Oregon's Rogue River Gorge Is A Beautifully Brilliant Green
By Catherine Armstrong|Published September 08, 2019
×
Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
When you think of a gorge in Oregon, our mighty Columbia River Gorge probably comes to mind. It’s a massive, 80-mile-long gorge that’s as much as 4,000 feet deep, and truly an impressive sight, but it’s not our only gorge. The Rogue River Gorge is much smaller – just 500 feet long – but it’s pretty awe-inspiring, too. Take a short stroll to see it for yourself.
The Rogue River carves a rugged path through some of Oregon's most beautiful scenery. The river is 215 miles long, and it's well-known for its fly-fishing and whitewater rafting.
There's one spot along the river that's particularly fascinating. The Rogue River Gorge is a narrow gorge that was created over time as the water eroded through basalt lava.
Along the way, check out the "living stump." You'll see an informational sign that tells you how it's possible for this stump to still be alive, despite the fact that the tree was cut down.
The churning, broiling water is a sight to behold as it makes its way 500 feet from the inlet of the gorge to its outlet, before emerging from the gorge and plunging into the wider river downstream.
It's important to stay back behind the fence here. The basalt cliffs towering above the gorge are very slippery, and a fall into the churning water below could easily be fatal.
Like so many of Oregon's forest spots, this gorge is a brilliant green, thanks to the moss growing on the basalt, and the foliage and ferns all around.
The Rogue River Trail follows along the bank of the river for 40 miles, but there are short sections of it that you can easily hike if you want to extend your adventure.
