Oregon
Whitewater Rafting on the Owyhee River: Oregon's Grand Canyon
Program No. 2256RJ
Join outdoor experts to learn about whitewater rafting, visit Ryegrass Hot Springs and explore local history as you discover why the Owyhee River is known as Oregon’s Grand Canyon.
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DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Apr 25 - Apr 30, 2025
Starting at
1,599DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Apr 25 - Apr 30, 2025
Starting at
1,599Not seeing the date you're looking for?
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This date is available to book as a private experience for your group!
6 days
5 nights
15 meals
5B 5L 5D
1
Registration / Program Orientation
Owyhee River - Oregon
2
River Journey Begins
Owyhee River - Oregon
3
Canyon Scenery and Hot Springs
Owyhee River - Oregon
4
Spectacular Chalk Basin Hike & Green Dragon Canyon Float
Owyhee River - Oregon
5
Petroglyphs and Hot Springs
Owyhee River - Oregon
6
Last day of Spectacular Scenery. Departure.
Owyhee River - Oregon
At a Glance
Join a 65 mile whitewater rafting adventure on one of America's most pristine and remote wilderness rivers, the Owyhee in southeastern Oregon. Led by local experts, navigate this powerful tributary of the Snake River as it charges through seldom-visited high-desert canyons of exceptional beauty. During this journey, explore historic sites, hike to overlooks and view pictographs.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Rafting and optional kayaking between 2-3 hrs. at a time on class III+ rapids. Climbing in and out of rafts. Up to 6.5 hrs. per day moving downriver, typically 9-15 miles per day. Carrying bags in camp across uneven and terrain. Temperatures often vary widely and can go down to the 30’s at night. Prior whitewater rafting and wilderness camping experience strongly recommended. Elevations of 2,700-4,300 feet.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Spend 3-5 hours a day on the river exploring its best rapids, including Montgomery and Long Sweetwater.
- Camp on the wild shores of the pristine Owyhee River, pitching tents each night and breaking camp each morning.
- Visit Ryegrass Hot Springs, a secluded spot where water emerges from the ground at 110 degrees.
General Notes
Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
15 meals (
5B, 5L, 5D
)
8 hands-on experiences
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Registration / Program Orientation
Location:
Owyhee River - Oregon
Meals:
D
Stay:
Owyhee River Campsite
Activity Note
Group orientation and introductions.
Afternoon:
We meet at 3:30 PM Mountain Time (2:30 PM Pacific Time) at the Basque Station Motel in the town of Jordan Valley, Oregon. Look for us in the motel parking lot. Our Lead Guide will show you how to pack your things into our waterproof river bags, and you'll park your vehicle in long-term parking at the motel. Then around 4 PM we board a van for the 45 minute ride to the river. On the way to the river (and with a bit of luck) we may spot wild horses or herds of the pronghorn antelope. We arrive at the campground in Rome in time for you to set up your tent and settle in before dinner. Rome (population 100 or so) was named for nearby chalk cliffs that reminded early settlers of the Roman Coliseum.
Dinner:
Meal prepared by staff at campsite along the river
Evening:
After dinner an orientation and get-acquainted session will be held.
Day
2
River Journey Begins
Location:
Owyhee River - Oregon
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Owyhee River Campsite
Activity Note
Itinerary may vary due to changes in water level, weather, availably camps or other factors. For instance, rapids we expect to encounter on a given morning may not be encountered until afternoon, and canyons we expect to float through in the afternoon of one day may instead be encountered the following morning.
Breakfast:
Meal prepared by staff at campsite along the river
Morning:
After breakfast we pack up camp, our lead guide conducts a thorough safety orientation, then we board rafts (and inflatable kayaks for the adventuresome) to begin our journey downstream. Our float begins with a gentle meander through open country and ranch lands, and then enters the first of several wilderness canyons around midday.
Lunch:
Meal prepared by staff at riverside
Dinner:
Meal prepared by staff at campsite along the river
Day
3
Canyon Scenery and Hot Springs
Location:
Owyhee River - Oregon
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Owyhee River Campsite
Activity Note
Each day’s instructional sessions may occur during the day on the river, be scheduled for the time between breakfast and boarding the boats, or occur just before or after dinner. In general, though, the time from arriving at camp until dinner, and after dinner, is mostly free time for hiking, photography, or otherwise to use as you wish.
Breakfast:
Meal prepared by staff at campsite along the river
Morning:
We continue our wilderness journey, stopping at scenic Weeping Wall Springs were we’ll top of our fresh water supply.
Lunch:
Meal prepared by staff at riverside
Afternoon:
We pass Rustler’s cabin historic site (and stop there, time permitting). Class III rapids encountered include Read-it-and-Weep and Artillery.
Dinner:
Meal prepared by staff at campsite along the river
Evening:
Conditions permitting we will camp just downstream from Ryegrass Hot Springs. It’s an easy hike from camp to the springs, allowing for a visit and perhaps a soak either before or after dinner.
Day
4
Spectacular Chalk Basin Hike & Green Dragon Canyon Float
Location:
Owyhee River - Oregon
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Owyhee River Campsite
Activity Note
Many highlights of the Owyhee are typically experienced on this day, depending on the groups location. With a beautiful hike at Chalk Basin, displaying a wide array of colors in the soil. Also, the towering Green Dragon Canyon is awaiting just down river with some of the most challenging rapids on the river.
