Planning a Rogue River Trip

Lush green forests, otters cutting sharp tracks through eddies as they swim in formation, and wide cobble bars that host egrets, cormorants, and herons gathering at the golden hour: The Wild section of the Rogue River is a prime multi-day river experience with pool-and-drop whitewater and typically enough water flow that you can run it well into the fall. Here’s a guide to planning a Rogue River trip, including how to get a permit, required gear, bear-proofing tips, and other info. 

Rogue River overview

The Rogue River, one of the eight rivers first designated as Wild & Scenic in 1968, flows 215 miles from Crater Lake to Gold Beach at the Pacific Ocean. For private boaters proficient in Class III/IV whitewater on a big-volume river, this trip is highly sought not only for the whitewater but also for the hiking opportunities along the Rogue River Trail that runs alongside most of this section, the steelhead and salmon fishing, and the reliable wildlife sightings: You will most likely see at least one black bear on the Rogue. 

For parties that want to combine an outdoor experience during the day with a regular bed and pillow at night, several lodges along the way offer accommodations that are easily accessible from the river.

Despite the fact that nearly 20,000 people run the Rogue each year, the wilderness experience remains intact especially during the early and late seasons. 

Significant Rogue River rapids

The Rogue River section from Grave Creek to Foster Bar has Class II to Class IV rapids, but they come at a pool-and-drop pace so you have time to recover and gather your wits for the next round. Many of the Class II drops are primarily read-and-run S-curves but in higher water the big waves can surprise any boater. The three most notorious features—Rainie Falls, Mule Creek Canyon, and Blossom Bar—are each tricky in their own way and deserve study through scouting on site or video research before the trip. 

Rainie Falls

Rainie Falls is a Class V drop that many boaters avoid by running the “Fish Ladder” on river right. You can scout Rainie on the left or research the many YouTube videos of it beforehand. The two viable routes through it are over the steep main falls on river left or through the less steep but hard-to-peg middle chute.

Especially as Rainie Falls comes early in the first day on the Rogue, many paddlers choose to bump down the Fish Ladder, a route that was blasted open to ease the passage of migrating salmon. The Fish Ladder route is less dangerous, but it’s not an elegant solution: It’s a narrow passage and if you’re navigating it in a raft, be prepared to simply ship your oars and push off rocks as you grind down the chute through a sharp left turn and into the current below Rainie. 

Mule Creek Canyon

At Mule Creek Canyon, the river constricts to a narrow channel with big waves that pitch boats against the canyon walls and boiling eddies that make navigation difficult—especially for rafts, as there’s not much room to deploy oars. 

Be sure to take a minute to stop at Initiation Falls below Mule Creek, which is strong and beautiful even at lower levels in the fall.

Here’s a quick video of rafts and kayaks navigating through Mule Creek:

Blossom Bar

Blossom Bar is a long, boulder-choked rapid with several crux moves for rafters. Although it’s somewhat easier at lower water levels, and you have more time to maneuver, Blossom can still confound rafters with forceful currents that try to motor rafts directly into massive boulders.

You can scout Blossom Bar on the right: Take the time to scout from midway down the rapid rather from just at the top so you get the full sense of possible passageways between boulders and the force of the currents leading to obstacles. 

Rogue River campsites

Rogue River campsites are abundant, but not assigned, so you might encounter some camp running among groups who are gunning for a few of the most desirable camps in the Whiskey Creek, Mule Creek, and Horseshoe Bend areas. During a September trip with a relatively small group of 9, we discovered some camps, such as Battle Bar, that have minimal real estate at river level but lushly shaded benches above for tent sites. Another camp that looked sketchy from the bank, Upper Tate Creek, has lovely tent-sized pockets of sand strewn among the ledges. 

Many of the most popular camps are equipped with bear fences, a welcome bear-proofing convenience. The Bureau of Land Management’s Rogue River Boater’s Guide has a list of campsites with bear fences and provides this river map with bear fences marked.  

Bear-proofing for the Rogue 

Black bears are abundant on the Rogue, so river runners need to take precautions to discourage encounters. Here are some action items to consider: 

• Ask the rangers at the Smullin Visitor Center for the latest updates on where bears have been seen recently and avoid those areas for camping or lunch spots. 
• Aim for campsites with bear fences as they are convenient and large enough to accommodate all your food-related gear. However, in the likely event that your chosen site as already been claimed, bring your own bear fence and practice setting it up before the trip. Make sure that your bear fence can accommodate all food containers on the trip, including coolers, dry boxes, dry bags, and personal items that have good-smelling potions like toothpaste or scented lotions. If you have a 3- or 4-raft trip, that can add to a lot of square footage. This Bearwatch Systems bear fence covers a 20-foot by 20-foot area, a good size for most river camps. Also make sure you have plenty of batteries for your bear fence. 
• Require every river tripper to carry their own bear spray with them in camp at all times but especially on hikes and trips to the groover. The Counter Assault Bear Deterrent with holster can be attached to a fanny pack so you always have it at your side.  Also, encourage everyone in your group to practice using the bear spray before the trip: The dispersant is surprisingly light and travels quickly in the wind, so it’s best to get used to that beforehand to avoid accidentally blinding your fellow river runners in camp.

The BLM also recommends a few other bear-proofing tactics including strapping coolers and food containers together to create larger units that are harder to move, placing pots and pans on top of gear so the bear will create a racket while rummaging, suspending food from trees, and using bear-resistant storage devices.

Essential gear for the Rogue 

Aside from the bear-proofing gear, the essential gear for the Rogue is standard. Here are a few notes on gear for the Rogue.

