Rogue River

The run

34 miles of Class III-IV through old-growth Douglas fir and madrone forest from Grave Creek to Foster Bar. Five named rapids to scout: Grave Creek Rapid at mile 0 (Class III), Rainie Falls at mile 1 (Class V, usually portaged or lined), Mule Creek Canyon at mile 22 (Class III technical), Blossom Bar at mile 23 (Class IV - the one that matters), and Clay Hill at mile 26 (Class III-IV). Between the named rapids, the river alternates between mellow Class II and flatwater. Bald eagles, black bears on the banks, and steelhead and salmon runs in fall and winter.

The permit

Lottery runs January 1 through January 31 for launches between May 15 and October 15. Odds are 15-30% for shoulder season, dropping below 10% for peak summer weekends. The Rogue is the most-floated wilderness river in the country, and the permit office releases no-show and cancellation permits regularly through the season - cancellation monitoring pays off here more than on most rivers.

Timing

Dam-controlled releases from Lost Creek Lake keep the Rogue at 1,500-4,000 CFS year-round. Spring (May-June) is highest water and the rapids are pushiest. Summer (July-August) is classic at 1,800-2,500 CFS. Fall (September-October) drops to 1,200-1,600 and the run gets more technical. Blossom Bar is the exception to the usual flow rules: it's a rock-garden rapid that gets harder as flows drop, not easier.

Logistics

Put-in is Grave Creek boat ramp, 30 miles northwest of Grants Pass, OR. Take-out is Foster Bar, reached by gravel road from Agness. Shuttle is 80 miles on winding back roads - $200-400 with a company. Many parties do lodge-to-lodge trips instead of camping: four lodges along the run (Black Bar, Marial, Paradise, and Half Moon Bar) take raft parties and provide meals and beds. Reserve lodges 6-12 months ahead.