Your Guide to Grants Pass: Gateway to Oregon’s Rogue River

Nestled in the southwest corner of Oregon, about an hour north of the California border, lies the small town of Grants Pass. Known as the Gateway to the Wild & Scenic Rogue River, Grants Pass exudes quintessential Pacific Northwest (PNW) charm, with lush hiking trails, award-winning wine, and classic Old West history. Here are just a few reasons why Grants Pass is a worthy addition to any traveler’s adventure list.

Top Things to Do in & Around Grants Pass  

From wild river rapids to award-winning wine, the greater Rogue Valley offers up no shortage of ways to fill your days in and around Grants Pass.

Discover the Wild & Scenic Rogue River

A visit to southern Oregon simply isn’t complete without experiencing a Rogue River rafting trip. One of the original eight rivers to earn a federal Wild & Scenic designation back in 1968, the Rogue winds through pine-forested canyons and past historic landmarks such as the Rogue River Ranch. Delivering Class III-IV whitewater that’s exciting without tipping into extreme, the Rogue is an OARS guest favorite for good reason. From short and sweet 3-day adventures to a more relaxed pace of 5 days, you don’t want to pass up the opportunity to experience what makes the Rogue River so magical.

Pro tip: If you’re looking to elevate the experience even further, consider joining a specialty departure like Wine on the Rogue River, where days on the water are capped off with gourmet, chef-prepared dinners and regional wine pairings.

Take a Historic Walking Tour

Grants Pass got its start as a stagecoach stop along the historic Oregon-California stage route back in the 1860s, and that history is still very much present downtown. Visit Grants Pass provides a downloadable self-guided walking tour of the Historic District, where many of the original buildings still stand, several of which now house the antique shops the town is well known for. 

For a deeper dive into the region’s past, make the half-hour drive north to the Golden State Heritage Site, a genuine 19th-century ghost town where the original church, general store, and schoolhouse are all still standing. While once a booming gold town known as the “driest mining town in Oregon” thanks to a complete lack of saloons, these days it’s more often known for its haunted appearance on Ghost Adventures than for its lucrative mining history.

Hike Through Picturesque PNW Nature 

Grants Pass boasts a diverse abundance of hiking trails, making it easy for outdoor enthusiasts of any age or experience level to find the perfect trek. Minutes from downtown, the Cathedral Hills Trail System consists of eight different loops covering 10 miles of trails through 400 acres of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine forest, with sweeping views of the Rogue Valley and even a couple of Oregon’s state champion trees tucked along the Outback Loop (a 117-foot knobcone pine and a 25-foot whiteleaf manzanita). For something shorter that delivers on the awe-factor, head south to the Limpy Botanical Interpretive Loop Trail, an easy 1-mile loop through a rare serpentine soil habitat that’s home to over 250 native plant species, a small waterfall, and plenty of benches to stop and take it all in.

Support Wildlife Conservation

Just 14 miles from Grants Pass in nearby Merlin, Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center has been rescuing and rehabilitating injured, orphaned, and displaced wildlife since 1981. Guided tours introduce visitors to resident grizzly bears, wallabies, bobcats, wolves, river otters, and more, including a rotating cast of birds of prey. Roughly 80 percent of the animals treated here are eventually returned to the wild, while those with permanent injuries become Animal Ambassadors for the center’s education programs. Multiple Ambassador Encounter experiences deliver an even more intimate look at some of their residents while learning about how each animal came to be in the center’s care. The opportunity to feed a river otter? Yes, please.

Taste Award-Winning Wines from the Rogue Valley

Voted the #2 Best Wine Region in the United States by USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards in 2025, Rogue Valley wine country is a must for any vino lover. Composed of three distinct valleys—Applegate, Bear Creek, and Illinois—the region can grow over 70 grape varieties. Applegate Valley is the most accessible from Grants Pass and produces notable Mediterranean and Spanish varietals, such as Tempranillo. Valley View Winery, Oregon’s first-ever official commercial winery, originally established in 1873, calls this valley home and is known for its popular Rogue Red table wine. Bear Creek Valley is known for bold, full-bodied reds—think Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other Bordeaux-style varieties—and its wineries boast an impressive number of awards and accolades. For white wine lovers, the Illinois Valley’s cooler temperatures produce bright and aromatic whites worth the longer drive. Foris Vineyards, one of Oregon’s pioneering wineries, produces several white varietals that have earned Wine Enthusiast Best Buy honors.

BONUS: Go to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Less than an hour’s drive from Grants Pass, the artsy town of Ashland is more than worth its own dedicated adventure. But if you’re short on time, head over for the afternoon and peruse its art galleries and boutiques before attending what Ashland is arguably most famous for: the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The oldest and longest-running Shakespeare festival in North America, OSF is known for producing high-caliber theatre accessible to a modern audience. Meaning even folks who grumble at the thought of Shakespeare will have a memorable evening under the stars watching some of history’s greatest plays in one of America’s oldest Elizabethan-style theaters.

Eat Like the Locals: The Best Bites

The Pacific Northwest is known for producing a cornucopia of ingredients that make it a veritable playground for chefs and foodies. From world-famous cinnamon rolls and cult coffee to gourmet meatloaf and grilled cheese, here are some of the best beverages and bites in Grants Pass. 

