Gold Beach was named for the nuggets mined from the area’s black sands during the mid-19th century, but despite its name this is one coastal town where the action is definitely away from the beach. The Rogue River defines the northern city limits and is the town’s economic raison d’être. During salmon season, Gold Beach hotels and restaurants fill up with anglers, while jet-boat tours of the wild river are also a draw. Along with many other operators hawking their services with billboards next to the highway, Jerry’s Jetboats ($39; 541/247-4571 or 800/451-3645), by the bridge at the north end of town, takes passengers upstream to the isolated hamlet of Agness, where a homespun mountain lodge serves family-style fried-chicken lunches and dinners (though the food is not included in the price of the jet-boat ride). Other trips head farther upstream to the Rogue River rapids and the roadless wilderness areas of the Siskiyou National Forest; these cost $50–75.

  Oceanview rooms are available at Ireland’s Rustic Lodges, on US-101 at 1120 S. Ellensburg Avenue ($60–100; 541/247-7718). For a more memorable visit, try the Tu Tu Tun Lodge ($90–250; 541/247-6664 or 800/864-6357), 96550 North Bank Rogue. Set on a hill above the Rogue River, seven miles upstream from the coast, this upscale fishing lodge (pronounced ta-TWO-tun) has plushly rustic rooms and a great restaurant.