Ralph Bunyan Statue, Butte Falls, OR

Bob provides a height comparison.

“You’ve heard of Paul Bunyan, but what about his little brother, Ralph?”  As soon as we read the teaser introduction in the Online Highways website, we knew we had to go.  The Ralph Bunyan statue, standing about six feet tall, is located in a small park in the midst of Butte Falls, located about 45 minutes from Medford.  It was carved by Butte Fallian Bill Edmondson. The wood statue may not be a Michelangelo, but it was worth the ride.  The ride east from Highway 62 becomes increasingly scenic as the altitude increases and the remnants of large fire passed.   After staring intently at the statue for, oh, about five minutes, we cruised around the small town and chatted with some friendly people.

We decided to take a slightly longer ride home, going by Willow Lake and eventually linking to Highway 140, west of Lake of the Woods.  This portion of the ride definitely was worthwhile.  The vegetation was lush, green, and many wildflowers were still in bloom–something to be grateful for in late July.  All in all, a nice trip on a hot summer day.

Anne & Ralph

Bobnote:  Ralph is an unassuming and totally charming oddity.  He didn’t come about to make money or massage an ego or get into a record book — he was the result of  local people acting on a somewhat quirky idea, and he has been accepted as part of the community.  He stands guard at the corner of a municipal park that is remarkably well appointed and well-tended for a community with a population of about 400 (Jackson County’s smallest).  Three Cheers for Butte Falls!  For a view  of the city center from Ralph’s perspective, see below.

Want to go Ralphing?  Click Here to view or download a PDF of directions.

Downtown Butte Falls, left half

Downtown Butte Falls, right half