“World's Most Complete Neighborpedia”
Explore:   What's happening in your neck of the woods?

Rafting the Rogue River

WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE OUR RAFTING TRIPS DOWN THE ROGUE RIVER AN ANNUAL EVENT!

For quite a few summers now we have gathered together with family and friends and rented a couple rafts from Ferron's Fun Trips. Ferron offers an aray of rafts and my favorite is the paddle raft with the frame where just one person paddles! (MY HUSBAND!) I have been there and done that thing where you put 10 people in a raft and you all paddle. That's not too bad, but one time we went and it was just me, my dad, and my husband in the raft and it was truly the trip through Hellgate Canyon! All I can remember is my husband yelling..."paddle harder!"

Rafting the Rogue

This was much more fun!! I felt like the Queen of the Rogue!

We always let in at Hog Creek and float down through Hellgate Canyon.....stop in Galice and have an awesome lunch at the Galice Resort and then on down to the Graves Creek Bridge. That is the last spot on the River before you have to have permits to raft any farther. Maybe they named Graves Creek because a lot of people died on the river along this stretch?

Rogue River

If you decide to take on this wonderful adventure the main thing to remember is to:

ALWAYS WEAR A LIFE JACKET!!

Posted Saturday Jul 19
( 07/19/08 04:31PM ) — Ruthmarie Hicks

Wow! That looks amazing - and COLD - if you capsize!  Great photos.

( 07/20/08 07:45AM ) — Virginia Tatseos Stage-Show-Sell

I was a little hesitant about looking at this post.  About 10 years ago my family-- husband, sister and spouse, and two brothers and their spouses -- went white water rafting. 


My sister was thown from the raft and broke her nose, my younger brother was pined against a large boulder and I was trapped under the raft for a very long time.  Three of us came very close to going to the great beyond at the same time.  NEVER AGAIN

Ruthmarie- Actually this trip we did not capsize once! And it did get hot by the afetrnoon and I got a little sunburnt even.


Virgina- I can certainly understand your hesitancy and think you are very brave for reading the post! That sounds like a terrible trip! The worst thing that ever happen to us on one of our trips was my daughter was with friends in a different raft and they flipped, she went in and I couldn't help her. She was only 7 years old at the time and all I could do was watch from afar. She had her vest on of course and came up instantly, but still a very tense moment. One cute aspect of the accident was ...she was holding a Mountain Dew can in her hand when she went in and still was clutching it when she was pulled back in the raft. We thought that would have made an awesome commerical! 

Now that looks like fun... granted Virginia understandably doesn't think so...  The water does look cold as heck though.

Jesse- thanks for stopping by and commenting...I have missed you. I heard that you were entertaining. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Lori, that sounds like so much fun. I can remember going on trips down the Nanthalia (spelling?) and the Ocoee several times. I also remember tubing down part of the river before you got to a point where you had to be in a raft. PLaces like this are so much fun and good to know about!

Stephen- when I was growing up we lived in the Rogue Valley and we used to spend our summer tubing down the calmer spots on the river. So many fun memories. I wouldn't do this stretch in this post on an inner tube. Some people use inflatable kayaks...they usually flip over!

Lori, I've been wanting to raft the Rogue since moving to Oregon in 2004. For now, though, I'll just have to live vicariously through you. But now I know whom to call for advice if I ever get the chance to go. Great post!

Lisa- I think you should do it! Seriously...with the paddle rafts it is a breeze!

( 07/29/08 07:08PM ) — Terrie Leighton

We use to have an annual trip to Coos Bay every July, for the 4th! We rafted down the Rogue River as well. What a blast.


Unfortunately, my children started a new school that was on a year round system and are now in school during the month of July! Bummer! But we hope to restart a tradition as soon at they get back to traditional school.


But thanks for the great pictures and sharing your story.

Terrie- I appreciate your nice comments on my posts. This year my daughter went with us in the paddle raft and she commented on how much more fun it was than the time that she was flipped into the brink!

Post a comment

Temporarily disabled — coming soon!