BEAR CREEK BEGINS at the confluence of Emigrant and Neil Creeks south of Ashland, and flows through the heart of the valley until it enters the Rogue River near Lower Table Rock. It has provided a convenient path over the years, first for Native Americans and later for Euro-American explorers, trappers, and settlers. The present Bear Creek channel has shifted a considerable distance to the northeast over much of its length. This has occurred naturally, with the deposition of soils from the west-feeding streams during floods, plus agricultural activity, construction of homes and commercial structures, and channelization of Bear Creek to protect the highways. One impact of this movement has been to bury the evidence of historic and prehistoric cultures under layers of sediment.

An example of the effort to stabilize Bear Creek are the large boulders—rip-rap—set along the bank here and in several other places along the creek.