• Six Mile Day Use is a great summer destination at the scenic Illinois River
• Features the wide and deep swimming holes, slow currents, large rocks, and rock ledges
Located approximately 28 miles southwest of Grants Pass, Six Mile Recreation Site along the scenic Illinois River is an excellent spot to cool off on a hot summer day. The emerald green water of the wide and deep swimming holes, slow currents, large rocks, and rock ledges lining the river shores make this spot one of the best places for swimming and diving.
Beach access is available via a small arched metal footbridge across Sixmile Creek. There are two wooden picnicking pavilions at the parking area.
A tributary of the Rogue River, a 46.6-mile stretch of the Illinois River from upper Oak Flat to lower Oak Flat is designated as Wild and Scenic. It is the most inaccessible section of the river in the United States - no roads or trails lead to it. According to the international scale of river difficulty, this part of the river has 11 rapids of class IV and one is class V.
Upstream of the Wild and Scenic segment, there is a 3.8-mile river corridor that is designed as a recreation area with 5 day-use sites, 4 campgrounds, and trailheads. There are numerous fishing locations, hiking trails, as well as swimming and diving holes along the unbridled and astonishingly beautiful Illinois River.
If you are planning to travel to one of the recreation sites, you will drive a few miles on Illinois River Road (Forest Road 4103) from Selma. The last part of the road, which runs along the steep cliffs, is a single-track road with turnouts.
Day Use Sites and Campgrounds
Echo Beach, Store Gulch, Six Mile, and River Bench Campgrounds along the Illinois River offer primitive camping.
- Iron Ring Day Use
- Echo Beach Campground
- Store Gulch Day Use and Campground
- Divers Hole Day Use
- River Bench Campground
- Sixmile Day Use and Campground
- Kerby Flat Day Use
Six Mile Day Use | Facts
Open: Spring-Fall
Managed by: US Forest Service
Amenities: Vault toilet, no water, picnic pavilions
Activities: Swimming, rock jumping, diving, hiking, fishing
Distance from the parking: Short
Road access: Any passenger vehicle
Day-use fees: None
Elevation: 1,200 ft (366 m)
Sixmile is located:
- 8 miles west of Selma
- 58 miles west of Medford
- 99 miles southwest of Roseburg.
Swimming hole rating: 5 out of 5
Body of Water: River
Water quality: Transparent
Current: Slow to moderate
Depth: Deep
Beach: Sand, gravel, river rocks, and rock formations
Water T° (summer): Cool
Adventures Nearby
Directions to Six Mile Recreation Site
From Grants Pass,
- Travel 19.7 miles south on Highway 199 Selma to Illinois River Road (Forest Road 4103)
- Turn right onto Illinois River Road (Forest Road 4103)
- Continue 7.9 miles to the Six Mile Recreation Site parking.