Rogue River Trail in The Spring

Rogue River Trail

Oregon

It was calling our names, the river. A slight dampness in the air, movement on the breeze, the sound of the crashing and raging river full to the brink with snow melt and massive winter rain falls.

We had to get out and explore!

Trail Level:  Hard

Trail Length: 39.5 Trailhead to Trailhead or 40.6 to the last campground.

Things To Know: You pack it in - you pack it out! Dogs are allowed but the trail is well traveled and sketchy in places so they must be kept LEASHED. Their is no potable water on the trail so filtration methods are necessary. NO pack animals, bicycles, or motorized vehicles allowed.

Hazards: Lots of poison oak! Rattlesnake, bear, cougar, and stinging insects live here so just watch out and be smart.

The Bottom Line?  Be courteous and do your research before backpack camping this trail. Their are lots of great resources and information online and you can check out the trail guide HERE!

Rogue River Trail is a hiking only trail (no pack animals, bicycles, or motorized vehicles) stretching 40 miles, starting at Grave Creek and following the river all the way to Gold Beach a small coastal town in Oregon.

The trail is pretty popular so you can expect to see other people, but it's really popular for backpackers and usually takes between 4 and 5 days depending on your speed.

I've always wanted to get into overnight backpacking, but our current living circumstance has put me a bit off of camping. Already living in a small space with an outdoor shower and toilet...has me wanting to rent a house when we go on vacation. However this trail was so gorgeous I was actually a bit bummed when we were examining our schedules and realized we probably won't be able to squeeze it in this summer. But it's definitely on the list!  Another popular way to do this trip is to travel by boat on the water, their are some tricky parts though so you need to go with someone experiences, it also requires a permit.

We opted to just do a day hike, and went about 6 miles (three out and three back). We would have gone a lot farther but their were some rather ominous clouds coming our direction that promised a healthy downpour. But we did get some amazing weather and sunshine while we were out!

As we hiked we came across some gorgeous waterfalls that actually crossed over the trail, thankfully though Dante and Ziva have four-paw-drive so they didn't mind getting their feet wet, and the hubby and I hike in vibrams which dry really fast (I was prepared this time!). 

We had one scary moment where Ziva slipped as we were crossing through some water along the cliffside, silly girl tried to avoid the water and jumped hitting a slick rock! Thankfully hubby was holding the leash and caught her because it would have been a long drop had she succeeded in falling.

Although the trail is cared for and maintained, it's not an easy trail. Their are lots of rocks, tripping hazards and in places you're hugging the cliff side on a narrow trail with a high drop off on your other.

But it made for some spectacular views!

We'll definitely be back it was amazing!