The Rogue River is the West Coast's premier wilderness river journey. Join the journey on the Rogue and you'll find yourself floating on a strikingly beautiful stream that cascades through a exquisite canyon mantled in Douglas fir, western hemlock, oak and madrone. Fern grottos, beautiful sandy beaches, sparkling waterfalls, lovely side streams, translucent swimming holes, historic homesteads, and exquisitely carved river rocks combine to create a place that's pure magic.
This is wild country. The Rogue Wilderness is home to black bears and bobcats, to raccoons, river otters, deer and mink, to ospreys, blue heron and bald eagles. The river itself is equally wild. Challenging but forgiving whitewater awaits amidst vertical-walled canyons, boulder filled mazes, abrupt drops and narrow chutes.
The Rogue is a river for all seasons. Summer trips promise hot, sunny weather and warm water for swimming. Spring trips feature multitudes of wildflowers. Fall trips reveal gorgeous forest colors, warm days and cool crisp evenings. And the whitewater is exciting, any time of year.
Oregon River Experiences offers a variety of Rogue River trip formats, including wilderness camping trips (their most popular option), wilderness lodge stays, camp/lodge combinations (a night camping followed by a night at a riverside lodge), and raft-supported hiking adventures.
A great family vacation, the Rogue is one of America's finest river journeys.
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Trip Itinerary
First Morning: Meet at 8:30am on the day your trip begins at the Galice Resort Cafe. The resort is situated along the banks of the river not far from the town of Grants Pass. Galice is roughly 400 miles north of San Francisco, California, and 250 miles south of Portland, Oregon. (Please have your breakfast before meeting time, and arrive in your river clothes.) The Lead Guide will meet you in front of the cafe and store. Look for a vehicle sporting the O.R.E. logo. If in doubt about where to find them, ask a Galice employee at the store, and they will assist you. After a brief orientation you will pack your things into river bags, and park your vehicles at Galice. The group will then go by van to the launch site a few miles downstream. Depending upon trip length and water level, the river trip will begin at either Almeda Bar, Argo Bar, or Grave Creek boat ramp.
Once you arrive at the launch site, you’ll meet the rest of the guide crew, and they’ll conduct a short safety and orientation briefing, which will include instruction on paddle and rowing techniques as needed. Normally, you'll be on your way downstream by mid-morning.
On the River: Each day is a bit different. A typical day on the river begins with freshly brewed coffee around 7:00am, and breakfast by 8:00am. After breakfast, pack your bags and load the boats. Then, after a brief orientation to the day’s adventures, you’ll head downstream.
You'll be on the river an average of four to five hours per day. Along the way you stop for a riverside picnic lunch. You may also stop to swim, to explore historic sites, to scout rapids, or hike up scenic side streams. Typically, arrival in camp is by mid to late afternoon, and while the guides prepare hors d’oeuvres and dinner, you’ll have time to hike, swim, fish, read, or nap.
Last Day: Typically, arrival at Foster Bar, the take-out point, is between 1:30pm and 3:00pm. Once you’ve unpacked, board a van for the ride back to Galice. On small trips, you will completely de-rig the boats, and guides will accompany you back to Galice. On larger trips, you will say good-bye to the guides when you leave Foster Bar, as they will stay behind to finish de-rigging. The ride takes about two hours, on scenic Bear Camp Road through the Siskiyou National Forest. Climbing 4,000 feet through mountainous terrain before descending to Galice, it’s a beautiful but winding journey. (If you’re particularly susceptible to car sickness you may want to bring Dramamine.) You arrive back in Galice between 4:30pm and 6:00pm.
Notes
Trip Highlights The first day on the river begins with mild rapids that are ideal for a warm up, especially for those behind the oars or paddling an inflatable kayak. Once past Grave Creek boat ramp, you'll encounter the first major rapids, Grave Creek rapids and Grave Creek falls. Not long after, you come to the biggest rapid on the river: class V+ Rainie Falls. No one will raft the falls themselves, and most people will walk around the rapids altogether. But water levels permitting, members of the group may be invited to challenge a Class III+ side channel, the "Fish Ladder". While at Rainie, keep an eye out for Salmon jumping the falls - it's a spectacular sight!
Days 2 and 3 provide the most exciting whitewater of the trip. (On three-day trips, these rapids are run in the afternoon on day one, and all day the next.) Encounter numerous class III rapids, including Wildcat, Horseshoe Bend, and Black Bar Falls. Two spectacular Class IV rapids — Mule Creek Canyon and Blossom Bar — are the whitewater highlights of the trip. (Please note: Unless water levels are particularly favorable, guides will take the inflatable kayaks and row-yourself rafts through the first section of Blossom Bar, before turning these boats back over to guests for the remainder of the rapid.)
In addition to the rapids, the Rogue offers other attractions. Time and conditions permitting, you may hike up to the double waterfalls at Dulog Creek, stop to explore the swimming holes at Howard Creek or Big Windy Creek, pay a visit to the historic Rogue River Ranch, or stop for a picnic lunch at the waterfalls of beautiful Flora Dell.
Reservation Policy
Advance reservations are required. A $100 per person deposit reserves your spot.
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