The Medford Transportation System Plan adopted in 2003, identified completion of the Larson Creek Multi-Use Path as a priority project to serve as a safe, off-street alternative for bicyclists and pedestrians to the high volume of traffic (and absence of bicycle lanes) on Barnett Road. The proposed two-mile Larson Creek Multi-Use Path parallels Barnett Road and extends east from the Bear Creek Greenway through primarily residential neighborhoods to North Phoenix Road where it will connect with the trail system under development in Southeast Medford.
In the fall of 2006, the City of Medford retained Alta Planning + Design to prepare the Larson Creek Multi-Use Path Master Plan. Completed in July of 2007, the Larson Creek Multi-Use Path Route Assessment(PDF, 58MB) serves as this Master Plan and included assessment of existing conditions, and public participation. The Plan analyzed two alternative trail alignments, indicated by the blue and yellow lines on the maps. The Blue Route was found to provide a more direct route that better serves the transportation goals of the project as it follows Larson Creek more closely, but requires more right-of-way acquisition. The Yellow Route was found to be a less direct route, with more on-street segments and less property acquisition.
The western-most segment from the Bear Creek Greenway to Ellendale Avenue was completed in 2014.
The 2/3 mile segment from Ellendale Avenue to Black Oak Drive was completed in 2019.
In 2024, Visar Construction Company, a Medford based contractor, completed reconstruction of the segment of Larson Creek Trail between Black Oak Drive and Murphy Road.
This section was in significant disrepair with bulging tree roots and crumbling asphalt making traversing the path difficult for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other path users.
The $374,087.50 project was largely funded through a grant from the Oregon Community Paths grant program.