Rogue
3. Gold Hill Boat Ramp to Grants Pass (up to 18.3 miles)
| Difficulty | II |
| Length | 18.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 8 fpm |
| Gauge | Rogue River at Grants Pass, or |
| Flow Rate as of 19 minutes | 1200 cfsrunnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 1, 2024 |
The Rogue River was among the nation’s original Wild and Scenic Rivers designated in 1968. Recreational opportunities abound from the Lost Creek Reservoir to the Pacific Ocean. Above the reservoir the North Fork along with other tributaries have been harnessed for hydropower. American Whitewater has successfully advocated for flows [...]Read More
This reach runs from the town of Gold Hill to Grants Pass with I-5 paralleling the river on the north side and Hwy. 99 paralleling the river on the south side. One barrier to navigation is Savage Rapids dam set to be removed to improve fish passage (this dam is visible from river left at Hwy. 99 mile 5.5 east of Grants Pass).
Logistics:
Put-in at Gold Hill Boat Ramp is accessible from I-5 exit 40. Cross the Rogue River and enter the town of Gold Hill. Take Highway 234 north out of town. The boat ramp is located less than a mile out of town on river right at Gold Rogue Sports Park at Highway 234 mile 3.0.
River mile 120.2, elevation 1056'.
Take-out at Baker Park Boat Ramp in Grants Pass on river left downstream of the Highway 199 Bridge is accessible from I-5 exit 55. Follow Highway 199 from I-5 down to the river.
River mile 101.9, elevation 896'.
Alternate access points are available to make runs of various shorter length (or combine with upstream runs for greater length).
Put in at the park on river right.
Access on river left under the bridge.
The dam was removed in 2009 revealing some additional riffles, rips, and rapids in the (nearly six mile) stretch of no 'marked' rapids on the topo maps. USGS river mile 107.3.
This access is on river left downstream of the Highway 199 Bridge in Grants Pass. Located at USGS River Mile 101.9. Parking (including dedicated trailer parking) and toilet facilities are available in Baker Park.
Dec 14, 2010
Savage Rapids Dam. Photo by Roger Funk 5/1/10
Dec 7, 2006
Savage Rapids Dam, a barrier to navigation on
this stretch, is an irrigation dam on the Rogue
River scheduled for removal. It is located at river
mile 107, approximately 5 miles upstream of
Grants Pass. The fish screens and ladder do not
meet current criteria for fish passage and the
Bureau of Reclalmation determined that it would
be cheaper to remove the dam and replace it with
pumps.
