Groups with kids should pick their floating sites carefully, say experts

Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the beginning of the summer recreation season, and nothing says summer in Southern Oregon like a day on the Rogue River.

On a hot day, hundreds of people in rubber rafts and inflatable kayaks bounce down the river from just below Lost Creek Dam to Shady Cove, drawn by fast-flowing water that’s fun without being intimidating.

"Most people can get through there with no trouble," says Carolee Enriquez, who has been renting rafts at Rapid Pleasure in Shady Cove for 25 years.

The river changes character repeatedly during its run from the dam down to Grants Pass. There are quiet stretches of flat water where the river flows clear and green for a mile or more with nary a rock to ripple the surface, and big-time rapids that will make all but the most savvy river-runners feel a twinge when they hear the water’s roar.

The trick to enjoying a day on the river with family and friends is to know what you want, and to stay away from what you want to avoid. That can be tricky for newcomers, because the river often changes dramatically "just around the next bend."

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There are public boat ramps scattered along the river every few miles all the way from the dam at Lost Creek down to Grants Pass and beyond. Families with a raft or inflatable kayaks can float for an hour or two, or most of a day.

The stretch of water from the dam to Rogue Elk Park (where Elk Creek enters the river) is the most popular for occasional rafters and paddlers. The river drops rapidly through a series of little rapids, none of them particularly difficult.

The pace slows between Elk Creek and Shady Cove as the river flows through a broader, flatter channel where rapids are fewer and less dramatic.

"It’s a lot smoother from Elk Creek down to Shady Cove," Enriquez says.

Downstream from Shady Cove rapids are scarce all the way to TouVelle State Park as the Rogue meanders through a broad valley where farms and ranches are giving way to showy new houses along the banks.

People looking for amusement-park excitement may find this stretch of the river dull.

"If you just want to float down and work on your tan, that’s the place," says Nondy Weaver, a shuttle driver for Get Wett, one of Shady Cove’s countless raft rental shops.

That doesn’t mean the river is without charms between Dodge Bridge (where Highway 234 crosses the river) and TouVelle State Park.

"It’s really pretty," says Leslie Dopp, of Kokopelli River Center in Ashland, "and there are lots of birds."

While the rapids along this stretch are few, they can snag the unwary. Rattlesnake Rapids, for example, is notorious for catching unwary drift boaters, but inflatable boats tend to sail through with relative ease, especially at spring’s higher water flows.

Public access is more challenging downstream from TouVelle, as the river flows through more heavily populated areas, and Gold Ray Dam blocks the stream a few miles downstream.

The slack water above the dam provides interesting canoeing along the north bank in the area known as Kelly Slough, but access is difficult and requires paddling across the river just upstream from the dam.

Below Gold Ray, the river alternates between flat water and several drops that would be frightening (and potentially life-threatening) for beginners. Two of the most challenging rapids on the entire river, Nugget Falls and Powerhouse, are just downstream from a quiet stretch of placid water that can be seen from Highway 234 upstream from the city of Gold Hill.

Novices have been lured by the calm water into launching a canoe or raft only to find themselves unpleasantly surprised after a few hundred yards.

"People get in trouble down there because they think there’s nothing (challenging) between Gold Ray and Gold Hill," says Dopp, the kayaker.

Below the city of Gold Hill there’s mostly smooth sailing all the way to Savage Rapids Dam, the irrigation dam that blocks the river three miles downstream from the city of Rogue River.

Floaters can launch their boats at the Gold Hill Sports Park but should be aware of a little drop just around the bend (visible from Highway 234) that can dump an unwary or inexperienced paddler in an inflatable kayaker.

To avoid that riffle, floaters can put their boats in the water at the city park just downstream from the railroad bridge in Gold Hill. There’s also one of the few sandy beaches and play places here where kids can wade in quiet water.

The river rumbles noisily down a long riffle just downstream from the park at Gold Hill. There are several more gentle drops until the river rushes noisily under Interstate 5 at Valley of the Rogue State Park, where there’s another convenient boat ramp.

Downstream from Valley of the Rogue the river is quiet all the way to the city of Rogue River, a short float down to where a new bridge is being built. The bridge marks the upstream end of the water impounded by Savage Rapids Dam, three miles downstream.

Paddlers can get off the river at the city park or go downstream to Savage Rapids, but expect plenty of company. This stretch of water is popular with water skiers, power boats and the personal watercraft crowd.

Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail bkettler@mailtribune.com

Wear your life jacket; it could save your life

Oregon law requires boats to carry one personal flotation device (more commonly known as a life jacket) for every occupant.

People with any sense also make sure to put them on, says Leslie Dopp of Ashland’s Kokopelli River Center.

"For some reason there’s still lots of people who don’t feel like they have to wear a life jacket," Dopp says. "I think it’s an ego thing, or they think it’s not cool to wear a life jacket."

Dopp recommends floating with people who have actually been on the stretch of river you’re going to float. Their experience will be valuable.

"Go with someone who’s experienced if you don’t know the place you’re going," she says, "whether it be a friend who knows the river, or a guide.

"It’s easy if you know where to go," she says. "For people who are beginners, the river can be a strange and unknown thing."