Rogue River Valley, Oregon - Southern Oregon is divided into three main river basins; the Umpqua River, the Rogue River, and the Klamath Basin. The Umpqua meets the Pacific at Reedsport, the Rogue mouth is near Gold Beach, and the Klamath empties at the Redwoods National Park in Northern California. All three rivers have their headwaters in the Cascade Mountains on the slopes of Crater Lake, Oregon's only national park. The Rogue River is a designated National Scenic River, and formed much of the backdrop for the Meryl Streep movie "The River Wild." Jet boat trips and white water rafting are very popular.

Rogue River Valley

Rogue River Valley, Oregon - A beautiful place to visit, a wonderful place to live. Come and find a place to call your own. Southern Oregon is a great place to own a home and grow your family.

Rogue River Valley
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Rogue River Valley - Oregon Travel Guide

Articles from the Historical Society in Josephine County Oregon

Quartz Mining in Josephine County
by Michael Oaks
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The early miners of Josephine County discovered excellent quartz prospects, but wisely (or unwisely) ignored them. Only the much sought and often found gold pockets were desired. These pockets could be emptied at once, and represented instant wealth.

Josephine County's pocket-hole reputation extended far and wide. It took nearly a half century for the capitalist to become aware that the "coyote diggings" of the pocket hunter, shallow as they were, gave sure indications of more deeply buried treasure, beyond the early miner's shovel handle length -- for that was his limitation.

Both pick and pan method as well as placer uncovered most of the great producing quartz mines of Josephine County. Since quartz mines required much more money and labor to extract the gold, it was necessary to find a capitalist to invest in the property or purchase it outright. ... Continued - Page 2

To work a quartz mine required time, patience and much hard labor. From this it can be readily understood why Southern Oregon lay dormant for so long a period early on.

Rogue River Valley, Oregon - The Siskiyou Mountains stretch between the Cascade Mountains and the Coast Range at the California border. The entire area is more vertical than most other parts of the state, which leads to numerous waterfalls, lots of whitewater rapids, and some spectacular scenery. Rogue River Valley is outside the main population centers of the state and the area has a very rural flavor. Major industries are tourism, wood products and agriculture. The climate is generally milder and more Mediterranean than North Western Oregon. Average rainfallis about 20 % lower and the temperatures are a bit higher.