With some of the country’s most notable stretches of Wild and Scenic rivers, Oregon is a prime destination for any level of adventurer looking for a world-class rafting trip. Iconic rivers like the Rogue, the Deschutes and the McKenzie loom large in boating lore, but it’s out in the sunny canyons and fragrant forests of Eastern Oregon that another roster of wild and frothy rivers awaits. This is big, remote country, a place to sit in the bow and be wowed by it all — just remember to plan well ahead as trips can fill up fast.
Here are some tips on which rivers to run in Eastern Oregon, what to expect, and how to find an expert guide to help bring the experience into deeper perspective and keep you safe.
Find Epic Scenery on the Wild Owyhee
Of all of Eastern Oregon’s rivers, the Owyhee stands in a class unto itself. People call the three canyons along this river Oregon’s Grand Canyon. Walls of sun-baked rock rise a thousand feet over cold, splashy rapids that sluice along campsites hidden in the sage and hackberry. You can take hikes only accessible by boat, find petroglyphs and soak in hot springs that burble naturally out of the earth.
To raft this river, you must plan ahead and be patient. The river flow depends on snowmelt and the rafting window is small, generally in April and May, when the weather can also be fickle and turn everything into a more advanced trip. Most groups need three to five nights to cover the 60 miles along the lower Owyhee between Rome — a small settlement that sits on the Oregon Trail — and either Birch Creek or Leslie Gulch, two spectacular access points for Lake Owyhee. Along the way, you’ll contend with Class III+ rapids such as Bulls Eye, Whistling Bird and Montgomery.
Outfitters like ROW Adventures, Oregon River Experiences and Tributary Whitewater all offer Owyhee trips, and some even offer trips on the more difficult middle and upper sections. A. Helfrich Outfitter runs the lower river in drift boats, the craft of choice for the company since its founding in 1922. Plan ahead to go with Bend-based Ouzel Outfitters, which teams up with naturalists from the nonprofit Oregon Natural Desert Association, a group that helps demystify the Owyhee’s wonders and search for ways to preserve them.
Experience the Grandeur of the Grande Ronde River
The Grande Ronde River runs out of the Blue Mountains as it makes a 210-mile-long push toward the confluence with the Snake River. You’ll want to focus your efforts on the Wild and Scenic section, a 43.8-mile-long ribbon of swift water that courses through rich forests and under towering peaks, frequented by elk that give the river a more alpine feel. Bring a fishing rod. You’ll be floating some excellent water for anglers.
A Grande Ronde trip is actually two rivers in one, since the best place to launch a boat is on the Wallowa River near Minam State Recreation Area. You’ll bounce down the Wallowa for about 10 miles before you seamlessly pick up the Grande Ronde. From there it’s more Class II and III rapids for two or three nights all the way to a takeout near Troy, a crossroads community with a tavern, store and showers. Along the way, you’ll camp among the shady trees and watch for curious mink that often come out of the river at night. The drive back south toward Enterprise can be spectacular, with the Wallowa range across your windshield.
Winding Waters Rivers Expeditions runs three-day rafting adventures on the Grande Ronde, while Minam Store, located at the put-in, is a great place for information, rentals and guides who can do splashy day trips as well as three-day wilderness trips. Almost any outfitter working the river can offer fishing-specific trips, like the steelhead and trout jaunts with Little Creek Outfitters. For an even wilder river adventure, join Go Wild: American Adventures on a two- to four-night float in your own inflatable kayak along the last 25 miles of the Minam River, a Class II romp out of the Eagle Cap Wilderness that ends at the Minam Store.
Whitewater Raft Through Hells Canyon
America’s deepest river canyon, Hells Canyon, forms Oregon’s eastern boundary, and at the very bottom of that 8,000-foot marvel churns the Snake River. This is the river for you if you want powerful, thrilling rapids; golden eagles soaring among the walls; and campsites under a sky saturated with stars. Trips can begin with a pick-up in Joseph — an artsy, outdoor community in the Wallowa Mountains — where guides will take you to the start of a five-day, 80-mile trip through the heart of the canyon. Outfitters often encourage fishing, with rainbow trout and white sturgeon lurking in the deep.
Companies like Hells Canyon Adventures arrange world-class trips down the Snake and can tailor your trip to offer more fishing or more whitewater action. Winding Waters River Expeditions, Tributary and the Minam Store also offer trips.
