- Duration: 3-5-Days
- Length: 34-81 miles
- Intensity: Easy, Class II
- Season: June-July
- Minimum Age: 7
- Airport: Lewiston, Idaho or Spokane, Wash.
Wild and Scenic River with gentle rapids, mountain canyon scenery, abundant wildlife, cultural history, great fishing and hiking, and an excellent family trip. The Grande Ronde River offers a scenic rafting trip without too many surprises. It's a great introduction to whitewater and perfect for family adventures. Campsites are on beautiful plateaus with wildflowers and grasses. Wildlife viewing, mountain scenery, hiking and good fishing are some of the highlights on this trip. The water is fast-moving and the Grande Ronde's whitewater is exciting but relatively mild.
In 1988, recognizing the spectacular beauty and outstanding resource values of the river canyon, Congress protected 44 miles of the Grande Ronde as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system.
On the Grande Ronde River, we float through evergreen forests with towering ponderosa pines anchored on steep mountainsides. The mountains and river canyon are accented with black basalt cliffs that were created millions of years ago during the great Columbia Basin lava flows. The river corridor has a complex ecosystem rich in plant and animal life.
Where we pass through the heart of the ancient homeland of the Chief Joseph band of the Nez Perce, the mountains are replete with wildlife. Elk, deer and black bear may be seen on the upper stretches while big horn sheep are often perched on the cliffs of the lower river. Birds of prey commonly soar and hunt the wooded hillsides and Grande Ronde River.
The Grande Ronde comes from a relatively small watershed so it's only raftable in the late spring and early summer. Your white water rafting trip begins on the Wallowa River for a fast-paced nine miles before it joins the Grande Ronde River at Rondowa. In June and early July, wildflowers are blooming and the air is crisp and pine-scented. This is a wonderful trip for bird-watching, wildlife viewing and alpine scenery, and the Grande Ronde is also one of the rivers we raft for our River Soul Journeys, yoga/meditation trips with limited departures.
ROW Adventures operates on the Grande Ronde through a special-use permit from the U.S. Forest Service in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. We also offer fantastic Grande Ronde fly fishing trips on the river.
If you need to purchase some gear before your whitewater rafting trip, ROW has assembled the more common items at our ROWear online store, hosted by New Headings.
Permits & Licensing:
ROW Inc., doing business as ROW Adventures, is proud to be an Equal Opportunity reaction service provider under permit from the U.S. Forest Service, Umatilla National Forest. All our operations and facilities are operated on a non-discriminatory basis. ROW Inc. is fully bonded and licensed by the State of Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board. |
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Grande Ronde River
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