Taylor Creek which runs into the Rogue River at Morrison's Lodge has always held a soft spot in my heart. It flows behind our home and is great for taking a cooling dip during the hot days of August and September. I've attached two picture's, one taken last fall and the other last week after heavy rains. Spencer wishes I would let him kayak it! Only in his dreams!
to make plan for the “Summer Vacation”. Here are just a few travel tips from Morrison’ Rogue River Lodge. First, let’s start by defining the new popular term in travel these days: the “staycation”. Some people would say that a staycation by definition would be a vacation in your own town. Let’s expand that definition; to include areas surrounding your home town that can be driven to in one day or less. With this in mind, consider this travel information:
Every year the crew of Rogue River Raft Trips Inc. spends three days polishing their skills on the Lower Rogue River as part of the pre-season training. This year the crew was pleasantly surprised with three days of some of the nicest weather in May. Each day was filled with voluntary swimming for a variety of river rescue drills, which included throw bag rescue, zip-lines and z-drags. This trip allows the guides a great opportunity to catch up with their river pals and remind each other of the beauties of the Rogue River Canyon. This year we have started offering SUP board at the lodge so the guides checked them out. This is just another way to tell the Rogue River story. One of the unique characteristic of our 
guides is their passion for the river. The crew truly embraces the river lifestyle and would love to share it with you. A Rogue River rafting adventure is a delight for the whole family.
Come join our happy rogue River Rafting crew this summer and experience the wonders of the Rogue!
Many people these days are working 
on doing more with less. In adventure travel it has forced families to get more creative when planning the summer vacation. Most people we talk with are trying to keep closer to home. We hear time and time again that guest are looking for a vacation that is less than 200 – 400 miles from their home. Morrison’s is very centrally located on the Rogue River just outside of Merlin, Oregon. Once you get to Morrison’s everything is close by. In addition to our Rogue River Rafting and Fishing trips we now offer Horseback trail rides and Stand up Paddle Boards (SUP). Possibly the biggest news for 2011 is the restructured lodge rates. These rates are by room and vary by days of the week. For example: a family of four can lodge on a Sunday and Monday night for as little as $111 per night. You then have the option of adding meals or doing meals on your own. Check rates
How close are you to Morrison’s? 
We are easy to access off of Interstate 5 and close drive from several cities.
been sweeping across the country, as yet another way to enjoy our waterways. SUP originated in the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1960s by the Beach Boys of Waikiki. These surfers would stand on their long boards and paddle out with outrigger paddles to take pictures of people learning to surf. One difference between the modern idea of surfing and SUP is that you don’t need a wave. In SUP, one can paddle on the open ocean, in harbors, on lakes, rivers or any large body of water. One of the advantages on the River is the ease of paddling up and down calm pools. At Morrison’s you can add SUP to your Rogue River Rafting day trip, or just paddle Taylor Canyon near the lodge.
Sourdough Camp Trail Rides. Mike grew up in this area Rafting, Fishing and Horseback Riding. He has also done some gold panning in the area. Mike knows a lot of history about the surrounding mountains and the culture of the native people. He spends lots of time on his horses exploring, taking youth groups on trail rides and now wants to share his knowledge and experience with the guests at Morrison’s.
patchwork of communities that make up the Rogue Valley. The valley is coming into its own as a destination for cheese, wine and other handcrafted foods. There is a hope for those who want to experience artisan products of the Rogue Valley while rafting its notorious river: Rogue River Rafting Trips’ Culinary Odyssey.
popping up along many of the well-rafted rivers in the states. This particular experience is special in that it exposes all the senses to this place, and explores both the wilderness and the burgeoning food and wine movement of the region. Cheese, Chocolate, Wine and Whitewater is a perfect starter trip for novice rafters and a fresh perspective to those who are already familiar with rafting the Rogue River.
are appealingly simple, and scruffy from decades of river runners. The walls at the Marial Lodge are crowded with yellowed photos and newspaper clippings of river adventures, along with rows of personalized hand-painted coffee mugs used by the guides who pass through. After a day on the river, the hot showers; hearty, family-style meals (think slow-roasted turkey, flank steak, cheesy potatoes, berry cobblers); and warm beds feel positively four-star.
