Picnics combine two of the greatest things life has to offer: food and the great outdoors. With a little creativity, a person can fashion their own five-star restaurant anywhere they want. The ingredients may vary as much as the weather, but with the right place to picnic, it won’t matter what you bring with you, save good people.

Table Rock: Picnics taste even better after a rewarding hike. Upper Table Rock is an easy 2.8 mile round trip while Lower Table Rock is a moderate 5.4 mile hike. Enjoy the wildflowers along the way and soak in the views at the top.

Fish Lake: An excellent spot out of town where you can hang out on the beach, enjoy the cool air, and soak up the mountain vistas. From Medford, 30 miles up Crater Lake Highway.

Emigrant Lake: Another lake (with water in it!) offers some nice views of Mt. Ashland. Treat yourself to an outdoor meal on a blanket after some rock climbing, swimming, or fishing. Bring some Frisbees in the picnic basket for disc golf afterwards.

Queen of Hearts Trail above Ashland: Park your car at  the White Rabbit parking lot and find a nice boulder with a pleasant seat among manzanitas, oak, and madrone. Enjoy lunch while reminiscing about winter. Moss covered seats a bonus!

TouVelle State Recreation Site: Just outside Central Point, this beautiful day-use park is located right on the Rogue River just below Table Rock. Fishing, swimming, hiking, and plenty of spots for single or group picnics, make this an ideal afternoon basecamp. This place is also teeming with local and migratory wildlife.  

Pacifica: Garden in the Siskiyous: With hundreds of acres of unaltered native habitat, spend the whole day here enjoying the quiet solitude while dipping your fishing pole into a pond stocked with bass and bluegill.  14615 Watergap Road, Williams, 541-846-1100, pacificagarden.org