Ever heard of Rocky Point? If you havn’t, there’s no need to feel like less of a local. Between the two of us, my husband and I have lived here over 38 years, and we hadn’t even heard of it until a few weeks ago. My parents went up there on a whim, and came back with tales of bald eagles, serene views, tons of wildlife, and beautiful marshlands that stretch for miles. We had to check it out. Rocky Point is the name of the flooded grasslands on the north west shore of upper Klamath Lake. It’s located only 49 miles from Ashland, and you can reach it by going up Dead Indian Memorial road about 35 minutes then take a right on Hwy 140. From there it’s about 10 minutes until you take a left on West Shore Drive. This leads to the Rocky Point resort turnoff, where you will find over 15,000 acres of pristine marshes and sheltered waterways to explore. The friendly staff at the small resort will rent you kayaks, canoes, paddle boats or small fishing boats. The prices are fairly reasonable, from $15.00-$30.00 for the kayaks and canoes, to $50.00 for a fishing boat. You can check out more details of the resort at www.rockypointoregon.com. We decided to rent a kayak for an hour. That was a big mistake. With miles and miles of beautiful canoe and kayak trails, an hour was totally insufficiant to fully experiance everthing. It’s a paddlers paradise! Rocky Point is located in a huge National Wildlife Refuge, and all year long it is filled with hundreds of bird and waterfowl species. Mink, otter, beaver, racoon, deer, and many other animals make their homes here. The fishing is great too, with some of the largest rainbow trout in the country plentiful. Just the huge waterlillies, tall marsh grass and stunning mountian views make this a worthy destination. After our kayak excursion, we went on a mission to find a bald eagle’s nest we heard was in the area. After we found it, we were delighted to see that the eagle was in her huge nest! Apparantly, Rocky Point hosts the largest bald eagle refuge in the lower 48 states. There’s no end to the discoveries you can make exploring this beautiful and unique area. If you are looking for a peaceful getaway that’s full of natural beauty and seclusion, we highly recommend a quick trip up to Rocky Point.
