Rogue River Gorge Falls

The Rogue River Gorge is found at a developed interpretive area about 1 1/4 miles south of the junction of Highways 230 and 62, immediately north of the small village of Union Creek. The parking area is well signed and those traveling southbound will see the upper portion of the falls shortly before the parking area is seen on the right. The trail from the parking lot is all of about 500 feet long and paved.The term Rogue River Gorge is often applied to long stretches of the Wild and Scenic River, but this short stretch where the river courses through a narrow chasm carved no wider than 10 feet in places, is the proper feature to apply the name to. This waterfall occurs at the head of the gorge. The falls begin where the river splits around an island composed of basalt talus. The visible channel of the river spreads across the smooth basalt bedrock and veils about 5 vertical feet into a trough in a very scenic display. Shortly downstream the two channels converge and cascade another 25 feet into the narrowest and deepest portion of the gorge. The waters of the river swirl calmly for several hundred feet then resumes its boisterous journey towards the ocean after exiting the slot no more than 500 feet downstream from the entrance.