Rogue River Rafting

MEETING PLACE:  Morrison's Lodge in Merlin Oregon

Day 0 - ARRIVE IN MERLIN, OR; ORIENTATION MEETING
Travel to Merlin, Oregon and meet your Team Leader at Morrison's Lodge at 5:45 pm for a one-hour orientation meeting to answer last minute questions. You will receive your waterproof gear bags to pack. Dinner is on your own.

• ACCOMMODATIONS: Recommend staying at Morrison's Lodge (Not Included in trip cost)
• MEALS INCLUDED: none

Day 1 - RAINIE FALLS; BLACK BAR LODGE 
On the first day of your Rogue River rafting trip, we greet you at 7:45 am at Morrison's Lodge. We will then depart for the Rand Boat Launch put-in as a group. We then fit you with the correct sized PFD (personal flotation device) and then give a safety talk to prepare you for the trip. After the safety talk, we divide into oar rafts, paddle rafts, and inflatable kayaks or "duckies" as we call them. Anyone who drove their own vehicle to Merlin can park their cars at Morrison's Lodge in a secure area to stay during the Rogue River rafting trip. We like to launch at Rand Boat Launch because it is away from the clusters of people that can be at the Galice Resort during the height of the summer. The river starts off gently, but it isn’t long before we come to our first fun rapids. Sometime before noon, we enter the Congressionally-designated Wild & Scenic section of the Wild Rogue River at a rapid called Grave Creek. Generally, we will eat lunch the first day around the Class V rafting rapid called Rainie Falls (guests walk around this rapid). The afternoon is filled with several Class II and Class III rapids and we arrive at Black Bar Lodge around 4:30 or 5:00 pm. While you are being assigned to your cabin and cleaning up, we prepare the evenings hors d’oeuvres as well as complimentary regional wine, beer, and sodas for you to enjoy before dinner. You might want to take a short hike around the property, visit with your fellow travelers, or play a few games that are offered at the lodge. Around 7:00 pm dinner is served in the cozy lodge dining room. Lodge dinners are served family-style with long tables. After dinner, guests can play cards, visit, play the lodge guitar or go outside and gaze at a star-filled sky. Around 10:00 pm the Black Bar Lodge's generator is shut down, so we encourage you to bring flashlights since the property can get very dark.

• ACCOMMODATIONS: Black Bar Lodge
• MEALS INCLUDED: L, D

Day 2 - ROGUE RIVER RANCH; MARIAL LODGE
Coffee and tea are served in the lodge dining room around 7:00 am with breakfast served about 7:30. After breakfast, it’s time to pack up and then we carry our gear back to the rafts in the river and launch around 9:00 am for another day of exploring and fun. Today on your Rogue River rafting trip in Oregon you go through a series of bouncing, exciting Class II and III rapids. We stop for lunch somewhere along the way, perhaps at a historic site or spot with a good walk. Later in the afternoon, we arrive at the Rogue River Ranch. The Rogue River Ranch is a fascinating place to visit and a vivid example of early pioneer history. Later in the afternoon, we arrive at Marial Lodge, home for our second night. Once again, guests are assigned cabins and then we serve our delicious hors-d'oeuvres for the ROW “happy hour.” Dinner is served around 6:30 pm here and again is a family-style affair, this time with round tables. After dinner, one of our guides will generally lead guests on a nice hike down a trail that leads to a spectacular waterfall. Then enjoy the deck with calming views of the river canyon before heading to bed. The power generator is never turned off at this lodge, so there is power available all night.

• ACCOMMODATIONS: Marial Lodge
• MEALS INCLUDED: B, L, D

Day 3-4 - MULE CREEK CANYON; BLOSSOM BAR; DEVILS STAIRCASE
Wake up to the sound of birdsong and quiet. Breakfast is served around 8:00 am. After breakfast, everyone packs up and then we back for rafting on the Rogue River around 9:00 am. The third day is where the most spectacular rapids occur when rafting the Rogue River. Guests experience Mule Creek Canyon, Blossom Bar, and Devils Staircase rapids--all three of which are Class IV. On our 4-day trips, we stop at Paradise Lodge on day 3, which allows us some extra time in the afternoon to do some fishing, read a book, play some cards, or enjoy the company of those around you! After those three rapids, the rest of the trip is relatively easy Class II and III rapids. When the sun is high overhead we stop at a shady spot for lunch. After another bountiful riverside lunch, we continue to the take-out at Foster Bar. We generally arrive about 3:00 pm and then load up into vans for the two-hour drive over the mountains back to Morrison's Lodge. We would plan to have you back at your vehicle around 5:00 or 5:30 pm.

• ACCOMMODATIONS: Half Moon Bar Lodge (4-day trips)
• MEALS INCLUDED: B, L, on last day; B, L, D on day 3 of 4-day trip

We highly recommend checking the weather prior to your trip for an updated forecast and current conditions. We recommend the following websites. 

AccuWeather

Weather in any river canyon can vary widely day to day. However, the Rogue’s typical daytime temperatures can climb into the 80’s & 90’s, with the water temperature generally 60-70 degrees. Early and late season trips can also have temperatures ranging from 60-80. While blue skies & sunshine are predominant, rain can happen any time so please bring rain gear!

Helpful Weather Related Tips: 

• 13 Pro Tips for Cold Weather Rafting
• 10 Tips to Beat the Heat While Rafting

• Wear all protective and safety equipment that is required by ROW Adventures and recommended/required by industry-wide standards.

