The Rogue River is a spectacular wildlife viewing area. Opportunities abound to see bald eagles, golden eagles, ospreys, great blue herons, Canada geese, and a variety of ducks. You may see the speedy flight of a belted kingfisher and the dipping of the American dipper. In the water, look for salmon and steelhead, or the surprising leap of a sturgeon. Watch for playful river otters and mink. You may spot an orange-bellied, rough-skinned newt that is poisonous to any prey. On shore you may be visited by ground squirrels, raccoons, deer, and bears.

It is best to view wild animals from a safe distance. Please don’t feed wild animals. Feeding wild animals to attract them or attracting wild animals unintentionally by having food, food scraps, or garbage available are not good practices. These practices can cause animals and insects to visit campsites regularly, or even live there, to take advantage of the food source. When animals and insects stay in an area to gather people’s food, they become pests. By feeding wild animals, you are teaching them to depend on people for food, rather than their natural food sources. People food is not healthy for wild animals.

To find out more about the Rogue River and the fantastical critters that inhabit it, head on over to:

www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/rogue/index.php