Located 20 miles south of Ashland, Oregon, and overlooking the entire valley, Mount Ashland is a lovely little ski area during the winter. During the summer, when you’re most likely to be visiting on a family vacation, it’s a great place for hiking and biking down scenic mountain trails. Kids will love finding patches of snow well into June, enough to hold a summertime snowball fight. There’s primitive camping near the ski lodge. Be warned, however, that the entire lodge is closed during the summer, and there are no bathroom facilities beyond the trees and plants.

The popular Pacific Crest Trail crosses through this area, and you can easily hike part of it from Mount Ashland. The level trail passes through meadows of wildflowers for just over 3 miles, offering stunning views of Mount Shasta in the distance. If you can, arrange for a second car to be waiting at the end of the trail to shuttle you back. Otherwise, turn around at any point to get back to your car.