Salmon, gold and the kind of natural beauty that can bring the most toughened outdoorsman to tears all provide background color to a place that remains remarkably untouched and unaffected by the times. 

Gold Beach, Ore., is located just 50 miles north of the California border. It is clearly different from other coastal towns for its blend of forest, river and ocean.

The early story of Gold Beach is a weaving of Native American cultures and wars, Spanish explorers and European fur trappers, ranchers, gold miners, loggers, fishermen, mill workers and town folk — all building a special kind of life in an amazing place that has never lost its natural allure.

GOLD!
The history of the area that has most influenced the Gold Beach of today began in the mid-1800s. In 1853, a short time after gold was discovered in California, the shiny stuff was found in the beach sand near the mouth of the Rogue River. Gold Beach was born, and established fast. Originally given the name of Ellensburg, in 1858 the town became the county seat of the newly formed Curry County.

But everyone called it Gold Beach.

Prospectors poured into the area and set up their sluice boxes, and soon a number of small enterprises sprang up around them, with people making a living on salmon, logging, tanning and simply keeping all those folks stocked with food and dry goods. Copper and other minerals were also mined and at one point there was even a jade mine above Agate Beach. None of the mines ever amounted to much, compared to the gold fields elsewhere, but there are still a few gold mining operations in the upriver area and gold can still be panned on the beach.

The prospectors are long gone, but many small outposts on the Rogue River still ply
goods to a different kind of fortune hunter — the angler.

In the late nineteenth century it wasn’t known that salmon would take a hook and line; for years salmon was heavily harvested with seine and gill nets. In 1876, Robert D. Hume established a canning operation and very quickly came to dominate the industry locally.
In 1878 he built the first fish hatchery in the area at Hatchery Gulch just south of Indian
Creek.

In 1896, a Mr. Frank was fishing for trout near the mouth of the Rogue River using a fly
rod and small spinner. To his and everyone else’s surprise he reeled in an 18-pound
salmon, and Rogue River sport fishing was born.

Salmon has played an important role in contributing to the local economy since. As gold mining, fur trapping and the lumber industries declined in importance locally, each forced a large number of people to leave the area in search of work. After 1908, commercial fishing on the Rogue expanded rapidly and the salmon fishery was largely depleted in a very short time; in 1935 commercial fishing on the Rogue was ended by state legislation. Since then sport fishing has taken off and a number of enthusiasts have formed organizations to protect and increase the salmon population not only in the Rogue, but also in other coastal rivers up and down the state. Today the salmon, steelhead, trout and other sport fish draw enthusiasts from around the country to this small town.

A golden lifestyle
With Gold Beach’s relatively mild weather and a relatively small year-round population,
the flavor of the town — and its economy — evolves around the water. Gold Beach is indeed a center for fishing of all sorts, as well as for ocean charters, river exploration and camping on the ocean and along the rivers and streams.

Locals and visitors alike have come to appreciate Gold Beach as one of the choicest bases in the Pacific Northwest for launching into those "someday" activities — whitewater jet boating, kayaking, windsurfing, wilderness mountain hiking or biking, or maybe just seeing an eagle, otter or bear that is not in a pen. Gold Beach also offers two world class golf courses; arts, crafts, gift shops, fresh seafood and excellent dining.

Of course, many who come to Gold Beach prefer to do nothing, like walking along a sandy beach or sitting on a gusty bluff watching the clouds go by, or gazing into a tide pool for what seems like hours until that starfish finally moves on.

Wilderness in Gold Beach and along the Southern Oregon Coast is fiercely protected. Some of the best hikes in the area require a permit – yet a permit makes being on the trail surrounded by silence seem like nature’s greatest gift. And limited access to the wild and scenic sections of the Rogue River makes perfect sense for those who get to glide downriver, unencumbered by other vessels, between sheer basalt canyon walls.

Whether locals or tourists, there are not a lot of people in Gold Beach, and that probably makes the biggest difference when compared with other destinations. Providing an aura of a forgotten pace and time, Gold Beach is a place where visitors stay for weekends or weeks at a time, relaxed and unhurried, whether looking to slow down or speed up.

People who come to Gold Beach for one thing usually end up discovering a whole lot more. In short, there’s still plenty of gold in Gold Beach.