Go Wild creates upscale wilderness backpacking experiences for families, corporate groups, and off-the-beaten-path adventurers. Besides gourmet all-inclusive outdoor adventures, they also offer an immersive self-guided walking history and tasting tour of Baker City. They are knowledgeable local guides with a thirst for adventure and a deep love of Eastern Oregon.
TripAdvisor
I had the opportunity to join one of GoWild's camping trips in the Wallowas region of Eastern Oregon. Dan and Kaleb, both of our guides, couldn't have been more knowledgeable, passionate and caring (both for their guests and the environment). The unexpected location was postcard perfect, the food was restaurant worthy and the many lessons learnt are priceless. While the tents were set for us and the food was a delicacy, GoWild camping trips are camping nevertheless. This might not be your way to go if you are expecting hot showers and mobile signal. If you'd like to explore the lesser known region of Oregon with the greatest naturalist guides and delicious food, I can't thing of a better option.
This was a fun thing to do. It is a short walk around a central block downtown with narration. The best thing is the local business connections that the tour has provided. Nice discounts and nice people at Copper Belt (Heather), Cheese Fairy (Cody & Maggie), Glacier 45 (Everyone!) all were super nice and shared local stories and let us tell our stories from our road trip! Also kudos to the very nice front desk lady at Géiser Grand Hotel who gave us a lot of her time and information about the hotel. Hopefully more businesses will join up with this tour and everyone will profit from sharing stories and promotion of local businesses. Without this tour we might have missed some really cool and interesting people and places.
I am a film student from Los Angeles, a nature lover and a solo traveller. I wasn’t sure if the camping tours suited me. Dan customised the trip and fulfilled my wish. I have never hiked so much in my life: 15 miles, rugged terrain, highest elevation at 2000 meters. I only carried a bottle of water. The rest load was on Caleb, my guide and teacher in this adventure. I was like a happy bird released from the cage of city life. I asked Caleb tons of questions. What to do if I am lost in the wild? How to find directions? Where to find water and food? Caleb showed me poisonous plants I should avoid, what to do if I see a snake, and how to talk to a black bear. We read abundant dung and footprints of elk, coyotes and deer on our path. On our campsite, there is a creek. I jumped into it and saw schools of trout. Caleb taught me how to fish. I wasn’t sure if I could make it as I didn’t have patience. After one hour, I caught dozens of beautiful trout and set them all free. The next day, I snorkelled, paddled and fished more in an alpine lake. Caleb took me to forage for wild onions and taught me how to set up a campfire. At night, we lay down on the meadows watching the sky: the Milky Way and the stars shone upon us like a blanket of Diamonds. That night, I heard deer scratching my tent. Maybe they wanted to say hello. Back in the city, I couldn’t help searching for the stars. I know the forest and the meadows have stolen my soul.
I can’t think of a single thing that did not exceed expectation. This was our third company retreat with Dan and his team and my second time attending. The attention to detail in planning and execution are flawless. Dan and Caleb have knowledge of the area that is unparalleled and the food is what you would expect at a fine dining restaurant (only under the beautiful western sky).
Second Adventure was Even Better than the First! Two years ago, my family (adults and teens) went on a backpacking trip with Dan and Go Wild. It was so great that this year I gathered 10 of my favorite women from across the country and we went again this summer .... this time choosing the Upscale version of a hiking and camping adventure (with mules carrying in the supplies, cots to sleep on, etc.) The guides were professional, informative, fun and super patient with our many levels of fitness. It was such a unique, beautiful, amazing experience for all of us thanks to the hard work and careful curating of details that were so thoughtfully added to our guest experience. In addition to the fun and beauty of our three-night trip, I cannot begin to tell you how amazing the food was! I have traveled the world and had meals in some great restaurants and Dan's cooking rivaled the best! It's surreal at times to be eating something like Bananas Foster with ice cream while sitting in a gorgeous meadow under the shimmering light of a full moon. It takes your breath away. If you are looking for a great experience in beautiful Eastern Oregon, this is the ultimate!
