Page 61 - Southern Oregon Magazine Summer 2019

PICTURE-PERFECT PACIFIC NORTHWEST AFTERNOON
Armed with picnic supplies, it’s time for a 1,000-foot ascent into the
Lost Creek Lake area. Marking the beginning of this area is Casey State
Park, named after the former Casey’s Auto Camp, established in 1929.
It’s been a part of the Oregon State Parks system since 1933, and is
currently a day-use only park. Today, Casey State Park is a premier fish-
ing destination, and eager anglers can be seen crowding into the waist-
deep waters as early as 4 a.m.

Fishing on this section of the Rogue has a long and rather glamorous
history. Many of our country’s pioneering outdoor champions, includ-
ing Teddy Roosevelt, Zane Grey, and John Muir have dipped a fly or
hook into the Rogue River here. The nearby historic Prospect Hotel
shows these men and many others on its registry. Other historic hotels
in the area, including Wolf Creek Inn, boast additional outdoor enthu-
siasts such as Jack London and Clarke Gable.

Adjacent to Casey State Park are sites related to the Lost Creek Lake
Dam. First, you’ll encounter the surprisingly engaging McGregor
Park and Visitor’s Center. A one-mile walking trail is set up around
the museum that follows a tributary of the Rogue River. Further down
Takelma Drive is the Cole M. Rivers Fish Hatchery, an overlook of the
William L. Jess Dam, and a pier jutting out into Lost Creek Lake.

Dam construction took place over a ten-year period from 1967 to 1977.
A devastating flood in December 1964 spurred action to create the

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