| CAVE JUNCTION OREGON
PROFILE |
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Cave Junction is a scenic, small town just
north of California located on Hwy. 199. It is
approximately 30 miles southwest of Grants Pass, and is
home to some 1,225 residents. Cave Junction is
considered the "Home of the Oregon Caves", which are
located about 20 miles east of town, off Hwy. 46. It
serves as a home base for visitors from around the
world, many of whom travel to the Illinois Valley to see
the unique geologic wonder.
The wondrous Illinois
River borders Cave Junction on the west. There are
plenty of shops and other amenities available serving
the 15,000 rural residents of the Illinois Valley, along
with the thousands of visitors who pass through
annually.
The beautiful Illinois Valley and the
surrounding area of Southern Oregon were once part of a
continental margin. They lie at the western end of the
Siskiyou Mountains, where they abut the Coastal Range.
RECREATION
Hunting and Fishing
Oregon
hunters annually bag more than 100,000 deer and 15,000
elk as well as a number of antelope and bear. For the
bird hunter, pheasant, quail, pigeon, geese and duck
provide a sportsman's selection. The Illinois (check
restrictions), Rogue River and Applegate Rivers provide
salmon, steelhead and trout, while Selmas's 160-acre
man-made Lake Selmac is the state's premier trophy bass
lake. A 55-mile drive to the coast affords surfcasting
and deep sea opportunities.
Boating and Water
Sports
These include rafting, kayaking and canoeing.
There are plenty of creeks, rivers and Lake Selmac for
swimming and water activities.
Winter Sports
They include cross country skiing and snow mobiles at
the Page Mountain Snow Park and a downhill facility at
nearby Ashland. Serious skiers can travel to Mount
Bachelor in Sun River, about a 4 1/2 hour drive.
Hiking, Camping and Picnic
Areas are limitless in
many state and federally operated locations. Trails
include those for hiking, biking, horseback riding and
four-wheel drive vehicles or motorcycles.
Illinois Valley Golf Course
is currently on a 9-hole
par 36, 3,100 yard course and will be expanding to 18.
There are several other golf courses in the surrounding
areas. We also have baseball, softball, soccer,
volleyball, basketball, and horse riding clubs.
CLIMATE
With an average elevation on the valley of
1,350', we offer more than 300 frost-free days per year,
attested to by our fast-growing wine vineyard
operations. The Illinois Valley lies in one of the few
U.S. climatic zones which experience little summer
precipitation and comfortably low humidity. Some summer
days may reach 100 degrees, but the nights often will
still require a blanket.
For the vast majority of the
year there is zero air pollution and a low percentage of
cloud cover, which contributes to the valley receiving
more solar energy than most of the United States.
Winter temperatures seldom fall below 20 degrees.
Occasional snowfall on the valley floor seldom reaches 6
inches and usually melts away in two to three days.
Precipitation averages 30-40 inches in the winter. The
water supply is primarily subterranean or is from the
snow pack in the surrounding mountains.
The
average latest and earliest killing frosts are April 17
and Oct. 25. Located less than 50 miles from the Pacific
Ocean, our valley has cooler summers and warmer winters
than adjacent areas located farther inland.
Local winter energy needs are met primarily by wood and
heat pumps with solar energy being designed in new
structures.
SCHOOLS
Public Schools
The Illinois Valley has an elementary school - Evergreen
Elementary in Cave Junction. There is one middle school,
Lorne Byrne, and Illinois Valley High School, both
located in Cave Junction. There is also a Head Start
Program and Alternative Education Center.
Private Schools
There are several pre-school and
kindergarten programs and some providing education
through the 12th grade. The Seventh-Day Adventist
Academy and the Community Christian Academy are two
having religious affiliations.