the Rogue’s burliest Class IV rapid, on its way toward the wilderness boundary and the real world. Come morning, everyone seems a bit forlorn at the idea of rejoining roads and whining jet boats. But then the Picket Fence looms ahead, a row of jagged stone teeth spitting white foam skyward. Over the roar, the guide barks “Forward!” They dig in their paddles, eager for action—but wishing the Rogue would let them stay.
opened near Grants Pass, Oregon, one of a handful of riverside lodges offering fishing guide services and hot meals. When rafting emerged as a sport in the 1970s, many enthusiasts headed straight for the Rogue, designated one of the nation’s first “Wild and Scenic” rivers. That official status prohibits shoreline development and most motorized boats, and limits the number of people on the water each day.
five or six guests and a guide for each 16-foot synthetic-rubber raft, and a gear boat to haul food and clothes. Adding to the cush factor, they’ll skip camping and overnight in historic lodges along the way.Three day Lower Rogue River Rafting trips discounted dates;
 |
| Family Fun on the Rogue River |
May 19th and 26th , June 2nd, and 9th
July 3rd and 7th August 23rd and 25th September 4th
If your planning a Rogue River Adventure on a different date, other then those listed above, we would also like to offer you a gift for coming rafting with us.
All multi- day rafting reservations made between now and May 15th will receive the "Rogue River Rafting Adventure" package. This $40 gift is a great addition to every trip. The package includes; a hat and t-shirt combo (so you will have a sun hat for the trip) and a dip stick water gun ( so you will be ready for that water battle that comes up).
Offer good till May 15, 2011 reserve today 800- 826 -1963
We have added in many helpful links to help with the planning of your Rogue River Rafting Adventure. The site includes complete listings and descriptions of all our specialty rafting trips, trip planning tools, and up to date guides profiles of all your favorite Rogue River Rafting Guides. 
to do a Lower Rogue River Rafting adventure. We have just the trip, with the big winter we‘ve been having in the Pacific Northwest we should have great river flows this spring. Join us in May and June for a two day Lower Rogue River Lodge trip. Early season water flows make this trip possible. You can comfortably enjoy the whitewater from Grave Creek to Foster Bar in just two days. Enjoy the lush green canyon, plenty of waterfalls and great whitewater in just a couple days. A little over half way through the journey you'll spend an evening at Marial Lodge. Many more starts available call for info. These trips can leave every day in the spring if you just give us some notice. Take a Rogue River rafting adventure “Staycation” this spring!
family to enjoy, with a little something for everyone. Many times you’ll find that the thrill seeking teenager really enjoyed the whitewater kayaking and the swimming hole with the rock jump. The timid little ten year old made friends with another rafter while rock hounding for agates 
and catching roughskin newts. Best of all, mom and dad got to relax on the raft, while the children engaged in a major water battle on the “kid boat”. A Rogue River Rafting adventure is a multi-day that all will enjoy. 
“ Splash and Cast Package” 
September is the only month to combine to unique experiences. The weather is still nice enough for rafting and the fish runs are in the river system. Enjoy this time of the year with two nights lodging combined with a day of guided whitewater rafting and a day of guided fishing.
During your float down the river you will encounter an abundance of wildlife: eagles, osprey, great blue heron, turtles, deer, river otter and an occasional black bear. On the raft trips you can either relax on the raft or try the challenge of an inflatable kayak. 
Price: $675 per adult $486 per child
Package includes:
* 2 nights’ accommodations in
cozy cottages or lodge rooms
* All meals, including a sensational
four course gourmet dinner, a full
country-style breakfast and lunch
each day
*Splash jackets and wet suits for cooler
weather trips
*Use of inflatable kayaks on raft trips
* All fishing equipment provided
Book you Rogue River Rafting and Fishing Adventure today.
1-800-826-1963
rafting deal is our three day Camp/Lodge. Just hear what our guest are saying; We certainly enjoyed our journey down the mighty Rogue River with the best guides ever (The River Doctor & Dave from Dave Town)! We appreciate the attention and enlightenment of the "Rogue River Way." As we continued our journey along the Oregon coast, our thoughts continued to return to the fun we had on the Rogue. We feel we had the very best guides, on the one of the very best rivers in the USA! It was our privilege to get to float with you guys on our first trip down the Rogue through the Wild and Scenic area. I have been on a lot of waterways in my life but that is undoubtedly the most beautiful I have ever encountered! With the history and delivery of the stories, I believe you should have the honorary degree of a PHD in Rogue River history and lore, thus the title of "River Doctor." We really enjoyed your knowledge of the river and the men who made it legendary, as well as, the knowledge of the fauna and flora. I believe you have a really good man there in Dave and if Riley (not sure of the spelling) decides to be a guide, will also be excellent! 