Fire pan

Because the Pacific Northwest has been plagued by summer wildfires the last few years, fire bans extending into the fall are common. Regardless, you’ll want to bring a firepan in case of emergencies. For more details on fire restrictions throughout the year and during high-risk times, see the BLM’s Rogue River permit regulations checklist.

River toilet (groover)

The one piece of gear that the rangers will likely inspect when you pick up your permit is your groover. With the volume of river runners and hikers on the river, corralling human waste is essential. Happily, the Foster Bar takeout has a SCAT machine to auto-wash your groover. Here’s a list of BLM-approved toilet systems (or Human Waste Removal System) with notes about which ones work well in a SCAT machine, including the Jon-ny Partner, Selway Fabrications River Bank, and the Eco-Safe. (For a deep discussion of groovers, check out Picking the Best River Toilet.) 

Besides requiring an approved river toilet, the BLM specifies more requirements regarding packing out human waste than I’ve seen in any other private boater instructions, likely because this area sees escalating use not just from river runners but also hikers on the Rogue River Trail, who undoubtedly have a bigger challenge in packing out their poop. Some of the guidelines include:

• The toilet system needs to accommodate the group for the entire trip length (1 pint capacity per person per day—makes you wonder who actually figured that out).
• The toilet system must be available on the river, and if your group splits up, each subgroup needs a waste disposal system. 
• Toilet systems must be set up within 30 minutes after reaching camp. 
• As with most river trips, urine should go in the river, the groover, or a pit toilet—avoid peeing on shore, in campsites, or on trails.

To help avoid groover emergencies on the river, consider putting together a day bag with single-use systems such as CleanWaste bags, some sanitizing wipes, toilet paper, and sealable trash bags (the CleanWaste bag, also known as “Wag Bags,” include all the essentials—waste bag, sealable storage bag, gelling/deodorizing potion, toilet paper and hand wipes).

Personal flotation devices (PFDs/life jackets)

The BLM requires U.S. Coast Guard Type I, III, or V PFDs, which all boaters are required to wear in Class III water and above and children age 12 and under are required to wear at all times on the river.

Waterway Access Permit

If you’re planning to run the recreation section of the Rogue, you’ll need a waterway access permit, which you can purchase at the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife licensing site. However, this permit isn’t required for the Wild section of the Rogue (Grave Creek to Foster Bar) as it’s already covered by the river permit. 

Photo ID for the trip leader

Only the trip leader needs to check in at Smullin Visitor Center to pick up the official permit. Other information the trip leader needs to bring is the full names and physical addresses of everyone in the group and the type and color of each boat (including kayaks and inflatable kayaks).

Other gear to consider for the Rogue:

• Rain gear 
• Bug spray 
• Bear spray for each person
• Hiking or running shoes to take advantage of the Rogue River Trail 
• Warm camp clothes for cool nights, especially in the fall

Vehicle shuttling for the Rogue River

You’ll likely want to pay for a shuttle service for a Rogue River trip. Although the river mileage for the Grave Creek to Foster Bar section is only 33 miles, the road from Foster Bar back to the Grants Pass area is long and winding. 

The BLM provides a list of Rogue River shuttle services. We’ve used Whitewater Cowboys and had a great experience with them: You can book your shuttle online, and when some of our group members have had to change their arrangements, they were easy to work with. 

Where to stay in the area

The Grave Creek put-in is about 45 minutes from Grants Pass, OR, so you can easily stay in a hotel there. If you’d rather camp, check out the Ennis Riffle campground or Almeda County Park on the Galice Road between Grants Pass and the Grave Creek launch area. The Galice Resort is also a great spot to crash the night before launch: They have several rustic cabins and a main lodge, plus a small store with last-minute boating necessities, T-shirts, beer, and excellent coffee. Although no cell service is available once you get to Galice, the Galice Resort area has decent wifi. The boat launch for the Galice to Grave Creek section is located just behind the store.

Getting a Rogue River permit

You need a permit year-round to run the Wild & Scenic section of the Rogue River. As with most highly desirable river trips, permits are awarded through the annual lottery for Rogue River permits for the high-use season from May 15 to October 15. If you win a permit through the lottery system, you need to confirm your permit within 10 days of launch. But if you need to cancel, make your fellow boaters happy by letting the river office know as soon as possible as they’ll reallocate your slots the day after you cancel.

If you don’t pull a permit through the lottery, you have plenty of other chances to pick one up, especially if you’re looking for a slot in September or October. 

• April giveaway: New applications are accepted during the first five days of April each year. Call the Smullin Visitor Center office at 541-479-3735 between 9 am and 3 pm.
• Competitive call-in: From May 5 through October 15, call the Smullin Visitor Center office at 541-479-3735 between 9 am and 3 pm to score any unclaimed permits.
• Walk-in: You can show up to the Smullin Visitor Center on the day you’d like to launch and see whether permits have become available.
• Self-permit: From October 16 through May 14, you can fill out a permit application at Smullin Visitor Center and launch whenever the spirit moves you.

Check this link to see the list of currently available Rogue River launch slots. For a full list of the rules, deadlines, and contact information for applying for permits, canceling permits, and picking up cancellations, check out the BLM’s Rogue River Info & Ethics document and the BLM’s Rogue River Frequently Asked Questions. 

Despite the fact that it entails 20 hours of driving—each way—from our home base in Colorado, we are keen to do the Rogue whenever we get a chance. Our most recent trip during a dry, lovely September opened our eyes to the joy of running it in a less crowded and still spectacularly beautiful season. The Fish Ladder was even bumpier than usual. But the whitewater and the cool, starry nights were more than ample recompense.

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