AREA INFO & PICTURES
  
Galice & Merlin, Oregon
The little hamlet of Galice-Merlin is located northeast of Grants Pass and is the home base for many outfitters and fishing guides. Known as the "Gateway To The Wild & Scenic Rogue River." Close to the 84-mile segment of the Rogue River set aside by Congress under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968.
 
Hellgate Canyon is located nearby on Galice Hwy where the famous "Jump" segment of the movie "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" (starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford) and many other Westerns were filmed. Above Merlin is Grave Creek, the starting point for the 32 mile "wild" section of the Rogue River.
 
Great white water rafting, fishing and guided tours on the Rogue River are but some of the activities available in the Merlin area. One of the best hiking trails around is the famous Rogue River Wild and Scenic Trail which starts at Grave Creek above Merlin and runs downstream 40 miles through the Wild and Scenic section of the Rogue River to Foster Bar. A permit, available by lottery, is required in the summer for floating some sections of the river; contact US Forest Service, River Permits, 14335 Galice Rd., Merlin, OR 97532. More info on river history below.
 
For those who prefer out-of-water activities there are numerous parks and trails. Rogue River Hiking Trail leads you through the wild region of the Rogue on the north bank, from Graves Creek to Marial.
 
Historical Background On Galice
Louis Galice, a French doctor, was one of the first to prospect in the wild country of the lower Rogue canyons. In 1851, a few miles below Hellgate Canyon, he discovered gold nuggets in the creek which now bears his name.
 
The first settlers to come into the region were without exception trappers and traders seeking valuable animal pelts. Long before the arrival of white trappers, however, there were several thousand native peoples who lived along the banks. As a matter of fact, the Rogue got its name from the Indians. 'The River of the Rogues," Two developments triggered the flood of white settlement: the Donation Land Act, which gave 640 acres to each settling couple, and the discovery of gold along the banks of the Rogue late in 1851. Thousands of miners flooded the area in search of this precious metal.
 
Today gold-panning is a favorite occupation of many visitors as each year gold is washed down from the mountains in the streams and lodges in gravel and between boulders. In its heyday, over $70 million was taken from the Rogue in gold; $5 million alone from Tyee Rapids by a group of Chinese miners. Gradually, however, the gold dwindled. Since the rugged character of the Rogue prevented it from becoming a highway of commerce and most of the valuable pelts had been trapped out, agriculture became the major industry for the Rogue Valley. Although commercial salmon fishing was once popular, it was outlawed in 1962 when state legislation banned the use of gill-nets. Game fishing remains the major fishing industry today.
 
Recreational Highlights Of The Area
 
Galice Resort
The Resort offers lodging, dining, entertainment, guided half-day and full day rafting and kayaking trips & more.
 
Indian Mary Park
Located north of town is the historic Indian Mary Park. It is the smallest Indian reservation ever created. Indian Mary Park is now a county park set on the beautiful Rogue River.
 
Pottsville
For an interesting journey back in time visit the legendary Pottsville, the home of historic gas engines and buildings. It is located on Pleasant Valley Rd., off of Merlin-Galice Hwy.

Haines Apple Tree
Visit the site of the Haines Family. One family's fight against a band of angry warriors and the massacre that happened within sight of the apple tree.
 
Southern Oregon Information


With an average elevation on the valley of 1,350', we offer more than 300 frost-free days per year, attested to by our fast-growing wine vineyard operations. Southern Oregon experiences little summer precipitation and comfortably low humidity. Some summer days may reach 100 degrees, but the nights often will still require a blanket.
 
For the vast majority of the year there is zero air pollution and a low percentage of cloud cover, which contributes to the valley receiving more solar energy than most of the United States.
 
Winter temperatures seldom fall below 20 degrees. Occasional snowfall on the valley floor seldom reaches 6 inches and usually melts away in two to three days. Precipitation averages 30-40 inches in the winter. The water supply is primarily subterranean or is from the snowpack in the surrounding mountains.
 
The average latest and earliest killing frosts are April 17 and Oct. 25. Located less than 50 miles from the Pacific Ocean, our valley has cooler summers and warmer winters than adjacent areas located farther inland.
 
Local winter energy needs are met primarily by wood and heat pumps with solar energy being designed in new structures.