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Rogue River, OR
Rogue River 4-Day Row Your Own
4 days / 3 nights
Your boat, our permit
Row Your Own
Class I
Class II
Class III
Class IV
OVERVIEW
Your boat, our permit
Didn't win the permit lottery? Row your own boat down the Rogue with our guides on the lines, the camps and the cooking.
4 days / 3 nights
Duration
5
+
Min Age
Row Your Own
Trip Style
DATES
Upcoming Dates
Mon
23
Rogue River Lodge
8:00 AM
Wed
25
Rogue River Lodge
8:00 AM
Fri
27
Rogue River Lodge
8:00 AM
Highlights
Best Parts of The Trip
- Rowing experience required This is not a rowing school, and you row your own boat the whole way.
- We have the permit Skip the hard-to-win permit lottery, since we bring the Wild and Scenic permit.
- Your boat, your lines Bring your own boat or rent one from Whitewater Cowboys, then follow our lead boat's lines.
- Guides on every rapid Your guide supervises the lines through Mule Creek Canyon and Blossom Bar (Class IV).
- Three meals a day, cooked Guide-made lunches in the shade, candlelit family-style dinners and hearty breakfasts with hot coffee.
INSIDER TIP
From Our Guides
If you are planning to camp at Almeda the night before your launch, make sure to book your campsite well in advance, as it fills up quickly during the summer season.
Your boat
Boats on This Trip
ITINERARY
Day by day
Day 1
Meet your guides at the Almeda boat ramp at 9:00 AM to rig your boats. Enjoy a casual first day, following your lead guide through 7 to 9 Class II rapids. Your gear boater will float ahead to secure the best possible camp while you enjoy a prepared lunch on the beach.
Miles covered
7
miles
rogue-river-4-day-row-your-own
1
Day 2
An exciting day of continuous whitewater. Follow your guide's lines through 16 to 18 named rapids. Enjoy the flexibility of moving at your own pace, stopping for side hikes, and arriving at a pristine camp with dinner already underway.
Miles covered
12
miles
rogue-river-4-day-row-your-own
2
Day 3
Today demands your best rowing. Scout and navigate the swirling currents of Mule Creek Canyon and the highly technical boulder garden of Blossom Bar (Class IV) under the expert supervision of your guide before relaxing at your final camp.
Miles covered
13
miles
rogue-river-4-day-row-your-own
3
Day 4
A relaxed, scenic float to finish the journey. Navigate a few final rapids and enjoy the canyon’s beauty. Because you are rowing your own boat, you have the flexibility to take out early or enjoy a long, lazy float to Foster Bar.
Miles covered
6
miles
rogue-river-4-day-row-your-own
4
Inclusions
What's Included
Guides and gear
- Wild and Scenic permit
- Lead guide and gear boater
- Kitchen and camp toilet
Meals
- All meals, cooked by guides
- Plenty of group water at camp
Bring or rent
- Raft with a rowing frame (or rent one from Whitewater Cowboys)
- 4 oars and a spare oar lock
- Quality PFDs for everyone (helmets advised)
- Tents, sleeping bags, pads and camp chairs
- Your own drinks and a 5-gallon water jug
- Your own shuttle (Whitewater Cowboys runs vehicle shuttles on the Rogue)
From $1,499
BOOK NOWACCOMMODATIONS
Row Your Own
Nights are a mix of historic lodge rooms and guided riverside camps, depending on the launch.
Rogue River
Lucas Lodge
Sadie Lucas built this lodge around 1912 on a ranch where the Illinois River meets the Rogue, and her family has welcomed guests for seven generations since. Your last night on the river ends here with a prime rib dinner served family style.
See the full stay
Owyhee River
Owyhee Camps
Desert canyon camps on the Owyhee, set below rimrock and red rock spires that light up at sunset.
See the full stay
Lower Salmon River
Lower Salmon Camps
Every camp is a big white sand beach with a good swimming hole, and your tent is up before you arrive.
See the full stayMain Salmon, River of No Return
Main Salmon Camps
Big sandy beach camps under the pines. When you pull in, your tent is already set up, your sleeping pad is in it and your dry bags are stacked and waiting.
See the full stay
Snake River in Hells Canyon
Hells Canyon Camps
Riverside camps below the walls of Hells Canyon. Your tent is up before you arrive, and evenings start with a cold drink under the shade tarps.
See the full stay
Rogue River
Rogue River Camps
Riverside beach camps on the Rogue. Your gear boater runs ahead so camp is ready when you pull in, with tents up and dinner served family style.
See the full stayRogue River
Paradise Lodge
Paradise has the big deck where we do movie night, with lodge cooking and a real bed. Every room has its own hot shower and private bathroom.
See the full stay
Rogue River
Black Bar Lodge
Black Bar sits right on the water. You pull in at the end of Day 1 to a home-cooked dinner and a real bed, and every room has its own hot shower and private bathroom.
See the full stay
Food & Drink
What To Expect During Meal Time
We handle all the cooking and cleaning. Enjoy fresh, guide-prepared lunches in the shade. Dinners are family-style feasts served by candlelight. Mornings feature hot coffee and hearty breakfasts. We accommodate all dietary restrictions.
Meeting Logistics
Where & When To Meet
There is no pre-trip meeting for this one. Meet your OTT guides at the Almeda boat ramp at 9:00 AM PT on Day 1. Set up your car shuttle with Whitewater Cowboys before you come, so your vehicle is waiting for you at the takeout.
