The Rogue Elk Hotel was built in 1916 to accommodate vacationers and tourists along the highway to Crater Lake. The hotel is thirty-three miles from Medford and is located near the Rogue River at the mouth of Elk Creek.

At the time of its construction, auto travel was becoming a popular pastime, and Rogue valley residents flocked out of the heat and into mountain campgrounds and vacation sites. Highway 62 was one of the heaviest travelled area roads during the summer months. According to local tradition, Herbert Hoover and Zane Grey stayed at the hotel while fishing the Rogue River.

The hotel has an eclectic design which combines elements of the Colonial Revival style (balustrades and portico supported by colossal square columns) and the Western Stick style (wide veranda, exposed outriggers, and obvious selection of wood for all building purposes).

Adapted from the NRHP nomination submitted in 1980.