Rogue Wilderness Adventures

My family took a full-day rafting trip on the Rogue River with some experienced adults and five inexperienced kids aged from 7 to 12. This was a GREAT first trip for kids--some exciting whitewater, but not too scary, and several calm areas where the kids (or guides!) could jump into the river and swim. There were ten in our group, and we had two rafts and two kayaks. The lead guide (Richard) was careful to give instructions to the two kayakers before we entered any rapids, especially those that were technical or difficult, but he didn't give them so much information that they couldn't figure some of it out on their own. On the two occasions one of the kayakers flipped in rough water, Richard quickly got to the person and made sure they were okay and helped them get back into their kayaks (he saved a hat too!). It's harder to get back into a kayak in fast-moving water than it looks....
Both of our guides (Richard and Sarah) were knowledgeable and entertaining, and you could tell they really loved what they do and enjoyed sharing it with others. They let the kids play with squirt guns and helped their boat's "team" get good shots at the other boat. The kids enjoyed their strategizing, especially when the target was the other boat's guide.
One thing I didn't expect was that those of us in the boats didn't have to paddle much at all. So this is a good trip for people who don't want to do much work. If you want a more interactive or hands-on experience, you should probably let your guide know that. (In fairness, it should be noted that the river was higher than usual for this time of year, so that may be why we didn't have to do much paddling.) Our kayakers, of course, got to do do a LOT of paddling! I think our kayakers, one of whom was not experience and the other who hadn't done it in many years, could have used a few more "training tips" at the beginning, but they managed just fine. One of the good things about this trip is that you can practice on easier rapids before you get to the biggest ones later in the day.
The lunch provided was good--sandwiches or wraps with fixings and apparently homemade cookies and brownies. There was lots of water and lemonade to drink.
After the trip, you have the option of purchasing photos (the best deal is to purchase all of them on a CD). There were many clear action shots to choose from where you could see all of the rafters. The pictures were much better than I expected, given how fast we seemed to be moving while the guy on the bank was taking them.
My family really enjoyed the trip. It was nice to be in a group together where we could interact between boats. Bring your sunscreen--don't forget your feet!--and prepare to get wet (warning: you'll get wetter if you give your guide a bad time!), and you'll have a lot of fun.

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I own my own raft but it was so worth it to rent the equipment we needed for our recent 4 day raft trip down the Rogue river from Rogue Wilderness Adventures. The equipment was in excellent condition and the configurations they offered were better than I could have done myself. The drop off, pickup and shuttle service made it so much easier for us and they were very accommodating to our schedule and needs. Plus, not having to haul our boats, frames, oars etc. all the way from Portland and then have to set up and rig them made the whole trip that much easier and more enjoyable.

I would recommend Rogue Wilderness Adventures to anyone who is planning to raft the Rogue river. I know we will the next time we are lucky enough to get a permit..

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My family and I took a half day (afternoon) rafting trip last week. My kids (12 and 14) had never done it before. Even though the weather was not the best, we all had a great time. The guides were personable, knowledgeable and experienced. We had the ability to switch from bigger rafts to smaller inflatable kayaks which were a blast--they were everyone's favorite part. We were able to buy professional photos at the end which was great beause none of mine turned out. A great time was had by all!!

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Three friends and I took at 4-day/3-night trip in July 2011.

Even before the trip started, Rogue Wilderness responded timely to each inquiry.

On the day of the trip, we were greeted by Brad, the owner.

We camped for 2 nights and stayed at Paradise Lodge for the last night. I definitely recommend staying at least one night at Paradise Lodge. We upgraded to the deluxe camping set, which I feel is worth the cost.

Our guides were absolutely wonderful. Scott was our main guide and is super-friendly, patient and extremely knowledgeable. Billy kept us entertained with juggling, singing and guitar playing. Andrew setup camp and was always available for questions and support. Jimmy is young, funny and a really experienced guide. Audrey, who was new to the team on this trip, was a seasoned guide on the Rogue and glad she was part of our crew. She is fun and really friendly.

The entire team cooked great food and took such good care of all the guests on our trip. These guides worked really hard. They shared their love of the outdoors, for camping and appreciation and respect for the river.

During the trip, we had the option to jump in and use the inflatable kayaks, lounge on one of the equipment rafts or take on the rapids with one of the guides.

We met new friends on the trip and look forward to coming back to Southern Oregon and take another trip with Rogue Wilderness Adventures.

Great times!

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Buyer beware! What was once a top notch, safe company has rappidlly become a joke. I would never recomomend or advise anyone to take a trip with them, as I feel you would be putting you personal saftey and well being at great risk

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The entire staff at Rogue Wilderness Adventures is terrific. We did not do a guided trip while traveling through the beautiful Merlin area but we did rent a couple of the kayaks and had a wonderful time. We drove some beautiful country on our route from Montana to the coast but in our eyes the Rogue is Oregon's crown jewel. The staff did everything in its power to make our trip a great one. They answered every question and the equipment was excellent. We knew we made the right decision when we saw inflatable pool toys on the water (which I assume were rentals from other area outfitters). It was nice to know that if we did bounce a rock...we could at least stay afloat. A big thanks to Brad and his staff. We will definitely return. That river seems to keep calling me. I 100% understand Brad's decision to change careers. Great choice!

