along the trails near dawn and dusk, and black bears occasionally pass through the more remote sections of the park.
The best time to visit Roxy Ann Peak is spring, when wildflowers carpet the meadows and the oak savanna turns brilliant green with temperatures ranging from comfortable to brisk. Summer brings dry conditions ideal for early morning hikes and sunset excursions, though midday slopes can be hot on exposed sections. Autumn delivers moderate temperatures and golden light that makes the oak woodlands glow, while winter transforms the peak into a quieter destination with occasional light snow dusting the upper slopes and panoramic views of snow-capped cascades across the horizon.