Located on the Rogue River only a mile from Oregon's famous Hellgate Canyon, Indian Mary Park is the crown jewel of the Josephine County park system. The setting is gorgeous, the amenities are surprisingly lavish, and it's “away from it all,” yet only 16 miles from Grants Pass. Camping is available, but the campgrounds fill up early, so be sure to make your reservations well in advance, especially during the summer. Camping facilities include full and partial hookups, tent sites, furnished yurts with electricity and heat that sleep five, and a group site that accommodates up to 12 people. You'll also find running water, toilets, and showers. Like to raft or fish? There's a boat ramp at Indian Mary Park where you can put in. The rafting on the Rogue is world-famous, but the fishing at Indian Mary Park is pretty phenomenal too, with salmon, steelhead and trout well-represented. There are picnic areas throughout the park with water, electricity and barbecues where you can enjoy your catch afterwards. The park is named after an Umpqua native woman named Mary Peters, who was called “Indian Mary.” She operated a ferry across the river in the late 1800s. In 1855 her father, called Umpqua Joe, warned local settlers of an impending attack by hostile natives, averting a massacre. As a consequence, the Peters family was not relocated to the coast after the Rogue River War. In 1958 their homestead was incorporated into Josephine County and became Indian Mary Park. WHERE: 7100 Galice Rd., Merlin (16 mi. northwest of Grants Pass) MORE INFO: 541-474-5285, www.josephinecounty.gov
