Rogue River Wild Section Permit

About this permit

During the control season, May 15 to October 15, the BLM and the Forest Service permit 120 people per day to launch into the Wild section of the Rogue. Read the unit carefully: that is people, not launches and not permits. Trip length is limited to seven days including the launch date, with a maximum party size of 20 persons per permit.

Fees are a $6 non-refundable lottery application fee for each application, then $10 per person on confirmation of the reservation. The SCAT machine at Foster Bar is $2.

The lottery takes applications on Recreation.gov from December 1 to January 31, with successful and unsuccessful notices emailed by February 15. Payment is due 10 days prior to your launch date. After the lottery there is an April Give-Away in the first five business days of April, an open-season call-in from May 5 to October 15, and a day-of-launch walk-in waiting list.

The permit itself is issued only on the day of launch, in person at Rand, with check-in from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm on the launch date only. A permitted group may split into two launches, but each subgroup needs an official copy of the permit, a separate toilet system, and must meet up to camp or lodge. Outside the regulated season, October 16 to May 14, launches run on a self-issued permit available at the Smullin Visitor Center at Rand and the Grave Creek Boat Launch.

Toilet systems and fire pans are required for all float trips year-round. The toilet must be dedicated, reusable, washable and watertight with a screw-on or latching gasket lid (snap-on lids and RV toilets are explicitly not acceptable), sized at one pint per person per day, and set up within 30 minutes of arrival at camp. Fire pans are required year-round for any campfire built within 400 feet of the river. Each party needs a shovel and a bucket of at least one gallon. Life jackets must be Coast Guard approved Type I, III or V, worn by all individuals in Class III or greater rapids and at all times by children 12 and under. All party leaders are required to watch the Wild Rogue River Permit Guidelines Video once per year.

Bears are managed actively here. The BLM installs and maintains electric bear fences, food hoists and storage containers on the Rogue from May 15 to October 15, and asks you to ensure the bear fence is turned on and closed at all times. Remove all coolers, food, trash and human or pet waste from boats, and suspend food and garbage from a tree a minimum of 4 feet from the trunk and 10 feet above the ground.

One live condition as of 2026-08-09: the BLM's lottery page carries a notice that the Moon Complex fire has impacted the Wild Section of the Rogue River, directing boaters to the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest for fire information and to the Smullin Visitor Center on 541-479-3735. Call before you drive.

The route

The BLM publishes the Wild section as 33.8 miles from Grave Creek to Foster Bar, not the 34 you will see repeated elsewhere, with an average float time of three to four days. The wider National Wild and Scenic portion of the river is 84 miles, cooperatively managed by the BLM and the Forest Service.

On difficulty the agency is specific: boat operators need Class IV skills to navigate this river, and the Wild section has about three Class IV rapids and nine Class III rapids. It names Rainie Falls, the Fish Ladder and Blossom Bar as places parties can scout and walk passengers around, and singles out Blossom Bar: scouting Blossom Bar Rapid, Class IV, is advised for all boaters, because boating incidents there causing boats or gear to wrap and block the channel are a common occurrence.

One thing that catches people out: the permit is issued only on the day of launch, in person at Rand, with check-in from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm on the launch date only.

Why it matters

The Wild section of the Rogue is the classic Oregon multi-day: three or four days, warm water, bears in camp, and a Class IV rapid in the middle that decides how the trip goes. The BLM caps the whole thing at 120 people per day, which is why it draws the numbers it does.