Wild Rogue Wilderness in southwestern Oregon protects the watershed around the eighty-four-mile Wild and Scenic stretch of the Rogue River across national forest and Bureau of Land Management lands near Medford. Established in 1978, it is known for forested canyons, famous whitewater, and recreation including rafting, hiking, camping, climbing, and fishing. The area also holds evidence of a more violent past: gold discoveries in the 1850s brought miners and settlers, and conflict with Native peoples led to the Rogue River Wars of 1855–56 and the forced removal of Native communities to reservations. Mining-era remains and diverse river-centered wildlife still endure there.