Rogue River
Geology & Geography
Southern Oregon is divided into three main river basins; the Rogue River, the Umpqua River, and the Klamath Basin. All three rivers have their headwaters in the Cascade Mountains on the slopes of Crater Lake, Oregon's only national park. The Rogue River flows west, meeting the ocean near Gold Beach, Oregon.
At the Rogue's headwaters is Crater Lake. Crater Lake is the deepest lake on the American continent. This renowned national park is accessible all year by its southern entrance off Hwy. 62. In the spring, when the snow clears, the northern entrance is open allowing you to take a 33-mile rim drive displaying stunning vistas and areas to explore. If you are interested in adding this incredible park to your site seeing list…just call the White Water Warehouse office at 1-800-214-0579…we can supply you additional information and driving directions.
The Rogue's push to the Pacific Ocean began about a million years ago, when the western part of Oregon was uplifted to form the Pacific Coast Range. It was during this activity that the lower Rogue River was transformed from a quiet stream to a frothing, boiling torrent of whitewater. As the land slowly rose, the river eroded its channel deeper and deeper into the rock until today the canyon averages a depth of over 3,000 feet.
Today, the river flow is now regulated to a considerable degree by Lost Creek Dam. Summer flows may vary from 950 to 2500 cubic feet of water per second. During winter flood stages the volume may drastically increase, causing the Rogue to be almost impossible for navigation. In the 1964 flood, the Rogue reached 500,000 cubic feet per second at Agnes! Giving good reason why White Water Warehouse only runs its scheduled whitewater rafting trips from late May through early October each year!
Because the Rogue River is dam-controlled, it provides a whitewater rafting experience that lasts throughout the summer and fall. White Water Warehouse's Rogue River rafting adventures offer incredibly fun whitewater but also provide guests with many more historical, animal, and geographical items of interest along the journey.
Mammals of the Rogue River canyon include:
black bears, coyotes, cougars, bobcats, black-tailed deer,
Roosevelt elk, otters, raccoons, gray digger squirrels,
ring-tailed cats, and numerous other small mammals such
as chipmunks, muskrats, and beavers. As you adventure down
the Rogue, you will have the thrill of seeing many of these
interesting animals along the river's edge.
For our bird loving friends, the Rogue River's banks are home to the stately Blue Heron, the always-busy Killdeer and water Ouzel, and several large birds-of-prey such as the Red-tailed Hawk, Ospreys, and regal Eagles.
Fishing made the Rogue River famous. Zane Grey's writings popularized the fantastic fishing potentials of this world-renowned river. Grey wrote much about the river and spent several summers and autumns camped along its banks, fishing for steelhead, salmon, and half-pounders (a trout/steelhead species).
If you or your family members enjoy
reptiles, the Rogue River canyon is home to a few notables.
The Western
Pond Turtle, Western Fence Lizard, Skink, water snakes,
and rattlesnakes all happily co-existing along side each
other near the Rogue's beautiful waters.
Since the rainfall increases as the
Rogue River flows toward the ocean, the vegetation along
the Rogue changes dramatically. Agness,
Oregon, (at the trip's end with White Water Warehouse)
has almost three times as much rainfall as Grants
Pass (near the start of your trip with WWW). As you
start your trip, trees that require little moisture are
found. Pacific
madrone, white oak, canyon live oak, tan oak and manzanita
inhabit the dry ridges. Downstream as the river leaves Mule
Creek Canyon, large trees that require greater amounts of
water are found. Large stands of Douglas
fir, hemlock, sugar pine, and grand fir begin to appear.
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Selected Rogue River
Readings:
Many of our guests enjoy reading about
their upcoming adventure prior to booking a trip with us.
The following are a few of the books we recommend that are
interesting and informative regarding the geology, history,
and geography of the Rogue River.
River
Guidebooks
Handbook to the Rogue River Canyon, by Quinn, Quinn
and King
The Rogue River Guide, by Vladimir Kovalik
Handbook to the Rogue River's Hog Creek Float, by
Michael L. Walker
Guide to Floating Whitewater Rivers,
by R.W. Miskimins
Whitewater Rafting, by William McGinnis
Whitewater Rafting in Western North America, by Lloyd
D. Armstead
General
Guidebooks
Beyond the National Parks: A Recreation Guide to Public
Lands in the West, by the USDI, Bureau of Land Management.
BLM's Back Country Byways, by Stewart M. Green
Exploring Oregon's Wild Areas, by William L. Sullivan
Fishing in Oregon - The Complete Oregon Fishing Guide,
by Dan Casali and Madelynne Diness
Manual of Oregon Trees and Shrubs, by Randall, Keniston
and Bever
Oregon Handbook, by Stuart Warren and Ted Long
Ishikawa Rivers of the West: A Guide to the Geology and
History, Elizabeth and William Orr
Roadside History of Oregon, by Bill Gulick
The Sierra Club Guide to the Natural Areas of Oregon
and Washington, by John Perry and Jane Greverus Perry
The Hip Pocket Naturalist Guide to Oregon's Rogue River
Basin, by Andrew Jackman and Art Bernstein.
Hiking
Guidebooks
Hiking the Great Northwest, by Ira Spring, Harvey
Manning, and Vicky Spring
Hiking the Rogue, by Marvin Aaron and Art Bernstein
The Hiker's Guide to Oregon, by Donna Ikenberry Aitkenhead
50 Hikes in Oregon's Coast Range and Siskiyous, by
Rhonda and George Ostertag
76 Day-Hikes Within 100 Miles of the Rogue Valley,
by Art Bernstein
Lore
of the Rogue
Tall Tales from Rogue River; The Yarns of Hathaway Jones,
by Stephen Dow
Beckham Rogue River Feud, by Zane Grey
Tales of Freshwater Fishing, by Zane Grey
Adventures in Fishing, by Zane Grey
A
Glimpse into the Past
Illahe, by Kay Atwood
Requiem for a People, by Stephen Dow Beckham
Legend of Indian Mary and Umpqua Joe, by Percy T.
Booth
The Almeda Mine - Josephine County, Oregon, by F.W.
Libbey
Indian Battles Along the Rogue River 1855-1856, by
Frank K. Walsh
Valley of the Rogues, by Percy T. Booth
Indian Wars of the Rogue River, by Dorothy and Jack
Sutton
The People and the River, by Elizabeth Heckert
110 Years with Josephine, by Jack Sutton
Josephine County Historical Highlights I and II,
compiled by Edna May Hill
The Rogue: A River to Run, by Florence Arman
Videos
The Wild and Scenic Rogue River, by Gayle Wilson
Whitewater Bloopers II, by Gayle Wilson
Brochures
Camper's Paradise: Josephine County Parks in Southwest
Oregon, by Josephine County Parks Department
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