Capricious April brought plenty of rain, hail and even snow to the Rogue Valley this year. With that kind of weather, it’s hard to imagine summer’s warmth. But hey — no one is better at conjuring up a bright future than college students! So Have You Heard headed over to the Riverside campus of Rogue Community College and asked students: What’s your favorite thing about living in the Rogue Valley in the summertime?

Lydia Gilman
Eagle Point
The ground is finally dry enough that I can ride my horse. My other favorite activity is rafting. We put in at Ennis Riffle and float to Grave’s Creek. We always have a picnic lunch.

Susan Bates
Rafting the Rogue and hiking to waterfalls are my favorite activities. My favorite waterfall hike is to Mill Creek Falls. The National Creek Falls hike is another good one. At the end of that hike you arrive at the base of the falls, so you look up into the falling water.

Karin McCollum
Central Point
I like being able to go camping with my family. We like to go out past Prospect to Natural Bridge campground. It’s so peaceful by the Rogue River.

Maegan Belanger
Medford
I love swimming, but not in the Rogue River because it’s too cold. We have great local lakes, like the Applegate we can swim in. My absolute favorite place is the Illinois River. The water is so clear you can see to the bottom and it’s warmer than the Rogue. I feed the fish; they eat right out of your hand.

Ellie Delay
Medford
I love the fact I can ride my bike everywhere. I like to spend time with my dogs on a beautiful day. They are getting older and with hip dysplasia, it’s easier to walk them in the warm weather. We walk all around southwest Medford. I like the mountains, the trees, the rivers and lakes. They remind me of my childhood home in Mt. Shasta.

Sarah Nork
Medford
I enjoy hiking, camping and fishing. I love the outdoors. We’re only a few miles away from nice forest walks and outdoor activities. I love fishing the upper Rogue. My favorite spot is River Bridge. My favorite trail is Takelma Gorge trail. It’s like a fairyland.

Dona Allen
Medford
I’m looking forward to spending time in nature. I especially love water. I’m new here, so I’ll be doing a lot of sightseeing to find out what’s available: lakes, mountains, parks. I’ve learned that you can drive for an hour and see some beautiful sights.

Michelle Gray
Central Point
I love that we have such great agriculture in the valley. Our weather permits us to have fresh vegetables all summer long. We’re fortunate to have so many farms nearby and a local growers’ market. I go weekly to Seven Oaks Farm to buy fresh produce. They offer different products each week. I especially love their corn and Vidalia onions.