For An Adventure-Ready Breakfast

Fuel up before a day of hitting the trails by heading to Babe’s Bakery and picking up some breakfast to go. Babe’s is a beloved local spot known for its house-made breads, hearty breakfast sandwiches on house-made bagels, and generously sized pastries (including their “world-famous” cinnamon rolls). After you grab breakfast, swing by the original Dutch Bros for your coffee. Yes, that Dutch Bros. The now-massive drive-thru coffee chain got its start right here in Grants Pass in 1992. Nowadays, Dutch Bros has a cult following dedicated to its insanely good coffee and always-stoked Broistas. If you happen to visit on the first Wednesday of the month, be sure to ask for a free limited-edition sticker!

For After Your River Trip

Toast the end of your river adventure at Weekend Beer Company, a locally owned, family-friendly brewery with around a dozen house-brewed beers on tap, alongside local wines and a selection of ciders. The 8,000-square-foot outdoor space hosts a rotating lineup of food trucks—think burgers, tacos, wood-fired pizza, and more—so there’s sure to be something for everyone in your group. Plus board games, cornhole, and foosball to keep the celebration going. Weekend Beer Company is the perfect place to gather when you’re not quite ready to say goodbye to your new river family and want to get one last meal in together before everyone goes their separate ways.

For Craft Cocktails & Small Bites

Housed in an 1886 building that was once home to Grants Pass’ first brewery (a casualty of Prohibition), Steam Distillery blends gorgeous steampunk-inspired decor with a small-batch distillery crafting its own gin and vodka. The can’t-miss order is the Smoked Old Fashioned, presented under a glass dome filled with billowing smoke and lifted tableside for a theatrical, campfire-scented reveal. Steam Distillery offers a full menu that changes regularly, and features tasty appetizers, making this the perfect place to stop for a drink and a nibble while exploring the downtown area.

For an Intimate Atmosphere

For a quiet, romantic evening away from downtown’s livelier scene, book a table at Carson’s Bistro. The intimate dining room, hung with soft partitions and moody lighting, feels more like a hideaway bistro in a big city than a stop on your Southern Oregon road trip. The ever-changing menu is executed with a fine-dining feel (but without the fine-dining price tag) and may feature steaks, fresh seafood, and pork tenderloin alongside comfort-food classics that are year-round staples. Folks rave about the Bourbon Ketchup Meatloaf, and their grilled cheese sandwich and soup combo is an elevated take on a childhood favorite. Carson’s is open Wednesday through Saturday evenings only, and reservations are essentially mandatory, so plan ahead.

For Live Music

For 30 years, The Laughing Clam has been slinging seafood and pub fare alongside rotating microbrews on tap in its brick-lined, saloon-style dining room. Featuring live music on the weekends, The Laughing Clam is where you go when you want to have a good time. It’s also not uncommon for river guides to be here after their trip is over, having happily foregone a shower to make it in before the kitchen closes and it’s too late to order a heaping basket of their famous fish and chips.

For Al Fresco Dining

Is there such a thing as spending too much time on the Rogue River? We don’t think so. Which is why the River’s Edge Restaurant is the perfect choice for anyone wanting to enjoy a casual lunch or gourmet dinner while taking in a stunning view of the river. Serving up classic American cuisine with a PNW flair, River’s Edge is a local, family-owned restaurant where creative chefs craft dishes inspired by the seasonal bounty of the area. Reservations strongly encouraged if you want to snag a coveted spot on the terrace.

Where to Stay in the Grants Pass Area

The Grants Pass area has plenty of resorts and hotels like La Quinta Inn & Suites to fit a wide range of budgets, but if you want to stay someplace truly unique or off the beaten path, here are our picks for the best places to stay in the Grants Pass area.

Stay Somewhere Historic

For well over a century, the Wolf Creek Inn & Tavern has been welcoming weary travelers just up the road from Grants Pass. Built in 1883 as a stagecoach stop along the Applegate Trail, it’s considered the oldest continuously operating hotel in the PNW, and its guest list has included the likes of Jack London (who finished writing Valley of the Moon here), Clark Gable, and Carole Lombard. The rooms keep things unfussy and simple, but the real draw is the sense of history, right down to the tavern’s original dining room, still serving three meals a day.

Stay in a Conestoga Wagon

Rustic Sundance Homestead sits on an 11-acre farm along the Applegate River and delivers an elevated glamping experience in covered Conestoga wagons. Settlers of the Oregon Trail could only dream of such posh and cozy accommodations. This working farm offers a gorgeous nature escape complete with a private swimming hole fed by the river and a fire pit for roasting marshmallows under the stars. You may even get the opportunity to visit with any number of the four-legged and feathered friends who call the farm home, including sheep, Nigerian Dwarf goats, emus, peacocks, a mini pig, and Dolly the Llama. 

Stay With the Whole Crew

This charming century-old rustic cabin, tucked in a designated Wild & Scenic wilderness area less than 5 minutes from Wildlife Images, sleeps you and 10 other adventurers on more than 40 acres of protected woodland along the Rogue River. The property comes with a horseshoe pit, frisbee golf, badminton, and a fire pit, not to mention direct river access for fishing steelhead and salmon, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding. With nearly boundless opportunities to explore just out the front door, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more perfect basecamp for your crew than this quintessential cabin in the woods.

What’s the Best Way to Get to Grants Pass?

The easiest way to reach Grants Pass is by flying into Medford, Oregon, about 30 minutes away. If you’re looking for more flight options, Portland International Airport is another convenient choice, with rental cars available for the scenic 4-hour drive south.

Whether you’re headed out for a multi-day float down the Wild and Scenic Rogue River or simply exploring southern Oregon, Grants Pass embodies small-town charm with easy access to some of the best whitewater in the West. Add in the wine, wildlife, and a little Old West history, and it’s easy to see why this Rogue Valley town is worth more than just a pit stop.