| Wildflower Destinations > Southern Oregon/Siskiyous |
Days Gulch/T.J. Howell Botanical Drive
Josephine County, Oregon
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Fees: none
Activity: drive + walking/hiking
Elevation: 1200'-4252'
Current status (as of 1/22/25): not blooming
Notes: Forest Road 4201 is a 14-mile-long well-graded gravel road that goes from the Eight Dollar Mountain Botanical Wayside (1360') all the way up to the Babyfoot Lake Trailhead (4340'). Only the first 7.5 miles are designated the "T.J. Howell Botanical Drive," but you'll find interesting plants along the entire route — and because there's so much elevation change, the "peak" wildflower season ranges from April all the way through June. The route passes through Days Gulch Botanical Area, which has no official trails — but there's a small fenced parking area on spur road 023, and the sharp hairpin curve about 1.6 miles past Eight Dollar Bridge is another great place to stop and explore, with a pitcher-plant fen to the southwest and a pond up the hill to the northwest.
Peak wildflower bloom at Days Gulch/T.J. Howell Botanical Drive is typically from early April through May into late June, but there may be some flowers blooming from mid-March until mid-July.*
Typical year: 
Featured plants: Darlingtonia californica, Erythronium citrinum, Cypripedium californicum
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* The dates given on this Web site for each location's blooming season are only estimates and can vary from year to year. Weather conditions in the winter and spring can shift these dates by up to a month, especially in the mountains. For the latest updates, check the Oregon Wildflowers or PortlandHikers Facebook groups, or browse the most recent postings to iNaturalist or Instagram.