Higher Education
Rogue Community College has its main campus in Grants
Pass, 25 miles north of Cave Junction, and holds
occasional courses in a sub-campus located in Kerby. The
nearest technical school is the Oregon Institute of
Technology located 100 miles to the east in Klamath
Falls. A four-year college is located in Ashland 70
miles away, and a business and commercial training
center is located in Medford.
Elsewhere in Oregon are
more than 20 four-colleges and universities, both public
and private, as well as a multitude of trade, technical
and commercial schools.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
in the Southwest corner of Oregon covers about 1,600
square miles of mountain terrain. The elevation ranges
from 1,240' above sea level along the river to 7,055'
above sea level on Grayback Mountain.
Valley Soil
consists of stream-deposited sand, silt and gravel,
bench gravel deposits, and glacial moraines. Some areas
contain deposits of placer gold, minor platinum, nickel,
and chrome made commercially unimportant by current
regulations and restrictions.
Illinois Valley
Economy is based on a fast-fading lumber industry;
growing tourism, cottage industries and retirement,
minimal agriculture, and employment by the government.
The Airport
provides a major flying and skydiving
center, and the valley has several ultralight
enthusiasts too. Go-kart and motorcycle racing
enthusiasts travel to nearby Crescent City in Northern
California.
There are lots of other service and
and social clubs to get involved with.
SIGHTS
Proclaimed a National Monument in 1909 the Oregon Caves
has remained a geological wonder for all to experience.
A 75-minute guided interpretive tour will allow you to
view the stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flowstone
and other beautiful formations. Tours are available from
mid-March to late November. The adjoining Oregon Caves
Chateau offers accommodations from June to September,
and a bed and breakfast (open spring to fall) was
designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Kerbyville Museum
in Kerby provides a wonderful
insight into the history of our area with many artifacts
displayed.
Lake Selmac
in Selma offers
boating, fishing, swimming, camping facilities, and
horseback riding.
Other recreational activities
within a 2 1/2 hour drive include Crater Lake and
Redwood National Parks, the Oregon coast, Oregon
Shakespearean Festival in Ashland, Immigrant Lake in
Jackson County with summer water slide, Lost Creek Lake,
Applegate Lake, and Gold Ray Dam. Right here in the
Illinois Valley some additional sights are Eight Dollar
Mountain Botanical Area, Illinois River State Park,
Kalmiopsis Wilderness, Fort Hay, Kerbyville Ghost Town,
Rough & Ready Botanical Wayside and much more including
wineries and unique businesses such as It's A Burl.
LABOR
Almost any industry or company locating in
the Illinois Valley can look to Rogue Community College
for technical and vocational training to upgrade
existing worker skills. Seventy-five percent of its 350
classes each session relate to job training and it can
even provide special short-term programs for individual
employers. A Small Business Development Center offers
continuous courses and training in the Historic City
Hall in Grants Pass as well as on campus.
CHURCHES
The Illinois Valley is home to more than 20
churches covering almost every denomination.
TRANSPORTATION
Air: The Illinois Valley Airport is
located four miles south of Cave Junction. The paved
landing strip is 5,200 feet long, 75' wide and at an
elevation of 1,400'. It has 20,000 pounds single and
30,000 pounds double wheel bearing weight. Airline
service is available at Crescent city, California or
Medford, Oregon.
HIGHWAYS
The Illinois Valley
is bisected by US 199 (also called the Redwood Highway)
which runs from Interstate 5 at Grants Pass to US Hwy.
101 on the coast. There is limited bus service in and
out of the area. Daily delivery service is provided by
UPS and FEDEX with local drop-off points. Several
regional and national freight carriers also service the
area. A Greyhound bus station is located in Grants Pass,
approximately 30 miles from Cave Junction.
FOR
OREGON CAVES TOUR INFO & MORE VISIT:
www.oregoncaves.com
Cave Junction Chamber Of Commerce Visit:
www.cavejunctionoregon.com
For
Business, Lodging, Real Estate & Recreation In This
Town/City, Please Use Menu Above.
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