Upper Rogue River Trail: Woodruff Bridge - River Bridge

October 22, 2016

Autumn beauty also means autumn weather.  So it took a few weeks to finally get out and enjoy the beautiful colors that make autumn our favorite season.

We drove to the Woodruff Bridge Picnic Area located near Union Creek and met the Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Club for a 9-ish mile hike along the Upper Rogue River Trail. This section of the trail provides you with many views of the Rogue River, autumn color along the river and trail, great starting and turnaround points (River Bridge Campground & Woodruff Bridge Picnic Area), very little elevation change, and then almost in the middle of the hike is the Takelma Gorge - a destination in itself.  It is a wonderful section to hike in either direction and one that we have hiked many times and at different times of the year.

Rogue River at Woodruff Bridge - the start of our hike.

For today's hike we headed south from Woodruff Bridge.  The Rogue river became so quiet at times, one would not even know they were hiking next to it, then the river would pick up speed and remind us that it was still there.  Our trail would wind along the river shore, at times almost too close, as we saw large trees that once stood on the shore now fallen over into and across the river. The woods along the trail were very thick with undergrowth that had changed to autumn yellow and since the weather was still mild enough, mushrooms of various shapes, sizes and colors also decorated our hike.  One pair of mushrooms even got into the autumn spirit with red color and was our favorite fungus of choice.

Our favorite fungi on the hike!!

Just before the 2 mile mark the river really picks up speed as it narrows and begins it's journey through Takelma Gorge.  Although water levels are lower at this time of year, Takelma Gorge is still an amazing sight to see and always worth the short hike for viewing.  If you really want to see the gorge at it's best, take this hike in early spring as rains and melting snow fill the river and thunder through the gorge.  Just look at how high some logs are that got stuck in the gorge.

Takelma Gorge

After passing the gorge, the trail meanders towards and then away from the river, winding through the woods and kept us in the shade most of the hike.  This is great when it is summer, but today the temperature was 42 degrees when we started hiking and the sun did not come out too often.  So our hiking pace was steady to keep us moving and warm.

Autumn color along the Rogue River

Leaves like this were a constant carpet on this hike

Once we reached the River Bridge Campground, our group found a picnic table at a campsite and took a much welcomed rest & food break.  It gave us the opportunity to meet some members of the club, share hiking stories, and of course it gave Katie a chance to beg for bannans and other treats -- to which end she was successful.

The Rogue River just above the River Bridge area

Although our hike back was along the same trail, it always amazes us how different things look from another direction.  We also ran into 3 other groups of hikers out on the trail which was great to see.  Our 9-ish mile hike took around 5 hours with breaks and picture taking.  We enjoyed talking with the folks from the Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Club before, during and after the hike and hope to hook up with them again in the near future.  Thanks for letting us hike with you!!!!!  If you live in or around the Roseburg area, be sure to check out their website for their hikes every other Saturday.

The Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Club

Be sure that  you too get out and visit a park or walk around the neighborhood while the colors of autumn are still around!!  Don't let the season pass you by - enjoy it!!!

Trekking Together
Glenn & Carol