TWO BLOCKS FROM OUR HOUSE,  there is a trail called the White Rabbit that leads into the forest, along a creek, and seriously uphill with views of the valley below. It’s a magical world of thick pines and madrones with bark as crimson as blood. The trail winds through the rugged, sprawling Oredson-Todd Woods for two and a half miles and then meets up with the Alice in Wonderland Trail above downtown Ashland. These are public lands.

Locals say there is no need for a trail map. But it’s a down-the-rabbit-hole affair, with a warren of other trails crossing the White Rabbit: Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, Looking Glass, Caterpillar, and more. The Pacific Crest Trail appears and disappears, too. Although it may be hard to get lost, it’s easy to feel lost. Lewis Carroll would approve.