Breakfast:
Meal prepared by staff at campsite along the river
Morning:
Rapids encountered include class III Dog Leg and class IV- Whistling Bird. The morning’s activities include a hike at beautiful Chalk Basin, where multicolored rock pillars and alcoves create a geologic wonderland. The chalk at Chalk Basin is sediment from a lake that existed here, 10 million years ago. Later lava poured over the sediments, baked them into hard brick, and created the colorful landscape we see there today.
Lunch:
Meal prepared by staff at riverside
Afternoon:
We float through spectacular Green Dragon Canyon, where Rhyolite (volcanic) cliffs soar nearly 2,000 feet overhead. Some of the river’s most challenging rapids are here, too, including Rock Trap, Squeeze, and class IV Montgomery.
Dinner:
Meal prepared by staff at campsite along the river
Day
5
Petroglyphs and Hot Springs
Location:
Owyhee River - Oregon
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Owyhee River Campsite
Activity Note
Like many desert regions, the Owyhee country may seem empty of life at first, but this is a rich and varied ecosystem. Pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, coyotes and wild burros inhabit the rim-rock. Golden eagles and over one hundred other species of birds soar above, and when conditions are right the spring wildflower bloom can be spectacular.
Breakfast:
Meal prepared by staff at campsite along the river
Morning:
The river canyon begins to open up and fewer rapids are encountered. Still we’ll be challenged by a few, including Nuisance and Morcum Dam.
Lunch:
Meal prepared by staff at riverside
Afternoon:
During our afternoon float we stop at a site to view petroglyphs (rock carvings), evidence of the people who lived in here – or passed through the region – at various times over the past 12,000 years.
Dinner:
Meal prepared by staff at campsite along the river
Evening:
Conditions permitting we will camp just downstream from Greely Hot Springs. It’s an easy walk from camp to the springs, allowing for a visit and perhaps a soak either before or after dinner.
Day
6
Last day of Spectacular Scenery. Departure.
Location:
Owyhee River - Oregon
Meals:
B,L
Activity Note
As we float to near the end of our journey the river begins to calm down, making its way into Lake Owyhee and through the Succor Creek Formation.
Breakfast:
Meal prepared by staff at campsite along the river
Morning:
Over the course of five days we journey 55 miles on the river. We float the last five to ten river miles on our last morning, through colorful rocks of the Sucker Creek Formation, which are well-known for rich deposits of fossilized, 16 million year old leaves.
Lunch:
Meal prepared by staff at riverside
Afternoon:
After lunch we'll either float ten miles across Lake Owyhee to the boat ramp at Leslie Gulch, or pull our boats out of the water at the historic Birch Creek Ranch. Our choice of take-out point is determined by water, weather and road conditions. (For the reservoir float we tie the boats together, attach an outboard motor to our gear boat, then relax and enjoy the passing scenery.) Either way we return by van to the motel at Jordan Valley and to your waiting vehicle.
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MEALS
15 Meals
5 Breakfasts
5 Lunches
5 Dinners
LODGING
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Showing Lodging For:
- Apr 25, 2025 - Apr 30, 2025
- Apr 11, 2025 - Apr 16, 2025
- Apr 18, 2025 - Apr 23, 2025
- Apr 25, 2025 - Apr 30, 2025
Participant Reviews
Based on 9 Reviews
Sort By:
The materials were inaccurate about trip ending time, so don't book travel the same day. RS and ORE need to better coordinate trip description.
— Review left May 2, 2024
America has few uninhabited and desolate landscapes that reflect our historical and planetary visage. The Owyhee River Rafting Event is a once in a lifetime experience which not only culminates in a mystical and far off past as we drift by craggy rock domes, petroglyps and of course the ever changing rapids....an experience that connects our past with our future.
The ORE guides demonstrat a level of expertise and leadership that is beyond expectation and creates a safe and monumental experience.
— Review left April 24, 2024
If you are hesitating to take a trip as a single person, jump right in! An adventure with new insights is there for you!
— Review left May 11, 2023
This was such a beautiful and excellent trip. I highly recommend you bring extra warm clothing in your vehicle as we ended up being able to take more than was listed. Our trip was a cold one, with the first night at 22F degrees. The next week I understand it was up in the 80s. Just be prepared for your trip!
— Review left May 10, 2023
Fabulous adventure through beautiful and remote wilderness with a very interesting bunch of guides. But be prepared to be COLD (even down to 20 degrees F one night)!! I would have been happier had I brought waterproof boots and a seriously warm down jacket. Beware if you are renting a sleeping bag to make sure it is warm enough or to ask for two.
— Review left May 4, 2023
What they say about the Owyhee is true, it’s spectacular. The ORE guides are just the best at making guests feel welcome and cared for. The time on the river was so wonderful. Setting up camp every night and tearing down every morning was challenging and made me resolve to get more fit. It’s true that wilderness camping experience is helpful to have.
— Review left May 3, 2023
The Owyhee river trip journeys through the most spectacular geology. It is as if Zion NP, Bryce NP, Badlands NP were all rolled up together and randomly scattered along the 65 miles to share their beauty around every turn of the river.
— Review left April 25, 2023
A great trip, in one of Oregon's most beautiful areas which is seldom seen.
— Review left May 13, 2019
If you love rafting one glorious river with stunning views and great guides, go for it! The food was good, as were the camps, and the opportunity to hike. I would do this same trip again.
— Review left May 7, 2019
