7 Days $1999
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Overview
Learn to guide an oar raft down Oregon’s Wild and Scenic Rogue River with the company twice named the “The Best River & Sea Outfitter On Earth” by National Geographic Adventure magazine. You need no prior outdoor or whitewater rafting experience to participate in the OARS Rogue River Rowing Clinic. Our experienced river guides will teach you rafting and camping techniques that will be useful throughout your entire life.
This 7-day floating whitewater clinic is appropriate for:
Our professional river guides, all with whitewater rescue training and extensive guiding experience, will share with you their outdoor and river knowledge. We’ll spend each day progressing down river; learning and practicing newly acquired skills, and set camp at a different location each night. Instruction and hands on learning occurs both on the river and in camp.
Why sign up for the Rogue River Rowing Clinic with OARS?
One price includes:
An example of course content taught during the Rogue River Rowing Clinic:
Start Your Career as a River Guide
While OARS’ rowing clinics are ideal for anyone looking to learn something new or develop their whitewater rowing skills, our whitewater guide school programs are better suited for aspiring river guides with no prior experience. If you’re an experienced guide, and would like to get your foot in the door with OARS, we encourage you to read our Hiring and Guide School FAQs and fill out an employment application.
Photos & Videos
Itinerary & Map
Information for this Mile-by-Mile guide was gathered from photographer and river guide, Matt Leidecker’s “The Rogue River – A Comprehensive Guide from Prospect to Gold Beach” in-house knowledge and from a variety of sources on the internet.
Put-in (start) at Almeda Bar or nearby launch site for OARS Rogue River rafting trips.
Smullin Visitors Center (III). Pause here for a brief rest stop to check-in at the center and pick up our permit to enter the Wild & Scenic corridor.
ALMEDA MINE. Exciting volcanic ledge drop with sizeable waves just below Almeda Park with formations rich with minerals deposits. Miners discovered gold here in 1852, in addition to copper, silver and lead.
ARGO FALLS (III). Biggest rapid between Grave Creek and Grants Pass, we’ll avoid rocks in the channel as the river winds us right.
GRAVE CREEK FALLS. We’ll pass under Grave Creek bridge as we enjoy beautiful surrounding scenery and prepare to tackle some strong hydraulics.
RAINIE FALLS (III-V). This is typically a rapid we’ll want to scout along the left bank before entering the middle. We may opt to line our boats and run “fish ladder” on the right instead to get around the falls at lower water levels when boulders are more apparent.
TYEE RAPIDS (IV). The gravel bar pushes water towards the right bank while a small bedrock island splits the channel. At high flows, we’ll enter with caution as waves can push our rafts towards a large hole at center right.
WILDCAT RAPIDS (III). Splitting around a center divide, the river excels into a boulder-clogged right turn at the confluence of Wildcat Creek.
SLIM PICKINS RAPID (III). At low water, the best line is right of the boulder and is a tight squeeze where you’ll need to pull in your oars. At high water, the boulder may be completely covered.
Black Bar Lodge. You reach this riverside resort on river left after charging through some Class III whitewater. In the late 40s, gold hunters frequented this spot. Today, the lodge is a popular rest stop for rafters in the summer and hikers each spring.
HORSESHOE BEND RAPID (III). This rapid can become quite violent at high water and encompasses the outside of right-hand bend as the river completes a 180-degree turn.
Dulog Creek. We may pull in here for lunch. Afterwards, our guides typically lead an exploratory hike up the nearby creek; mind the blackberry thorns as we scramble uphill on a short hike to Dulog Falls.
KELSEY FALLS (III). This rapid is divided by a Giant Flat Boulder, which was located of the left bank prior to a dynamite blast by boatman Glen Wooldridge in the early 1900s.
Sturgeon Rock. Sports Illustrated Magazine wrote an article expressing how this large, high rock was a prime fishing spot along the Rogue; today, it is subsequently referred to as the Sports Illustrated Rock.
