We have to admit: choosing our favorite river trips is no easy feat for us whitewater wanderlusters. But after nearly 40 years of experience running the northwest’s best rapids and sharing the whitewater experience with guests, we at ROW have come to know the best eddies and flows.
Here’s our “ROW’s Best: Rafting” list to help you discover the northwest’s best river trips and choose the right one for you. Whether you want to disconnect for a bit and find yourself immersed in the wilderness, spend some quality time with your family discovering an exciting new world of whitewater or discover your inner adrenaline-junkie, here are our Best Of: Rafting by ROW Adventures.
Best Wilderness Trip - Middle Fork of the Salmon
The name says it all: River of No Return Wilderness. That’s where the Salmon River’s Middle Fork winds during its 105 mile stretch. One of the largest wilderness areas in the lower 48 states plus one of the first designated Wild and Scenic Rivers—how could this not be one of the greatest wilderness trips of all time? Our Middle Fork of the Salmon river trip takes you on best-loved rapids like Velvet Falls and Devil’s Tooth while also drawing you into the remote, tranquil world where little marks mankind’s presence beyond ramshackle log buildings and primitive pictographs.
Best Gateway Trip - Rogue Lodge to Lodge
The Rogue River Lodge to Lodge rafting trip is sure to turn you into a whitewater junkie if you aren’t one already. Taking you through the Cascades, dramatic canyons, over 80 rapids with a range of experience levels and wildlife-filled shores, the Rogue serves up the perfect vacation. And while you spend your days splashing down the river, our exclusive lodge-based trip sets you up each night in remote riverside lodges. It’s the best of both worlds: untamed natural beauty during the day and the comfort of a lodge at night.
Best Family Trip - Salmon River Canyons Family Magic
This family-only getaway takes you on a Salmon River rafting trip sure to keep everyone smiling. When you and the family aren’t taking on rapids and smiling through a face full of splashing water, a specially trained guide called a River Jester™ entertains kids with nature hikes, historic sites and, of course, plenty of riverside games. Meanwhile, adults indulge in their own kind of fun with outdoor activities, relaxation time and gourmet meals. It’s a sit back and enjoy sort of river trip, where you can focus on your family and not the details.
Best Unraftable Trip - Owyhee
The Lower Owyhee: a river sometimes too low to raft during years of low snowpack and one of our favorite Bucket List Rivers—what we fondly call “the Unraftables.” This undammed, unrestrained desert river remains a best-kept whitewater secret. Each portion of the river trip offers a unique whitewater experience and a range of Class II-IV rapids. With grandiose canyon walls naturally painted in a kaleidoscope of colors, it’s also little wonder the Owyhee is thought of as the “Sistine Chapel” of the canyonlands.
Best Wildlife Trip - Rafting Hells Canyon
Few rivers are as awe-inspiring as Idaho’s Hells Canyon, home to North America’s deepest gorge and the impressive Snake River. Plunging to depths of almost 8,000 feet, Hells Canyon offers plenty of big whitewater rapids and towering rockscapes, but it’s also a hard to beat wildlife-rich river adventure. Over 100 species of birds can be found within Hells Canyon’s diving walls, including bald eagles, owls and falcons. Bear can also be seen traipsing along, while mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk and deer amble through the golden grass and rocky slopes. In calmer sections, the Snake also offers up some incredible Idaho fishing opportunities for trout, smallmouth bass and the large white sturgeon.
$200 off per person if reserved before 12/15 on our Snake River through Hells Canyon trips.
2018 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. Help us honor and celebrate this historic act by joining us on any of the above rivers, all of which have been designated Wild & Scenic. “It’s your river. Make your splash!”