The Rogue River is one of the classic multi-day river trips in the world. I still remember my first trip down the Rogue back in 2010 and thinking how lucky I was to spend a summer guiding there. As the years flew past, numerous fires have blazed across the landscape and changed the scenery in one way or another. I remember floating past Big Windy Creek in 2014 after a fire the previous year started not far from the rivers edge and thinking wow what is it going to look like in five years? Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for the vegetation to fill in the gaps and for the charred trees to disappear amongst new growth. 

Last September, the Moon Complex fire started with a massive lightning show that ignited six fires along a portion of the Rogue River from Mule Creek Canyon to around Clay Hill. There were a handful of other fires that started from this same storm, but those didn’t cause much issue for river and trail users.

Being a guide and operations manager, I have been getting a lot of questions lately: Is the river open? What does Blossom Bar look like? Is the trail open? Is it worth going on a Rogue trip now that all the trees burned? Can we still camp at our favorite spots? Quick answers are yes, looks about the same, half is open, very worth going on a Rogue trip still as only a small portion burned, and camps on the lower portion may look different.

Fire is a natural part of a forest ecosystem. Some folks may see the burnt snags and the blackened slopes above Clay Hill and think it will never look the same. With that said, the river canyon is resilient, plants will start to grow back. You might even forget what it once looked like.

With the winter rains moving in, the landscape will shift and some trees may come down, but that won’t take away from the magic of the Wild Rogue. It’s just entering a new chapter, and honestly, seeing the river in a new and ever-changing form may be one of the most interesting parts of the upcoming season.

Time Line

In case you totally missed the fire (or just curious about the progression), here is a breakdown of what happened during the lower portion of the Wild and Scenic Rogue River last September.

September 3, 2025

A massive lightning event ignites six fires (Backbone, Brushy, Pinnacle, Tate, Paradise, and Stair), collectively known as the Moon Complex.

September 4–5, 2025

Initial attack crews struggle with the terrain. The fires are burning in some of the steepest, most inaccessible parts of the Wild & Scenic corridor.

September 6, 2025

The fires grow to a combined 1,300+ acres. The Grave Creek to Marial Backcountry Byway is closed. Structure protection begins at Paradise Lodge and Half Moon Bar.

September 7–8, 2025

The Paradise, Stair, and Brushy fires merge. The Tate fire is successfully caught and contained at 26 acres.

September 9–20, 2025

Fire activity moderates. Crews focus on building “indirect lines” along Panther Ridge and Clay Hill. Smoke is thick in the canyon, but the fire is mostly “creeping and smoldering.”

September 21–24, 2025

A warming trend begins. Humidity drops into the single digits. Fire managers warn that the “interior” of the burn is waking up.

September 26, 2025

The “Big Run.” High east winds and record heat push the fire south and west. It jumps lines and races toward Bear Camp Road triggering Level 3 evacuations for Agness and Illahe.

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Governor Kotek invokes the Oregon Conflagration Act. Level 3 “Go Now” evacuations are ordered for Agness and Illahe. The fire is now 17,316 acres. The river is officially closed to all recreation from Grave Creek to Foster Bar.

September 28th

BLM and USFS halt issuing river permits for the Wild section.

September 29, 2025

Heavy rains arrive, significantly slowing fire growth and allowing crews to gain the upper hand.

September 30, 2025 

All Level 3 evacuations are downgraded to Level 2. The immediate threat to Agness is over.

October 14, 2025

Containment reaches 50%. Crews begin “backhauling” miles of hose and pumps from the riverbank.

October 28, 2025

The fire is 70% contained and 19,520 acres. Work shifts entirely to “suppression repair”—fixing the fire lines to prevent winter erosion into the salmon spawning beds.

November 7, 2025

Managing agencies (BLM and RRSNF) life emergency road closures (including Bear Camp Road).

December 6 2025

The fire is deactivated from daily tracking, though long-term “mop-up” and repair work continue through the winter.

Current Trail and River Conditions 

If you’ve been eyeing the Rogue River Trail for a spring or summer through-hike or a supported trip this year, this might not be the year to do it. 

Grave Creek to Marial (The Upper Section)

Mostly OPEN. This stretch saw less intensity from the Moon Complex. You can still hike from the Grave Creek boat ramp down toward the Rogue River Ranch, though you should keep an eye out for spot-fire damage and increased rockfall. Also there tends to be some down trees and possible trail erosion from winter/spring time snow and rain. 

Marial to Foster Bar (The Lower Section)

CLOSED INDEFINITELY. This 16-mile stretch took the brunt of the fire’s flames.  The Forest Service has issued an emergency closure (Order 06-10-28-26-03) which has the trail and campsites all closed.

It’s not just about blackened trees. The fire moved across the landscape and burned some bridges that spanned side creeks and damaged some retaining walls. 

Bridges: Six bridges between Clay Hill and Foster Bar are gone or structurally compromised.

Retaining Walls: In the steepest sections of the canyon, the wooden and stone cribbing that holds the trail against the cliffside was destroyed. Without them, winter rains are causing tread slumping, meaning  the trail sliding into the river.

The Plan: The Forest Service is currently scouting for funding, but it doesn’t expect to have those bridges back until 2027 or later.

Future River and Trail Conditions

As we near the 2026 river lottery drawing dates, many have their fingers crossed for a permit. With permit holders from 2025 allowed to defer their permit to 2026, the window of September 4 – October 15 will be a little more competitive this year. 

The next few months of rain, snow, and other weather conditions will really come into play where campsites, lunch spots and side hikes are concerned. Down trees, falling rocks and other debris are of major concern with the post-fire landscapes. 

Extensive damage to six of the bridges that span larger creeks make it unlikely that the entire trail will be open this coming summer. With an updated order there will hopefully be a bit more of the trail open. The rest of the winter and spring weather will play a huge role in what sort of work the trail will need. 

Keep an eye out for an updated order mid to late February, 2026. The Forest Service is working hard to mitigate hazards in many of the campsites below Foster Bar. The hope is for campsites to be open, but keep an eye out for dangerous trees, loose slopes and other hazards that could pose problems. 

The river canyon will be ever changing but once thing is certain, the Rogue is still going to top boaters list of best trips.

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Guest Contributor Michael Hughes grew up in the small town of Stewartville, Minnesota, where he spent his childhood exploring the woods, a habit he’s never outgrown. These days he calls Washington and Oregon home, where he manages the Rogue River operation for Northwest Rafting Company(www.nwrafting.com). When he’s not on the river, he’s probably trail running, throwing a frisbee or ball for his dog Tintu, or hanging out with his wife Beth.

Photography courtesy of Michael Hughes, Northwest Rafting and Catherine Loke.