Highlights
- Wildlife: Bald Eagles, Osprey, Great Blue Herons, Black Bear, Deer, River Otters
- Lodge & Camping trip options
- History – Zane Grey’s cabin, Rogue River Ranch museum
- Raft supported hiking trips on the Rogue River trail
Full Description
The Rogue is rich with history, beauty, and drama. Long considered to be one of the world’s classic rivers, it is home to a vast array of wildlife — and whitewater — from tranquil riffles to the thunder of Rainie Falls.
Tumbling from the Cascade Mountains near Crater Lake in southern Oregon, the Rogue winds through the dramatic rocky gorges of the Siskiyou National Forest. It was one of the original eight rivers protected as Wild and Scenic by Congress in 1968 (the Klamath River was added in 1981). A river paradise, the canyon is accessible only on foot or by boat. In the spring and fall we have the option of staying in one of the beautiful lodges hidden deep in the Rogue canyon.
Includes:
- Rafts, life jackets, helmets if needed, dry storage bags
- Professional guides & instruction
- Meals from lunch on the first day through lunch on the last day
- Water & snacks during the day
- Shuttles from the take-out point back to the departure point
Excludes:
- Transportation to or from the departure point
- Personal beverages (sodas or alcoholic drinks)
- Personal clothes and camping equipment
Day by Day Itinerary
Pre-Departure
Our 4-day Rogue River trip starts from Almeda Campground, a few miles downriver from the Galice Resort. We will meet you at 9:00 the first morning or you are welcome to camp the evening before and join us for a continental breakfast as we pack the gear rafts. Your guides will assist in packing your waterproof bags and fitting life jackets, followed by a short safety talk and paddling instruction.
Our camps on the Rogue are chosen for their proximity to hiking, fishing, and canyon views. Each evening we’ll arrive in camp around four o’clock to allow time for setting up your site and either relaxing or going exploring. Afternoon snacks and the drinks cooler are made available. After dinner we’ll prepare a campfire. You’re welcome to gather and enjoy the camaraderie or head off for a sweet nights sleep under the stars.
Day One
Our first day on the river takes us through Rainie Falls. After our run down the dory chute – not the falls! We’ll stop and hike back up to watch the salmon as they attempt to leap the falls. There will be time to hike up Whiskey Creek to an old miner’s homestead – still intact - orchard and all. Camp is the large sandy bench at Doe Creek. The next morning, waking early as the sun touches the hillside behind our camp, we’re often greeted by a flock of Canadian geese gliding up the canyon.
Day Two
Today we'll head through a variety of rock gorges and open forest. It’s the busiest whitewater day with back-to-back rapids; a good day to try your hand in the inflatable kayaks or take a seat on the gear raft and enjoy the ride. We’ll stop for a hike to Zane Grey’s original fishing cabin and lunch beside the swimming holes of Big Windy Creek. Tonight’s camp is at Missouri Bar, an old miner’s cabin site.
Day Three
Today includes a visit to the Rogue River Ranch. Maintained by the BLM, the working ranch has a small museum with photos and artifacts from the early 1800’s. After lunch beside Mule Creek we’ll be off to run the two most spectacular rapids of the trip. Mule Creek canyon is a ¾ mile long narrow chute with walls towering 50’ overhead. The confined river swirls and boils into a final constriction, the “Coffeepot”, challenging to even the best guides. Another mile downstream is Blossom Bar rapid. Located at the mouth of two large creeks, Blossom Bar is choked with house sized boulders, forming a river slalom course for us to negotiate. After Blossom Bar the river calms down and we’ll pass Paradise Lodge - one of the few in the canyon and our stop for the night on lodge trips. Camping for the evening is at East Creek. You’ll have time to explore the remains of a fishing cabin built by four WWII generals, wander up the narrow canyon of East Creek, or cross to the trail side for a hike high above the river.
Day Four
On your last day, the canyon begins to open up. We’ll pause at some of the side creeks to enjoy the many waterfalls pouring into the river and lunch on the rocky outcrop below Flora Dell falls. This is a good day for a turn in the kayaks or a hand at guiding the rafts. Our take-out is at Foster Bar where, on most trips, your vehicle will be waiting. You may chose to travel back to Galice or head out to the coast for an extended vacation. The road back to Galice climbs over the remote and rugged Siskiyou Mountains, affording views of the river from the ridge-tops above.
About The Operator:
Turtle River Rafting Co.
Headquarters:
Mount Shasta, CA
Turtle River Rafting Company is based in Mount Shasta, California just below the Oregon border. We have trips on six rivers in the mountains surrounding our home in addition to the Owyhee River in the high-desert of southern Oregon. The rivers running through the Siskiyou and Marble mountains offer some of the best whitewater rafting in the western United States. This rugged, mountainous country is also treasured for its solitude, exceptional wildlife, and fabulous scenery. We invite you to travel with us on a river rafting adventure and share our love of whitewater, wilderness, and friendship.
Safety is a top priority at Turtle River. Now in our fourth decade of operation, most of our guides have been running rivers for 8 to 29 years. All are certified in first-aid and CPR and many have Swiftwater Rescue training & EMT certification.
From April through September, we offer 1- to 6-day river rafting vacations: one- & two-day river trips where families can take children as young as four; more adventurous multi-day wilderness journeys; and some of the wildest Class 4 and Class 5 whitewater in California and Oregon.
