The Rogue River

Meet at Denver International Airport. Once in Oregon, we’ll drive to our first night campsite at Alameda Bar—right on the banks of the Rogue. After setting up camp, we might enjoy a cooling afternoon swim, then head to the beautiful deck at nearby Galice Resort for a dinner overlooking the river. Upon returning to camp, we’ll meet our professional guide team and begin exploring our GOALS journals before drifting off to sleep with the sounds of a crackling campfire and rolling river filling the star-filled air.

Today, we’ll wake up excited to be floating downstream and exploring. The day begins with some fun, splashy class II and III rapids, then soon we find ourselves at the impassable Rainie Falls. We’ll portage (hike) around Rainie—admiring the size and power of the falls—while our guides skillfully lead the boats through a set of salmon ladders aside the falls. We’ll enjoy a celebratory lunch, then continue downstream—pulling over just before tonight’s camp to hike through this unique coastal forest ecosystem to an old miner’s cabin that has been well preserved at Whiskey Creek. By the end of day 1 on the Rogue, our minds are running full speed—imagining what might lie downstream in the coming days!

Today is an action-packed river day—beginning with two significant rapids just past camp named Tyee and Wildcat. After successfully navigating this tricky whitewater, we arrive at Lower Black Bar rapid—a fun rapid that our most adventurous kids enjoy swimming through—giggling as they splash through the big waves. Below Black Bar, we enter Kelsey Canyon—a seemingly endless string of Class II and III drops and rapids that couldn’t be much more fun in a ducky. We’re aiming to camp near the beautiful Rogue River Ranch tonight, which will set us up for an absolutely incredible layover day tomorrow.

Assuming we’re lucky enough to secure a campsite at the ranch, Day 4 on the Rogue is tough to beat. Well…until day 5. Our day 4 schedule is more terrestrial than aquatic. After coffee and breakfast, we’ll enjoy an amazing hike to Inspiration point—looking down from a bluff above into the mystery of Mule Creek Canyon. From this vantage point, we’ll do a bit of scouting for this section that we get to paddle through tomorrow, then hike back toward camp. Arriving late in the morning, we can relax and spend some time writing and drawing in our journals, stretching with some group yoga, or organizing a pre-lunch game of kickball in the huge grassy field that separates the river from the ranch. Regardless of how we spend our morning, when the heat of the day sets in we will enjoy another short hike to one of the most incredible tucked-away swimming holes you could ever imagine—complete with a small jump rock and a long stream to explore which feeds the pool—sometimes walking, sometimes wading, and sometimes swimming through its’ varying depths. As afternoon turns to evening, we’ll pull out a guitar, start a campfire, reflect on our amazing layover day and learn about all that day 5 has in store—it’s about the only thing that can top day 4!

If rivers have emotions, then today we experience their entire gamut. Our day begins in Mule Creek Canyon, where the entire river narrows between towering rock walls to less than 20 feet wide, and the water becomes turbulent and powerful. Mule Creek Canyon is equal parts beautiful, intimidating, and mysterious—a mile-long stretch of river unlike any other stretch most river runners have ever seen. After squeezing our boats through successfully, we’ll celebrate at a series of beautiful small waterfalls called “Devil’s Staircase”, then pushing downstream toward Blossom Bar- the crux rapid on the Rogue. For safety reasons, all kids will hike around Blossom Bar—watching the guides navigate the enormous rock garden that it presents. Under “Blossom”, we’ll enjoy lunch, pull over for a cliff jump or two, then head toward camp at Solitude—a beautiful and appropriately named large campsite where tall grasses blow in afternoon breezes as Solitude rapidly flows right past. This is our last night together in the canyon, so we’ll pause for a short solo and compose a thank-you letter to this inspiring place—a tradition of every GOALS trip—before coming together for a silly costume night around the last campfire.

About half way through our last day on the river, the character of the Rogue changes from a forested river canyon to a wider coastal river system. Right around the transition point, we enjoy one more side hike—a favorite among many Rogue explorers. This one walks up Tate Creek to a natural water slide created by years of water carving its way though the rocks, and ends in a large pool that is generally teeming with salamanders who enjoy swimming in its cool waters with us. All good things must come to an end, so we’ll be a bit sad to arrive at the take-out, where we’ll load gear on trailers and give hugs to our guides. The sadness of our river trip coming to an end will soon be overshadowed by our excitement of driving out to the coast—just 30 miles or so west—and exploring tide pools, watching for seals, sea lions, and possibly even migrating whales. We’ll camp or stay in state park cabins on the coast tonight, enjoying an ocean sunset and one more night together before heading one last exciting day tomorrow.

This morning, we’ll enjoy one more walk along the coast, then pack up camp and head for the redwoods. Upon arrival, we’ll crane our necks and stare skyward—taking in the giant beast in an ancient redwood grove we hike through at Jedediah Smith State Park. After our hike, we’ll drive to a fantastic retreat center where we spend the last night together, giving us one last chance to nurture new relationships, reflect on lessons learned, and enjoy the camaraderie of our team before flying home tomorrow.

This morning, we’ll pack up and drive about 2 hours toward Medford for our return to Denver—generally arriving in the early- to mid-afternoon.