TRAVEL
Getting there
Fly into Medford or drive I-5 to the Rogue. Stop by the Merlin shop the night before or on launch morning.
Meeting point
Almeda boat ramp
Almeda boat ramp, 9:00 AM. Set your car shuttle with Whitewater Cowboys before you launch.
How to get there
Fly into Medford (MFR)
About 40 minutes by car. Rentals are at the airport.
Drive I-5
Take I-5 to the Rogue corridor. Almeda is north of Grants Pass.
Orange Torpedo shop
210 Merlin Rd. Stop in the night before or launch morning for gear and orientation.
Vehicle shuttle
No OTT airport shuttle. Rent a car and arrange your own vehicle shuttle with Whitewater Cowboys.
Overnight parking is available at the Merlin shop if you stop there first.
CONDITIONS
What to expect
Weather
May and June bring mornings in the 40s and 50s, highs in the high 80s and cool nights.
July and August heat up fast, with 60s and 70s in the morning, 90s and up by midday, and warm nights in the 70s and 80s.
Whitewater Levels
The river begins the season with high, cold, powerful flows and transitions by late August into lower, highly technical, warm water rapids that require precise maneuvering.
Seasonal Variability
From vibrant green landscapes and cooler flows in May/June, the canyon transitions into hot, sunny days and technical, warm water paddling in late August.
PACKING
What to Bring
What you need to bring
- Raft with a rowing frame and room to pack your personal gear
- Personal dry bags
- 4 oars, 2 for rowing and 2 spares
- Spare oar lock
- Throw rope
- Raft repair kit
- Pump for your raft
- Sand stake with mallet
- Your own straps
- Quality PFDs for each person. Helmets are advised but not required
- Personal camping equipment, including tents, sleeping bags and pads
- Personal chairs for camp
- Personal drinks
- Refillable water bottle
- One 5-gallon water jug for personal use. This is just so you can refill easily on the water. We will have plenty of group water at camp and to refill your jugs
- A way to transport all of your gear to the river and to pack up at the takeout. Coordinate your own shuttle. Whitewater Cowboys runs vehicle shuttles on the Rogue
- Small personal first aid kit for your boat
REVIEWS
What guests say
POLICIES
Cancellation timeline
90+ days out
Full refund of the trip payment
Minus any non-refundable permit fees.
30–89 days out
50% refund
Date changes may be available if space remains.
Under 30 days
No refund
Weather holds are reviewed case by case.
Refunds depend on how far out you cancel. Weather holds are handled case by case.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Are meals included?
Yes. On the Rogue Row Your Own we now cook all three meals every day and handle the cleanup (new this season). On the Idaho Row Your Own trips we serve a light breakfast on Day 1 and then breakfast, lunch and dinner every day after.
Is my shuttle included?
On Row Your Own trips, no. Rogue guests arrange their shuttle through Whitewater Cowboys; Idaho guests handle their own.
On guided Idaho trips we handle all the shuttle logistics. On the Rogue multi-day trips we shuttle you from the shop to the put-in, and you have the option of having your car shuttled to the Foster Bar takeout so you can leave straight from the river. Ask us.
Do I need my own camping gear?
On our guided camp trips, just your sleeping bag, or rent a sleep kit from us. We bring the tent, the pad and everything else, and the tents are up before you get to camp.
On a Row Your Own, yes. On the Rogue, bring your boat (or rent one from Whitewater Cowboys), tent, sleeping bag, pad and chairs, and we bring the kitchen, the toilet and the permit. In Idaho, bring your boat setup, tent, pad, cot and chair, and we bring the kitchen and toilet, plus the permit on the Main Salmon. The Lower Salmon does not need one.
What counts as an experienced rower for a Row Your Own?
If you have your own gear, you are probably an experienced rower. On the pre-trip form you list the rivers you have run. If you have done the Deschutes, the John Day or the Lower Salmon and want to take the next step up to the Rogue, you qualify. We would not recommend the Rogue as your first time on the oars.
How many guides come on a Row Your Own?
One or two regardless of group size, a gear boater and a lead boat. You follow our lines through the rapids, we stop and prep you for each one, and the gear boater is out ahead securing camp with dinner underway when you arrive.
Where do we camp on the Rogue?
Night one is usually Tyee or Doe Creek, night two is Missouri, Quail Creek or Rocky Top, and night three is Tacoma, Clay Hill or Tate Creek, depending on group size and who else is on the river. Our gear boater runs ahead and we know by noon which camp we have, so the head guide can set the pace and fit in a side hike. There will always be room for us.
Do I have to bring my own bedding and towels?
On lodge trips, no. Bedding and shower towels are supplied, and you get a hot shower and a real bed every night.
On our guided camp trips, bring your own sleeping bag, or rent a sleep kit from us with a sleeping bag and a pack pillow. We bring the tent and the pad, and on the Rogue the cot too. A small pack towel is a good idea.
On a Row Your Own you bring your own sleep kit and chairs. We bring the kitchen and the toilet.
Where do we go to the bathroom at camp?
Camp trips carry a toilet we call the Johnny, and we set it up with privacy, toilet paper and hand sanitizer, with a separate bucket for pee. Hand washing at the foot-pump station is mandatory, no exceptions. Lodge rooms all have their own bathroom with a flush toilet and shower.
MORE TRIPS
Our Most Booked Trips
|
4 days
|
Class
Hike the Rogue River Trail with a daypack, sleep in the lodges, and let the raft carry everything else.
|
3 days
|
Class
Run the Rogue River Trail lodge to lodge with a light vest while the raft carries your bags.