Thank you RWA for the wonderful experience!

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Round about the second day, floating through amazing canyons on the Wild & Scenic Rogue River, we started planning next year's trip. Absolutely world-class in every way. We did the four-day lodge-to-lodge trip, with stops at Black Bar Lodge, and then at Paradise Lodge for two nights. Our guides were absolutely wonderful. Billy (who's a mighty good singer as well as paddle boat captain); Scott (who is the guides manager for Rogue Wilderness, and has a seemingly inexhaustible knowledge of local history and legend); and Geoff (in addition to serving as one of our guides, he's one of the company's top fishing guides... and he's a great cook!). These three guides worked incredibly hard to share with us their knowledge of the river and appreciation for its excitement and beauty. They also do the cooking on the first night plus lunches. The food was great! Hummus, fresh fruits & veges, taco salads, roast chicken, french toast... one highlight with our group was a pineapple-upside-down cake Geoff made, and he tossed in some blackberries he picked along the way. Rogue Wilderness is extremely professional - it was a great trip.

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We recently had a two-day river raft trip with these guys, and it was a wonderful experience. We almost ran into a hiccup when the area received some unseasonably intense rain a day or two before we got there, and the guides decided it was not safe to start our trip on the scheduled date. Fortunately this float was a part of a much longer trip that we were on, so we were able to adjust our schedule to stick around and see if the river looked any better the next day. Incidentally, the guides gave us some recommendations for activities in the area while we waited on the river conditions, and we wound up going on a day-long hiking and waterfall sightseeing trip on a scenic drive up to Crater Lake, so even our unexpected delay day turned out to be something really cool that we didn't have scheduled.
Anyway, the company was very accommodating to us, offering to refund our trip, refund it partly and let us to a one-day float, or to just let us stick around and see if we could get the full two-day deal out of it, which we did the next day.
The section of the Rogue River these guys have access to is really phenomenal. Big mountains and tons of wildlife, and about 25 mi of the float was in a federally-protected where no development was allowed, and the number of people allowed in was strictly limited, so it was really remote and beautiful and untarnished. We saw a bald eagle and several deer before we were barely out of sight of the place where our boat launched, and in fact we saw so much wildlife that I jokingly asked our guide if someone was perhaps letting the animals out of a cage when the boats floated by. Our guide Jeff (and presumably all of the rest of them) was very knowledgeable about the plants and wildlife along the way, and the history of the river itself. He was extremely adept and picking out wildlife that we might happen by, and we wound up seeing a ton while we were out there, including a couple of bears.
Our guide also realized quickly that I was in it for the photographs primarily, and really worked to accommodate me in that, even rowing against the river current at points so that we could have a few extra moments to photograph things such as wildlife, and the many waterfalls that empty into the river's side.
They also had a full setup for us in a supply boat, so that each time we would stop, they would set up collapsible tables and chairs, and fixed lunches for us each day. We also stayed at a lodge on the river (built before the development restrictions) that was arranged as a part of our float trip - it was an incredible experience in itself, but I've written a lengthy review for that elsewhere, so I'll not go on about that.
I really came away with a good impression of this business, feeling that they were very determined to make our experience enjoyable, and yet keeping things safe at the same time. It was a really great time.

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My best friend and I took a multiple day whitewater rafting and camping trip with Rogue Wilderness Adventures, and we had the time of our lives! It was my first whitewater rafting experience so I was really nervous, but the staff gave us detailed instruction and made us feel right at ease. They showed us the right way to do everything, and I was totally hooked on whitewater rafting after that! There were people of all ages from children to even two senior citizen folks (an entire family came on the trip for their family reunion, so grandma and grandpa plus the grand kids were there), and everyone had a wonderful time. You could choose between inflatable kayaks, paddle boats, or just relaxing on what they call the "couch boat". We had yummy riverside picnics with plenty of food to go around, and the Rogue River is just beautiful. We camped under the stars, played Frisbee, chatted, fished, played games, and hung out. It was the first time that I left my cell phone and laptop behind on a vacation in forever--and it was perfect! I'm going back again this year to try their hiking trip!

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We took our children on the Rogue Wilderness day trip. We all had a ball. Those of us that weren't as physically fit could enjoy the ride being rowed by the guide. Our 10 year old decided to take an IK (an inflatable kayak) on the trip. He felt like he was king of the Rogue! When he got tired, he was able to let dad or mom use it or tie it onto the end of the big raft. We look forward to trying the wild and scenic camping trip next time!
Lisa and Family

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Sold us a fishing trip when everyone in the area knew the fish were not biting. We're very sour about it. Even the guides knew that we were getting screwed. Not reputable.

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