The original roadway through this area, referred to as Pioneer Trail, was established in the 1820s. By 1860 a wagon track, linking communities and Army outposts together, was built. Between 1910 through the 1930s, as the area's beauty and wide array of recreational opportunities became better known, the route was paved. With easier access and the demands of World War II, the massive Sugar pines were heavily harvested. The White Pine Blister Rust killed many pines not harvested. Over the years, the Forest Service has developed a Blister Rust resistant Sugar pine and has begun replanting the depleted forest. Soon the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway will celebrate all the work with a magnificent canopy formed by giant Sugar pine, as well as Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and Hemlock.
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