Rafting the Rogue with Dogs

 

By Ana Carda

Rogue River Facts

According to rivers.gov the Rogue River is over 200 miles long. The river runs from southwest Oregon to the Pacific Ocean.  In addition to river rafting many people fish for steelhead and other salmon. If you’re lucky you can catch a glimpse of other animals (bears, deer, otter) in the area.

 

Planning Where to Stay

There are a lot of places to stay. I recommend the Edgewater Inn in Shady Cove Oregon. Location is key with this place. This motel is clean and comfortable. Some rooms come with kitchenettes. Because we travel with dogs whenever possible we need a pet friendly place. The pet friendly rooms are on the first floor and those south facing rooms are river adjacent. They also have a barbeque area if your room doesn’t have a kitchenette but love to cook outdoors. 

View of the BBQ area at the Edgewater Inn

If you are traveling by RV, I recommend you check out the Rogue River RV Park. It has a prime location on the river and is connected to the Edgewater Inn by a walking path next to the river. There are no tent sites here and spaces a bit tight but you can’t beat the location. 

View from the room at night

Another nice RV resort on the river is the Fly Casters RV Park located right across the river from the Edgewater Inn. There are plenty of spaces, some lucky spots on the river and there is a grassy area to relax on and watch the river rafters float by. The spaces here a bit larger than the latter resort. The perk to staying at Fly Casters is you can have Miguel’s deliver to your site. I recommend the arroz con pollo. It is magical and the margaritas are refreshing. They have an outside patio overlooking the river.

Tent Camping on the Rogue?

Quick note, if you are planning on staying in a tent, there are several campgrounds along the Rogue River that accommodate tents and RVs. The road to look for is Crater Lake Highway aka highway 62. Yes, this road will take you to Crater Lake. We’ll save that one for another day. It's a beautiful road.

 

Safety Before Fun, Not in Place of

A few ground rules. There are some parts of the river that are calm and you can relax. But there are parts where the river is rapid flowing. Take it from me, stay in the raft unless you are a very strong swimmer. It will likely take at least one or two people to pull you back in the raft. It’s not easy getting back in the raft.

The Rogue River is classified as a category II to III. Beginner level people can enjoy this river. Remember to be safe. While it may be a category II, the current is still strong and if you panic and fight the current you can tire out very quickly. I know this from experience. I recommend the following items to be safe:

Life Vests, Dogs Should Wear Life Vests Too

You are provided a life vest when you rent a raft from a local charter company. Many people do not wear them but I did and I’m glad about it. I brought my own $20 vest from Bass Pro Shop. A small investment with a huge payout. Be safe and dogs are allowed on the rafts. The charter company did not offer dog life vests because come on, it’s not realistic. Our dogs have some because they are always in the water but aren’t specifically ‘water dogs.’

Our puppy jumped out of the raft in an attempt to follow his brother onto the shore. In order to save him from drifting off, I had to jump in after him. Luckily, he was somewhat buoyant with his life vest. I passed him to my husband who was in the raft at the time trying bank the raft. It was deeper than thought and the current was strong.

Rafting safety with vests

Helmets, Or No Helmets?

I didn’t wear a helmet, for this type of river I don’t think it is necessary, but I can understand why someone would wear one. Things can go very wrong, very fast.

Grappling Hook or Rope

Rope or grappling hooks can come in handy in case you have to pull the raft to shore. But the thing about these items is that they should be easily accessible. Seconds count in an emergency. My husband brought rope with a hook but when I went overboard my husband didn’t have time to grab the rope and help me back on the raft at the same time and I was taking in a lot of water.

Rope ladder

This one is my favorite. We did not have rope ladder and thinking about it afterwards. I plan on purchasing one for our next rafting trip back to the Rogue. When you’re in the water you realize how high the edge of the raft is. The current is pushing you and even with a life vest, you only float so much. I recommend a rope ladder in case you find a calm spot in the water and need to pee or in more flowing areas, a rope ladder can help you get in and out quickly.

Where I was outside the raft, the water level was deep. I couldn’t push off of anything so I wish I would have brought a rope ladder.

It’s much easier to have a good time when you know you have safety equipment and someone who knows how and when to use them.

Most Important Have Fun

The charter company’s offer cooler rental and ice. Rafting tours can be anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. Depending on where you get dropped off. Remember that planning ahead and having the proper safety equipment, even if you don’t use them will lead to having a more enjoyable time. The views are spectacular and for the most part you can just float down thew river. Don’t forget the sunscreen and a hat.  Pack some splash proof snacks and have a great time!