• Load and unload, on their own or with the aid of a qualified companion, the bus and/or van providing transportation for ROW Adventures activities.

• Reach the river access points (put-in and take-out) on their own, or with the aid of a qualified companion.

• Enter and exit the raft, kayak and/or inflatable kayak on their own or with the aid of a qualified companion.

• Remain seated and balanced in a floating raft, canoe, kayak or inflatable kayak w/ the aid of adaptive equipment, if necessary.

• Perform all on water activities, including following instructions that like paddling commands from the guide in class I and higher whitewater on their own or with the assistance of a qualified companion. 

• Float on their back when entering moving and still water.  The participant must be capable of turning from face-down to face-up in the water with the aid of a Personal Floatation Device and must be able to hold their breath while underwater.

• Remain calm and keep breathing under control in the event of a whitewater swim.

• Get out from under a raft, whether the raft is up-right or capsized, in moving water.

• Climb into the raft, with the help of another person, should an involuntary swim happen at any point on the river.

• Make progress toward the shoreline or a raft by swimming in moving water and must be able to exit the river and ascend the shoreline once reached.

• Participate as an active paddler when instructed by the guide for the duration of the trip. 

• Move about the campsite on their own or with the aid of a qualified companion on all trips that include overnight camping and/or lunch.

Packing properly for a river trip is CRITICAL to your enjoyment while on the river. We recommend that you prepare yourself for three basic scenarios:

• A cool day on the river.
• A warm day on the river.
• Time spent lounging in camp.

Take care of these, and you are free to let the river and the canyon work their magic.

Weather in the northwest is unpredictable. You must come prepared for cold/wet weather and hot/sunny weather – sometimes even on the same day! The following information will help you be prepared for the expected as well as the unexpected events of your trip. You may not use all of the gear listed below, but we recommend bringing it all!

DRYBAGS THAT ROW PROVIDES

• One large waterproof bag for each person (13” in diameter x 24” tall when closed)  This bag will contain the majority your personal items.  This bag is NOT accessible during the day. 

• One small waterproof day bag for each person (9" in diameter x 20" tall)  This bag is for items you want to access during the day such as rain gear, sunscreen, camera, medications, etc. 

Some of our favorite books about the Rogue River 

• Rogue River Feud, by Zane Grey (Penguin Books).
  This is an enlightening and easy to read book about water politics in the West. One of Zane Grey’s lesser known books, the Rogue River Feud masterfully and beautifully describes the scenery and tranquility of the Rogue River. This is an excellent choice to bring with you into the river canyon. On each ROW departure we stop by Zane Grey’s cabin (time permitting) along the river to gain a better understanding of exactly where he was while working through the Novel. A great book for any rafting or hiking journey in the Rogue River canyon.

• The Rogue River Guidebook: A comprehensive guide from Prospect to Gold Beach, by Matt Leidecker
  Matt Leidecker covers more than just the Wild and Scenic section. This guide contains detailed topographic maps, user friendly mile-by-mile text and photographs for one of the most popular, most beautiful, multi-day runs in the United States. This is an excellent book to carry with you on our guided trip. This book combines knowledge of where you’re going with an understanding of the areas basic history and geography.

• The River Reader, by John A. Murray (The Lyons Press, 1998).
  A collection of writings that is composed of both classic selections and contemporary writings from twenty-two diverse writers that are devoted to a single environmental subject. It is the finest essays on rivers by Hemingway, Barry Lopez, Annie Dillard, and others.

• Illahe, by Kay Atwood.
  Illahe tells the captivating story of the miners, packers, farmers. And families who settled southern Oregon’s rugged Rogue River Canyon in the 1860’s. If you’re a history buff this book is for you. Kay Atwood does a remarkable job of re-telling first had accounts from the early days in the canyon. She utilizes journals, diaries and interviews with decedents from those who originally journeyed into the unknown isolation that was the Rogue River Canyon. Feel the stories and emotions of floods, harsh winters and constant isolation as these people chose to make their home in this beautiful river wilderness. This is a great read right before a rafting trip down the Rogue River canyon.

• The Rogue, a River to Run, by Florence Arman with Glen Woolridge.
  Here is a spectacular book about THE Rogue River legend. Glen Woolridge started running the Rogue River in 1915 and was still running it into the 1980’s. He was the first person to travel up the Rogue River from Gold Beach Oregon to Grants Pass Oregon in 1947. The next year he became the first person to travel up the Salmon River “river of no return” in Idaho from Riggins to Salmon. This book is a piece of history about a man who made history on the Rogue River. If you want to understand the sense of adventure that surrounds the Rogue River this is your book.

Watch - Camping with ROW Adventures

Watch - Bathroom Facilities on the River

Watch - Packing for a Day on the River 

Weather Report - Check the weather before you go

Exploring Southern Oregon - Rogue River extension ideas

Travel Oregon - Oregon State travel website

White Water Craft Guide - Types of crafts we utilize on river trips

Historic Lodges of the Wild and Scenic Rogue River - Lodge to lodge river trip on the Rogue River

Understanding Leave No Trace on the River - Helpful ways to travel through river environments sustainably. 

Multi-Day Rafting Trips for Beginners - Learn why the Rogue River is great for beginner rafters!

Half Moon Bar Lodge with Mike Ross - Learn more about the lodge that will conclude your trip with lodge owner, Mike Ross.

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