“Floating the Wild and Scenic Section of the Rogue River with Helfrich River Outfitters is a magical experience that’s good for your soul.”

The beautiful green waters of the Rogue have carved out a magnificent canyon through the coastal mountains in Southern Oregon. Sheer black basalt canyon walls restrict the waters of the river to create fun and thrilling drops and rapids such as “Windy Creek Chutes”, “Black Bar Falls”, “Coffee Pot”, “Wildcat”, and more. Between these exhilarating rapids, the river spreads out and slows down, allowing for great opportunities to swim and play, water fight, and enjoy your surroundings. The Rogue originates from the snowmelt around Crater Lake in the Cascade Mountains. As it flows and carves its way through the coastal mountains and out to the ocean, it passes through one of Oregon’s protected Wild and Scenic River Corridors. Our expert guides will lead you on a journey through this historically rich river canyon. This trip starts roughly 30 miles west of Grants Pass, Oregon, and ends near Agness, Oregon. The pool and drop character of the Rogue offers everything from splashing falls to quiet riffles as we pass through areas of lush vegetation and vertical rock-walled canyons.

On this trip you will float 36 miles in 3 days through the designated Wild and Scenic byway of protected natural land. We will customize your trip for you and set up your group with the types of boats you prefer. This trip can be run as an all-rafting trip, or we can offer you the option of fishing for Steelhead from drift boats. Many customers prefer to do a combination trip of rafting and fishing, where each day customers alternate between the two activities. With the warmer water on the Rogue, a paddle raft and inflatable kayaks are very popular options. The paddle rafts are a fun opportunity to work as a team and maneuver the boat through the rapids. For a more independent experience, jump in an inflatable kayak for a while and take on the rapids in your own boat while you follow the rafts downstream. For your trip accommodations, you can choose to camp in our deluxe riverside camps, or, for an additional fee, you may choose to stay in the wilderness lodges located throughout the canyon.

The hillsides throughout the canyon are blanketed with Madrones, Douglas Firs, Maples, and many other forest species. This healthy ecosystem provides the perfect setting for the abundant wildlife that calls the canyon home. Along your trip you can expect to see black bears, blacktail deer, otter, mink, osprey, turkeys, eagles, ducks, geese, and more. The Rogue was one of the first protected “Wild and Scenic” rivers in the country. This protection has limited access to the canyon for generations and helped to preserve this healthy and wild landscape for you to experience and learn from.

The Rogue River Ranch is one of the special stops along the river. Set up as a museum for the floating public to enjoy, it was an old gold mining homestead. The many buildings on this property are full of old artifacts and fun pictures from the past.

Zane Gray’s cabin is a fun stop on this trip. Zane Gray, a famous author from the mid 1900’s fell in love with the Rogue River and chose to spend his time along its banks, writing his book and fishing for Steelhead and Salmon. His cabin and many of his possessions are still there today.

Hiking along the Rogue River has become very popular. The Rogue River Trail is very well maintained and parallels the river along the entire stretch that we float. Hiking in the mornings from camp is a fun way to get you moving and ready for the day. You can choose to hike as much or as little as you like. If you are interested in hiking the entire river trail we would be happy to accommodate you by hauling your bags for you, preparing all of the food and refilling your water throughout the day.