As a destination, the Applegate Valley is at a critical juncture. To date visitation has been relatively light, as have visitor impacts. Strong trends in the tourism industry indicate that the valley is poised to receive a significant uptick in visitors. Our burgeoning wine production, outdoor recreation offerings, and sense of being just off the beaten path align with visitor preferences. 

AGA has partnered with Travel Southern Oregon, The Ford Family Foundation, and Destination Management Associates to develop a Destination Management Plan for the Applegate Valley. See the executive summary for more information: Destination Management Plan Executive Summary 

The plan is intended to benefit the artists, farmers and food producers, public and private land managers, event producers, and outdoor enthusiasts that make the Applegate Valley special.  Recommendations from the plan include: 

Culinary/Agritourism

Grow the valley’s reputation as a high-quality local food destination.

  • Bundle locally made food and sell in picnic baskets at the gateways, at wineries, and a kiosk along Highway 238
  • Cultivate a list of producers willing to create on-farm experiences, support visitor readiness, aggregate and market experiences when ready
  • Encourage educational experiences that generate supplemental income for producers and lead to farm stays
  • Create an Applegate Valley Food Trail that serves as a companion to the Applegate Valley Wine Trail and builds off of work done to create the Rogue Valley Food Trail
  • Support use of Applegate Valley logo on regional food products
  • Build partnerships with wineries that showcase local foods at point of purchase (local food picnic baskets, a la-carte goods) through chef dinners, and events
  • Leverage resident food influencers to expose their audiences to the Applegate Valley’s culture of food and artisanal products

Wine Tourism

Support success and expose wine travelers to the rest of the cornucopia.

  • Develop relationships with vineyard and winery owners and operators to support their success. Create an overlapping network of wine producers, farmers, and artisans that helps expose wine enthusiasts to local food and art
  • Create an event series that pairs local wines with seasonal and boutique foods
  • Create a referral network by hosting local familiarization tours for front line staff
  • Produce visitor friendly collateral and distribute at wineries
  • Leverage wine influencer’s trips to the valley by providing tailored culinary experiences and on-farm experiences
  • Encourage wineries to create boutique lodging opportunities for visitors

Arts & Artisan Culture

Connect the visitor economy and the arts and artisan community.

  • Support the creation of a gathering place and makerspace at each end of the valley. Encourage the creation of educational experiences for visitors
  • Convene artists and artisans to further define a regional brand
  • Explore applying the Applegate Valley logo to regional food products
  • Package art and sell in gateways
  • Integrate art into the growing network of alternative lodging options
  • In partnership with wellness experts, create a complimentary suit of treatments and market collectively

Outdoor Recreation

Improve access to outdoor recreation to encourage longer stays and return trips.

  • Partner with local trails organizations and land management agencies, especially the BLM, to prioritize and develop trailheads, trail connectors, and new trails
  • Identify possible access points for the Applegate and Little Applegate Rivers, with a focus on BLM, USFS, and State of Oregon parcels
  • Explore easements or land donations that will increase public access
  • Engage ODOT to assess feasibility of a continuous path for active transportation along the valley floor. Prioritize building sections of path that provide critical links
  • Coordinate with local historical organizations to highlight points of interest

Events

Leverage, wine, lavender, and paragliding events to disseminate visitors throughout the valley and inspire return visits. Create new events to bolster awareness of the valley’s many offerings.

Existing Events

  • Partner with paragliding event producers and local landowners to create temporary overnight lodging during the events.
  • Expand events into festivals that encourage overnight stays in the valley and dining at local restaurants, food carts, and producers.
  • Liaise with county officials to allow permitting of temporary group camp and RV sites.

New Events

  • In partnership with food producers, create a shoulder-season event to showcase local products, e.g., Applegate Harvest Festival
  • In partnership with artists and artisans, create a shoulder or off-season event to showcase local art