The Owyhee River flows through a land of striking beauty. Located in remote high desert country, this little-visited wilderness river may well provide the Northwest's most unique, pristine whitewater rafting trip. The Owyhee has been called Oregon's Grand Canyon, and with good reason. Multicolored spires, dramatic canyons, sculpted grottos, natural hot springs, and thrilling rapids await your discovery. Bighorn sheep, antelope, beaver and otter make their home here. So do over 100 species of birds, including golden eagles, prairie falcon, and sandhill crane. Runnable only in the Spring, when upstream snowmelt fills the canyon with the sound of rushing water and challenging rapids, this is the most remote, secluded, pristine river we run. Many of our guests come back to run rivers with us again and again. And sooner or later, they all want to run the Owyhee. This is a very special river: rare and wild, isolated and pure.
Your Itinerary
Day 1: We meet at 7:30 AM Mountain Time (6:30 AM Pacific Time) at the Basque Station Motel in Jordan Valley, Oregon. The Motel, one of only two in town, is on the main road and easy to find. Jordan Valley is 43 miles east of Burns Junction, approximately 425 miles southeast of Portland, Oregon, and 68 miles southwest of Boise, Idaho. Our Lead Guide will meet you in the Motel parking lot. Look for a vehicle sporting the O.R.E. logo. After a brief orientation you will pack your things into our river bags, and park your vehicles next to the motel. We will then go by van to the launch site at Rome. Once we arrive at our launch site, you’ll meet the rest of our guide crew, and they’ll conduct a short safety and orientation briefing. We’re normally on our way downstream by mid-morning.
Our first day on the river begins with calm water and mild rapids, which are ideal for a warm up, especially for those behind the oars or paddling an inflatable kayak. After five miles in the open countryside, we enter the first of a series of scenic gorges. Highlights of our first day on the water include Upset rapid and Bull's-eye rapid. (L) (D)
Day 2: On day two we'll stop at Weeping Wall Springs, a lovely desert oasis, to refill our water jugs with refreshing spring water. We'll run Artillery rapid, stop at a hot springs, and camp at or near Lambert Rocks. Lambert Rocks (also known as Chalk Basin) is a strikingly beautiful fairyland of colorful, eroded rock pinnacles and canyons. On our second afternoon or third morning we'll hike to the top of a dome overlooking the river (weather permitting), for a breathtaking panoramic view of this pristine wilderness. (B) (L) (D)
Days 3-4: The scenery just keeps getting better as we head downstream. Over the next two days we'll float through gorgeous Green Dragon Canyon (also known as Iron Point Canyon), where 1,000 foot walls dwarf our boats. And we'll encounter our most challenging rapids: Whistling Bird, Squeeze, and Montgomery. We'll take a soak in the river's best hot springs. And we'll stop to view petroglyphs in a lovely, wide-open valley named "Hole in the Ground". (B) (L) (D)
Day 5: Our last day on the water features more beautiful and varied scenery. The last day's whitewater is mild, and this is a good time for those who's yet to experience rowing or paddling to give it a try. We typically arrive at Leslie Gulch, our take-out, between 4 and 5 PM. Once we’ve unpacked our gear and de-rigged the boats, we'll board a van for the two hour ride back to Jordan Valley. We arrive back in Jordan Valley between 7 and 8 PM. (B) (L)
Member discount:
10% discount for InfoHub customer. Request a free gift certificate.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
4 & 5 day trips, one per week, April - May.
Also see tour packages in:
USA
Oregon
Outdoor: Water Drifter
Canoeing/Kayaking/Rafting
Email it to a friend:
Click here to email this vacation to a friend
|
