A Week on the Rogue River National Recreation Trail
Written by Haleigh Martin on June 3rd, 2024
As I settle back to my computer after a week on the trail, I am already reminiscing on the wild beauty of the Rogue River Trail…
Every year for the past 10 years (yes, one whole decade!), we’ve partnered with our friends at American River Touring Association (ARTA) for a raft-supported hike down the Rogue River Trail. This year, we brought along 11 excited, tough, and willing hikers to experience all the Rogue has to offer: Wildflowers, sweeping views, icy swimming holes, waterfalls, wildlife, grade-A camping, and of course poison oak, ticks, and rattlesnakes. On Monday, we met at Morrison’s Lodge in Galice, OR to pack our dry bags and get the details on our next 5 days in the wild. We were then shuttled out to the Grave Creek boat ramp where our adventure began.
Day 1: 5 miles from Grave Creek to Tyee camp
On day 1, we hiked through hot sun as we soaked in the epic views of the Wild & Scenic Rogue River from the trail. We caught glimpses of Rainie Falls, and we climbed and descended the ebbs and flows of the trail while we admired the last of the spring wildflower blooms. Oregon sunshine, iris, Indian paintbrush, and farewell to spring wildflowers were all lighting up the trails otherwise red, rocky cliffs. After 5 gorgeous, sunny miles, we climbed down a steep trail to our home for the night. Our ARTA raft guide friends were set up with shade, a camp kitchen with cold water, and snacks. Before we set up our tents, we had to take a quick dip in the river to cool off after a day in the sun. We rounded out our night with storytelling over a tasty pasta dinner before settling in for a good night’s sleep.
Day 2: 10 miles from Tyee to Kelsey Creek camp
On Day 2, we woke up on a chilly morning to hot coffee and a delicious breakfast prepared by our awesome river guides, packed up the rafts with our camping geear, and set out on the trail. This section of the trail meanders between open views of the river and closed, shady sections under oak trees. We spotted more irises and brodeaea wildflowers between our cool-off breaks at each creek crossing, then enjoyed lunch at shady Bunker Creek, which was well-deserved after a warm 5 miles of hiking. We then took off for another 5 miles crossing Francis Creek, Meadow Creek, and Dulog Creek before reaching our meet up point with our ARTA raft guides near Kelsey Creek. We dumped our day packs into the boats, put life jackets on, and floated across the river to the gorgeous Kelsey Creek campsite to settle in for the night.
Day 3: 7 miles from Kelsey Creek to Mule Creek camp
Despite being 3 miles shorter than the day before, it was definitely a little tougher. The temperatures had risen a bit, and blisters had begun to make their appearance on many of the hiker’s feet. Despite this, spirits were high and we all spent plenty of time admiring and appreciating the gorgeous views this section of the trail had to offer. We took a short pause at Zane Grey’s cabin where he stayed while he wrote numerous books. Abigail, our river guide leader, read us a section of Grey’s Rogue River Feud before we trekked on. When we reached a halfway point, we met our rafts and guides at Quail Creek for a tasty lunch in the shade before setting out to what some may call the best campsite on the entire lower Rogue River: Mule Creek. We set up our tents and spent the evening in the sun with our feet soaking in the cold, clear Mule Creek waters, and went to sleep that night with the sound of the creek meeting the river.
Day 4: 10 miles from Mule Creek to Tacoma camp
Day 4 was the day that many of us were looking forward to the most. We finally made it into the boundary of the Wild Rogue Wilderness, and we were offered exceptional views into Mule Creek Canyon. We caught views of Stair Creek Falls and watched our rafts navigate the notorious Blossom Bar rapids. After a quick lunch at Half Moon Bar, we wrapped up the day’s hike through a fern-lined trail through a gorgeous mature conifer forest and ended at our day of hiking at Tate Creek Camp. This camp offers an amazing swimming hole, which we took great advantage of after a sweaty day on the trail. On this special night, our raft guides broke out the costume dry bag for a dress up dinner of steak, marinated mushrooms, and a spread of veggies followed up by a camp favorite: s’mores!
Day 5: 7 miles from Tate Creek to the Trail’s end at Big Bend Trailhead
On this bittersweet day, we wrapped up our 5-day adventure with 7 miles of shady and hilly trail crossing numerous creeks, winding through swaths of wildflowers, and spotting numerous rattlesnakes and bald eagles. We took a short pause at Flora Dell Falls for a farewell to our ARTA raft guide friends before rounding out the day at Big Bend Trailhead where our shuttle awaited us.
As we wrap up our 10th year of leading this raft-supported hike along the Rogue River National Recreation Trail, we’d like to extend a huge thank you to our friends at ARTA for providing us with the knowledgable and skilled guides who navigated our gear and supporters through the river miles and for their nonprofit support of KS Wild’s work defending this area and beyond. ARTA donates a portion of each person’s trip cost to KS Wild and provides an excellent and accessible experience on the Rogue River Trail for us and our crew! We’d also like to thank the brave hikers who ventured out on this year’s excursion on the Rogue River Trail. We had a great week getting to know each of you and exploring a treasured piece of this great region with you!
Interested in joining us next year? Keep an eye on our events calendar for updates for next year’s trip!