Forest Park, Jacksonville

Forest Park is located about 2 miles from Jacksonville’s city center and boasts over 30 miles of multi-use trails in the Jackson Creek Watershed. Accessibility by road is excellent by taking Highway 238 west and turning right to follow Reservoir Road for one mile. The park lives up to its name with 1,080 acres of forested hills. Three streams come together to form Jackson Creek, which flows through the center of town. These stream canyons provide for cool shady trails that are favorites in the warm months of summer. Other trails from the bottom of the canyons climb to intervening ridges and provide spectacular views. The view shed encompasses the Siskiyou Mountains, Upper Bear Creek Valley, and the Cascade Crest as far as the Three Sisters.

Maps are available at Forest Park kiosks that clearly show trail routes, parking areas, and description of trails. The trails range from an easy 5% grade, to 5% to 12% moderate grade, and to difficult at 12% to 20% grade.

Forest Park has a selection of measured trail loops that start and finish at the same parking area. Hikes of different distances are available and these loops are laid out to access various features found in Forest Park. The loops are marked with colored diamonds, and each parking kiosk had loop cards available to carry while hiking the loop.