Day Three: Whitewater adventures
If the first two days of the river trip were tame by the standards of experienced river rafters, the third was a more definite challenge. This was the day we plunged through the Wild Rogue Wilderness Area, with 12 miles of severe rapids that included the Coffeepot in Mule Creek Canyon, Blossom Bar, and the cataracts known as Devils Stairs, featuring one of the nastiest eddies on the entire stretch of wild-and-scenic river. 
Chilly waves splashed over the entire raft, soaking the crew from head to toe. I sat in the front of one boat and took the full sting of the water as we plunged over the rapids and catapulted between rocks. But I never lost the wide smile on my face. The run was exhilarating, but it was never frightening. For that, I credit the experience and confidence of the guides.
Almost immediately upon leaving Marial, we found ourselves in stark and dramatic Mule Creek Canyon. Two partially submerged boulders, “The Jaws,” guard the right side of the entrance to this gorge, which in many places is no more than 20 feet wide.
The river sweeps through a turbulent stretch of rapids called the Narrows, then surges into the Coffeepot, which bubbles and brews around the rocky outcroppings like a percolator. When the water is low, Kauffman said, a raft can bounce unpredictably between the walls and may spin in circles for minutes at a time. We encountered the river on the tail of heavy precipitation, so we were spit out fairly quickly.
To our left, Stair Creek cascaded out of the wilderness as Stair Creek Falls. Of all the waterfalls we saw along the way, this was one of the two prettiest ... along with Flora Dell Falls, where we stopped for lunch later in the day. 
But tranquility soon gave was to more whitewater.
Despite a name that suggests serenity — the “blossoms” are those of wild azaleas that flourish above the riverside rocks — Blossom Bar is considered the most hazardous of any lower Rogue rapid. “The route requires much maneuvering to avoid serious wraps, flips and swims,” warns the official Rogue River Float Guide. Boaters must start at the far left side of the rapid, edge into a central eddy, pour through a line of rocks called “the picket fence” … and then, as the book describes, “play ‘dodge ’em’ through the rest of the rapid.”
All three of our boats steered through the obstacle course and the ensuing Devils Stairs with grace and style. Ten miles later, and three miles after Flora Dell, we took out at Foster Bar. That’s six miles upriver from the village of Agness ... and 33 miles upriver of the Rogue’s mouth at Gold Beach.
When we left the river, the day was warm and sunny. In three days, we had gone from wetsuits to swimsuits. But less than a half hour later, we were on the backcountry Bear Camp Road, returning to Morrison’s.
Something fishy
Several rafting outfitters offer trips on the lower Rogue. I chose to travel with Rogue River Rafting Trips because of their convenient affiliation with Morrison’s Lodge, as well as their varied packages and experienced guide crew.
Three-day lodge trips begin every Thursday through August. Three-day camp-and-lodge trips (with a night of pampered tenting and a second night at a downriver lodge) begin every Sunday in July and August. Fishing trips, based at Morrison’s, operate mid-September through mid-November.
Kauffman said he conducts pre-arrival interviews by telephone with all fishing guests.
“I find out how they fish, so we can completely customize our trip to the need of the angler,” he said. “This helps me assign people
to specific guides, each of whom has a different specialty, and to provide instruction if needed.
“I let them know the steelhead run right past the resort … and they can wet a line the same day they check in, without even going out on the boat.”
The veteran river guide tried to convince me that I could cast a plug into the Rogue and, in no time, pull a river giant out on a hand-tied nymph.
Of course, I didn’t believe a word of it. His lips were moving.
_________________________________________________________________________________
John Gottberg Anderson can be reached at janderson@bendbulletin.com.
“La Rivière des Coquins” because they considered the native population to be scoundrels, or rogues (in French, “coquins”). The few thousand Takelma Indians who lived here in the mid 1800s were no match for white intruders. The native population was squelched in the brief Rogue River War of 1855-56, with the survivors marched north to what is now the Siletz Indian Reservation near Newport.
Get hooked on the River News
Sign up now for The Morrison’s Newsletter
That's an RSS feed. Just click on it to receive content updates.
Powered by Compendium