Zane Grey Cabin. After numerous visits to the region, writer Zane Grey built and settled here on Winkle Bar in 1927 with his family and resided along the river throughout the 30s.
Marial Lodge. Originally owned by Tom Billings, this lodge was managed by his daughter Marial for many years before it was sold to Ted Camp just prior to the biggest flood on record (December 1964). This lodge is well known for its family hospitality and close proximity to the Rogue River trail.
Mule Creek Canyon. One of the most unique sections of the Rogue River, with narrow sheeted dike walls on either side that make for a thrilling welcome into a corridor with extremely powerful, unpredictable hydraulics. Inflatable kayaks should especially watch out for large boils and surging whirlpools in COFFEEPOT RAPID (IV). At Mile 55, you can spot Stair Creek Falls cascading behind an alcove on river left.
BLOSSOM BAR (IV). The largest and most difficult rapid within the Wild & Scenic section. Many boulders cluster the river here at the end of two vertical drainages, demanding that guides take challenging lines to maneuver around them. Its name stems from the abundant pink azalea flowers that color the banks along the rapid.
Paradise Lodge. Situated high above Huggins Canyon, this rustic lodge sits on an expansive deck above the river and was originally built as a farm but began hosting guests overnight to cater to traveling hikers and passing boaters.
Half Moon Bar Lodge. This property was deeded to Andy Huggins, a miner and hunter in the early 1920s. Bill and Betty Norfleet were the third owners who maintained the property for over 20 years, upholding good relations with the various outfitters that ran the river.
East Creek (The General’s Cabin). This is a small camp with concrete stairs that lead to a vacation cabin originally owned by WWII generals.
Tate Alcove. Located at river right, you’ll find a sandbar pull-in that leads to a steep ravine with a trail heading up towards Tate Creek. In approximately one mile, you’ll reach a waterfall that pours into a crystal clear pool – the perfect natural waterslide!
Lower Tate. This camp contains an assortment of comfortable spots for your tent; our guides will cook dinner under a live oak tree as you look to set up shot on top a grassy hill overlooking the river.
Clay Hill Lodge. Although this lodge was used by Glen Wooldridge in the 40s as a private retreat for his river guests, it was originally homesteaded by the Thomas Family in 1914. The Thomas’ second daughter died in childbirth shortly after bedwetting 77-year-old James Fry and was buried on the property.
UPPER CLAY HILL RAPID (III). Water drains to the right side of a rock located just below a large gravel island, creating the perfect surfing wave.
Fall Creek Waterfalls. Three waterfalls are found here, but the third accumulates the most drainage; listen closely as you pass by on the river as you can hear each one at a time.
Illahe Lodge. Constructed in 1944 by Ernest Schneider, the Illahe’s ownership has successfully stayed in the family since its inception, and is a great casting spot for visiting fisherman. It also marks the end of the line for hikers along the Rogue River trail.
TAKE OUT (end) at Foster Bar for OARS Rogue River trips.
Dates & Prices
$1999
20% discount off regular price for active military personnel, emergency first responders and students with a valid university ID!
Deposit: $400
Additional Costs:
May 12, 20
O.A.R.S. West, Inc. operates on the Rogue River as a permitted outfitter of the Bureau of Land Management and the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
We respect and recognize that many of the river canyons, national forests, BLM and state lands, as well as national parks where we operate are the ancestral homes of many indigenous communities. In Oregon, along the Lower Rogue River, we acknowledge the territories of the Tolowa Dee-ni’ and Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, which includes bands of the Tutuni and Takelma.
Reviews
“This trip was a course in rowing and general river trip methods. I found it to be well thought out and presented in a calm and professional form. The day when I looked around and saw us all GETTING it, was the trip for me. Hats off to both Kate and Chris. We tried our best, but we could not rattle them. This trip motivated me in many different ways. The size of the group, the lessons learned and for me, a new river, made for a nice mix.”
-Randy Goodman ~Mount Vernon, WA
Press & Blog
Before You Go
