Where to Play, Eat, and Stay in Grants Pass, a Gateway to Southern Oregon

Summer is an ideal time to visit, with local events like Concerts in the Park and the Josephine County Fair bringing the community to life. Whenever you visit, these are some of the staple things to do in Grants Pass, as well as where to eat and stay during your visit.

Get your bearings downtown

Photos: Kayla Brock

During my free time in Grants Pass, I took a stroll downtown, a National Historic District with buildings dating as far back as the late 1800s. (Use this map to chart a self-guided walking tour and get acquainted.) Among downtown’s shops and restaurants, I came across Grants Pass Pharmacy, home to a historic soda fountain serving $3.75 ice cream floats. I also stopped by House of Glory for a matcha. The artisan dessert shop opened in 2020 and was a cute cafe with drinks and desserts such as Key lime pie and passionfruit mousse. A few shops down was a very airy shop with natural lighting clothing shop called Indy Jo. I picked up a pair of sunglasses and perused the baby clothes section, looking for a potential outfit for my newest baby cousin.

Grants Pass Historic District: 198 SW 6th St, Grants Pass, OR 97526

Go jetboating on the Rogue River

Photos: Kayla Brock

If you don’t have your own boat and want a bit of a thrill, Hellgate Jetboat Excursions is one way to ride the Rogue River, home to the aforementioned whitewater. Boarding the boat, I anticipated getting wet sitting in the second row, but I wasn’t prepared for what was to come. My evening excursion took about four hours as we rode 18 miles one way to a cabin alongside the river for a prefixed dinner among fellow boat riders.

One gentleman sitting next to me at dinner grew up taking this boat ride for years, once mentioning that he took this excursion during prom back in the 1990s. Throughout the ride, we made stops so the guide could speak on the homes built along the river (one recently built for four million dollars), as well as birds like ospreys and a pair of bald eagles. All pilots are licensed by the Coast Guard, so even though you do quite a few exhilarating spins, you’re in good hands. One pilot was even a retired pro baseball player from the New York Mets.

Hellgate Jetboat Excursions: 966 SW 6th St., Grants Pass, OR 97526

Tour the historic Oregon Caves Chateau

Photo: Kayla Brock

Before heading to the Oregon Caves, a national monument and preserve, I stopped at the Friends of Oregon Caves and Chateau. Here, I learned about the recent Oregon Caves Chateau restoration in progress. The chateau was built in 1934 and was named a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The Chateau is the only national park lodge with an original Monterey furniture collection, believed to be the largest public collection in the Northwest, and Friends of Oregon Caves and Chateau currently houses 200 pieces of the original furniture from the Chateau. Diane Keaton has one of the largest private collections.

The restoration started in 2018 and is targeting a reopening in 2030. The Friends of the Oregon Caves and Chateau is a non-profit formed in 2007 in partnership with the National Park Service to preserve, protect, and improve the cultural and natural resources of the Oregon Caves.

Friends of the Oregon Caves and Chateau: 223-B NE Hillcrest Dr., Grants Pass

Visit the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base Museum

Photo: Kayla Brock

I made a quick stop at the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base Museum, located at the Cave Junction airport. The multiple-building museum shares the story of the early US Forest Service, which fought wildfires taking place in the forests of Southern Oregon and Northern California. Smokejumpers are highly trained firefighters who jump from airplanes into remote forest fires to extinguish them. Walking through the museum, I saw a placard sharing the history of the Triple Nickle, which refers to the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the first all-Black airborne unit in the US Army.

Siskiyou Smokejumper Museum: 30902 Redwood Hwy, Cave Junction, OR 97523

Venture to the Oregon Caves

Photos: Kayla Brock

About an hour and a half away from Grants Pass are the Oregon Caves, which President Taft made a national monument in 1909. These caves are special because they were formed from marble, versus the typical limestone. Upon arriving, I was given a safety briefing and told to try to avoid touching the marble as much as possible to preserve it. The caves stay at a temperature of 44 degrees Fahrenheit year-round and are home to many creatures, notably bats. A tour of the caves takes about two hours to complete, but there’s an earlier exit about 45 minutes into the cave if you’d like to slip out early.

Oregon Caves National Monument Cave Tour: 19000 Caves Hwy, Cave Junction

Weekend Beer Company

Photo: Kayla Brock

Weekend Beer Co. opened at its current location in 2021. “We do a lot in the community space,” mused the owner of the beer hall, Ashley Crews. A community space it is with communal picnic tables that fill the inside and outside of the 8,000-square-foot space. Crews and her husband built the taproom, and her husband brews the beer in-house. While alcohol is served, the space is very family-friendly with kids running around outside on a nice hot day. You can find craft beer, wine, and various ciders, as well as non-alcoholic drinks such as kombucha. I sat at a table near the musician and Betty’s, an artisan ice cream vendor with a small cart inside, sipping on a Portland Island Daiquiri cider. Out back, four food trucks rotate throughout the week, offering a range of eats. I went and grabbed an Impossible burger from Valentino’s and enjoyed the acoustic music playing, which occurs every Wednesday between 6 PM and 8 PM.

Weekend Beer Company: 1863 NW Washington Blvd, Grants Pass

Taylor’s Sausage Country Store

Photo: Kayla Brock

Inside the country store, the space was surprisingly expansive, with display cases full of sausages from salami sticks and sriracha teriyaki to steaks and chicken. With over 80 varieties of products available, the menu has a wide range of options, including burgers, grilled cheese, soups, ribs, hot dogs, and more. Originally from Europe, Great Grandpa Taylor brought his sausage recipes to Calgary, Alberta, before eventually settling in Santa Monica, California. The Taylor family has been crafting fine sausages since 1924. By 1934, Grandpa Taylor was selling his handmade sausages at the Hollywood Farmers Market, where they’ve since become a favorite among locals and Hollywood stars for more than 19 years.
Taylor’s Sausage Country Store: 202 Redwood Hwy, Cave Junction

The Riverside Inn

Photo: Kayla Brock

The Riverside Inn sits along the banks of the Rogue River. The small lobby has a cabin feel to it with its brown leather sofa that sits to the right of the check-in desk. Through double doors, there’s a hot breakfast with a variety of options such as eggs, waffles, bagels, fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, and cereals that can be enjoyed from 7 AM to 10:30 AM. All rooms have a private balcony that overlooks the Rogue River, where you can watch the Hellgate Jetboats fly by throughout the day, and there’s also a heated pool available. The inn offers fresh popcorn every evening until 9 PM. It has three floors, and the rooms are a good size, equipped with a mini fridge and microwave.

The Riverside Inn: 986 SW 6th St, Grants Pass

The nearest airport to reach Grants Pass is Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (MFR). From Medford, you’ll need to rent a car or take an Uber for an additional 35-40 minutes to reach Grants Pass. Downtown Grants Pass is very walkable and easy to navigate. You can reach the area in about 15 to 20 minutes on foot from the main attractions. If you’d like to go further afield to the Oregon Caves or Applegate Wine Valley, you’ll need a vehicle.