Grants Pass

Grants Pass is the seat of Josephine County and lies along Interstate 5 between Roseburg and Medford.

Grants Pass was named when settlers constructing the town's main road heard news of General Grant's capture of Vicksburg, in 1863. It was incorporated in 1887. In 1968 the Rogue River, which runs through town, was designated by Congress as a National Wild and Scenic River.

Today Grants Pass, population 17,500, is the hub of a region producing flower bulbs, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. It also boasts significant lumbering enterprises. The city is the river region's center and a popular departure point for many downriver raft trips. Hellgate Canyon, northwest of the city, marks the Rogue River's entrance to the coast ranges.

For history buffs, the downtown area has been designated a National Historic District, and is a great oportunity for a leisurely stroll, while the Grower's Market is one of the largest open-air markets in Oregon, and greets one and all with a friendly smile and local gossip Boaters will want to mark their calendars for the Boatnik Festival, which is held annually in May.

For a FREE vacation guide to Southern Oregon, contact Southern Oregon Visitors Association.