Community Gems: Spotlight on Merlin

Although the town of Merlin was not named after the legendary wizard, the area still possesses an old-fashioned charm that Camelot’s towns may have once had (minus knights and dragons and public executions).  I-5 exit 61 takes Josephine County visitors on a trek down a long country road before reaching the town of Merlin, but once you arrive, you’ll find that there’s more to do than you might have imagined.

As a common stopping point on the way to Indian Mary Park or the Galice Resort, Merlin is home to restaurants, river-gear outfitters, and roughly 1,700 residents who enjoy the slower pace that a forest-enclosed town offers. In addition, nearby Jumpoff Joe Creek gives the town water access—turning the area into a popular spot for sport fishing and whitewater rafting. On a warm summer day, be sure to stake out a riverside spot early, because Merlin will fill up with visitors from all across Southern Oregon.

Though rafting adventures along the Rogue River are Merlin’s largest claim to fame, the downtown area has received more attention in the recent past. Only a few years ago, a sidewalk project in Merlin made the streets more pedestrian-friendly, raising the prospect of strolling around town after a dinner at Baldini’s, Tacomania Street Tacos y Mas, or Morrison’s Rogue Wilderness Adventures.

On the more industrial side of town, Linx Technologies (which produces components of antennas and wireless devices) resides in Merlin, where they have the “best of both worlds—the Rogue River and nature trails right outside…and a motivated team inside.”

The next time you’re passing through the area (perhaps en route to the Galice Resort), stop and say hi to Merlin. And if you’re still curious as to how the town got its name…it was because of the abundance of small, fierce falcons (Merlins), which apparently stood out to the town’s early railroad workers. So, say hi to the birds too.