Typical Whitewater Rafting Day

Hells Canyon Snake River | Salmon River | Grande Ronde River

Eureka Bar, Snake River Hells Canyon river raft trip Morning in Camp: A typical river day begins with the sun peaking over the canyon rim to knock the cool evening chill from the air. The group joins for coffee, tea and fruit juice as you watch the sun climb the walls of the canyon while listening to the river flow past. As you soak in the surrounding beauty, smells of a fantastic river breakfast fill the air. Our guides are all accomplished river chefs and willing to share their cooking knowledge with you, so ask away!

After breakfast, while packing your personal gear, the guides clean up the kitchen, load the gear boat, and ready the guide boats for the new day on the river. Around 10am once everyone is finished with their morning rituals we will gather for the daily “Chalk Talk”, a time when we discuss what to expect during the day. Typical items include upcoming whitewater rapids, risk-management topics, potential interpretive stops and side hikes. You will also have your choice of which type of raft you would like to ride in: a guided row boat, an inflatable kayak (duckie), or a guided paddle raft. Once personal floatation devices (PFD’s) are fastened properly and you are in your craft of choice, we bid farewell to the gear boat and hit the river.

Duckie - inflatable kayak in a rapid On the River: While floating, relax in the calm sections of river before the much-anticipated whitewater. While floating, catch a fish, try your hand at the oars, scan the canyon walls for wildlife such as Big Horn Sheep, Black Bear, deer, elk, and look to the sky for soaring Bald and Golden Eagles, Great Blue Heron, Osprey and many other species of bird life.

And then off in the distance you hear a low rumble and see a faint splash of white foam on the horizon line. Hearts begin racing just a little as we approach a rapid. Depending on the rapid, our group will stop to "scout" our route through the whitewater. We'll pull the boats over and hike to a "bird's-eye" vantage point of the rapid. The guides will discuss the best way through the rapid with the group. And then you're off through adrenaline-charged whitewater!

Lunch After a morning of floating and whitewater, we select a spot on the river with a nice swimming hole, interpretive location, or cool shade to escape the sun as we enjoy a delicious river lunch. As always, you are invited to learn from our guides in the kitchen or just simply enjoy yourself on the beach or swimming in the river.

hiking in Hells Canyon Afternoon/Evening in Camp: We will catch up to the gear boat in camp late in the afternoon. Your tent will be ready for you upon arrival. Following a brief camp orientation, settle into your home for the night. Once settled in, you will have opportunities to go for a hike up a side canyon, lounge near the water, go fishing, swim, play many of our favorite river games, or just curl up and read from your favorite book. We always have snacks available and refreshing appetizers served before dinner. Following the heat of the day, the guides will prepare the evening meal. Our guides will always surprise you with their culinary skills, amazing you at the bounty they pull from their coolers. After we dine in our 5-star riverside restaurant, the group will settle in for an evening of telling tales and playing games around the campfire. Whitewater rafting camp alongside the river There are always many stories to share, from tales of the day running the rapids to other stories of life’s wonderful experiences.

As the fire begins to fade, the stars will illuminate the sky. When you retreat to your wonderful river-side bed, be prepared for potentially the best night's sleep of your life. You will be lulled to sleep by the sound of the river flowing by, the sight of shooting stars in the sky, the memories of the previous days on the river, and the anticipation of the days to come.