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Wild About the Rogue

A basin like no other

The waters flow from the crest to the sea, losing elevation but gaining time.  The Cascade Crest – Mt. McLaughlin and Mt. Mazama, the twin sentinels of eastern approaches – is youthful, vigorous, brawny … and obvious.

Flowing west into the Heart of the Knot, the great river is swallowed by the primal land, itself obscured by the mists of time.  Geologists call it “The Klamath Knot,” a landscape so complex, convoluted and chaotic as to appear almost indecipherable; either dream or nightmare, depending upon the voyager…

Charles Lane

What makes me Wild about the Rogue?

Running Blossom Bar rapid clean.

Little Green Herons.

Watching an osprey circle, stall, dive, and catch a fish, only to be chased, harassed and bullied by a Bald Eagle who ultimately steals the Osprey’s fish.

The spots of a coastal cutthroat.

The stripes of a wild steelhead buck.

The maggots crawling in a dead, spawned out Chinook Salmon on the bank.

The healing of the river where the dams have come out.

Bryan Sohl

I’m wild about the Rogue Basin because it is home to:

The Wild and Scenic Rogue River and beautiful, unique tributaries.
Extraordinary plant and animal diversity, including healthy wild salmon
Mountains – Klamath-Siskiyous and Cascades
Crater Lake and other mountain lakes
Incredible valleys and landscapes including the Table Rocks, vernal pool wetlands, the Rogue River Preserve, the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, Oregon Caves National Monument and many others
The Pacific Ocean
Its vibrant cultural scene – OSF, Britt, SOU
Nice weather/four seasons

I’m also wild about the Rogue for some things it doesn’t have:
Four major dams removed since 2007!

Craig Harper

You wanna know what makes me WILD about the Rogue River? Access to pristine places. We have so much access to the Rogue River interior – a vast, roadless area that hosts so many species of rare plants and diverse creatures. And those steelhead half-pounders – what a cool life history and very unique. Found in only three rivers on the entire continent (Klamath, Eel, and Rogue) this rare breed makes the journey to the ocean and then makes a quick turnaround for a swim back upstream after only a few short months. We get the opportunity to catch these little fighting fellas, and boy, are they tasty!

We literally have the good fortune of living along one of the most protected and most loved rivers in the nation. Along with all the wild excitement of the Rogue, there is also a peaceful and restful side to the river that one can experience while floating through the Wild & Scenic section, with the mist slowly rising in the morning and gazing on all the beauty that surrounds you. One can sit in those canyons and feel the efforts of every one living upstream of this beautiful area who are working together to take care of this special place. This is our Rogue and we love her.

Kelly Timchak

The Rogue’s wild heart is what makes me wild in turn. It’s the thousands of acres of diverse and wild public lands harboring relatively intact ecosystems full of unique creatures that drew me to the Rogue. Given its steep slopes and distance from any major city, it’s relatively untrammeled by people.

I like my wild lands wild, diverse, and all around me. I like them with fewer roads, fewer motors and lots more wildlife. I like my rivers long, free, and full of native fish year round. I like knowing that any given moment there is a wild fish making its way upstream to a location near me. I like my people earthy, artsy, and with a twinkle in their eye. I love the way this community cherishes the land and works to protect, improve it, and honor it through art and motion.

Eugene Wier