Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

While most people opt for a serene rafting trip down the wild and scenic Rogue River, there’s something to be said about tearing upstream in a three-engine jet boat.

That's the experience offered by Jerry's Rogue Jets, an outfitter based in Gold Beach that specializes in giving visitors a rip-roaring tour of one of the most scenic places in southwest Oregon.



Jerry's is the only jet boat tour operating on the lower stretch of the Rogue River, but two others – Hellgate Jetboat Excursions and Rogue Jet Boat Adventures – run tours upriver.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A look up the Rogue River from the jet boat.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Rafters paddle down the Rogue River, seen from a jet boat tour with Jerry's Rogue Jets.

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The experience with Jerry’s varies on what kind of adventure you want. The company’s iconic red jetboats and blue “mail boats” run 64 miles to Cougar Lane Lodge, 84 miles to the boundary of the “wild” stretch of the river, or 104 miles into remote wilderness.

Guests staying at some of the riverside lodges along the way, including Paradise Lodge and Cougar Lane Lodge, can use the jet boat tours as a way to get and from their overnight accommodations.

Jerry's has been around since 1958, when brothers Jerry, Alden, and Court Boice developed and installed water pump-jets into their boats, according to the company's history. The commercial tours that followed were the first of their kind in the United States.



The pump-jets allow the boats to travel at high speeds in shallow water, making it possible to transport large numbers of people across rapids and through the narrow river canyons.

The company’s bigger blue boats offer a more relaxed experience, but the smaller red vessels are designed for adventure. Pilots tear along at a fierce pace, slowing down only to point out wildlife (we saw bald eagles, river otters, turtles and osprey on our tour) or to pass rafters and other boaters. Occasionally they’ll make the boat spin madly in circles, sending up walls of water that can splash those sitting on the sides.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The jet boat pulls up to a waterfall on the Rogue River, near the end of the 104-mile tour.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Salmon fishers hold up their morning catch for riders on a jet boat tour on the lower Rogue River.

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It’s a fun and wild experience, but it isn’t for everybody. For those who get motion sick or nervous at the prospect of speeding into tight curves around big rocks jutting out of the river, there are other, more relaxing ways to enjoy nature. It’s also a big time commitment – the 104-mile tour lasts nearly seven hours.

You can see all the same sights by hiking the 40-mile Rogue River Trail or on the water from a raft – each an adventure worth taking – but the jet boats are a fast-paced way to see some of the most beautiful nature Oregon has to offer.

Jerry’s Rogue Jets runs tours daily from May 1 to October 15; all tours begin at 29980 Harbor Way in Gold Beach; jet boat tours cost $50 to $90 for adults and $25 to $45 for kids, depending on duration; make reservations online at roguejets.com or call 800-451-3645.

--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A sea lion lounges on the docks at Gold Beach, seen from a jet boat tour with Jerry's Rogue Jets.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A jet boat tour with Jerry's Rogue Jets goes up and down the lower Rogue River from Gold Beach, passing wildlife and beautiful scenery along the way.

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