John Day River: Logistics & Details
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Central Oregon
4days
April - June
Class II |
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You'll find information here on the following topics:
| How to Sign Up |
What's included |
| Where and When to Meet |
Getting To and From the River |
| What to Bring |
Pre and Post Trip Lodging |
| Camping |
Fishing |
| River Shuttles |
Nearby Attractions |
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How to sign up
Call us (at 503-632-6836,
or toll-free at 1-800-827-1358), or use our
web-based reservation system.
Trip includes:
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The services of our
professional guide staff.
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Transport of your vehicle from put-in to take-out.
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All meals, from lunch on the first day
through lunch on the last. Our menu is delicious, varied, and hearty. Meals are
freshly prepared by our guides from the highest quality ingredients. Juice and
water are available at each meal. Coffee, tea, and cocoa are available at dinner
and breakfast, and complementary wine is served with some dinners. Special
dietary needs may be accommodated with advance notice. We also provide
cups, plates, and silverware.
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Durable, professional quality rafts and river
running equipment, including U.S. Coast Guard Approved lifejackets.
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Waterproof river bags and boxes for your
personal gear.
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Camp chairs. |
Where and when to meet - Upper Canyon and Combo
trips
We will meet at 8:00 AM on the date your trip begins at
the Service Creek Trading Post, 300 yards north of the river, at the junction of
Highways 19 and 207, in Service Creek, Oregon. Service Creek is roughly 250
miles southeast of Portland.
Where and when to meet - Lower Canyon trip
We meet at 8:00
AM at the BLM boat launch area at
Clarno, where Oregon Highway 218 crosses the John Day River. Clarno is roughly
165 miles southeast of Portland.
Getting to and from the river - Upper Canyon and
Combo trips
A number
of routes are possible. From the east, we recommend that you take I-84 to OR-19,
then OR-19 through Fossil to Service Creek. From Portland we suggest that you take
I-84 past The Dalles to OR-206, OR-206 to OR-19 at Condon, then OR-19 through
Fossil to Service Creek. Or you may take US-26 to Madras, US-197 to OR-293, OR-293 to OR-218,
OR-218 to Fossil, and OR-19 to Service Creek. If you will be arriving in by air, fly in to
Portland. No public transportation available, so you will need to rent a car.
From the Portland airport follow the directions above.
Getting to and from the river - Lower Canyon trip
Several routes are possible. From the east, we suggest you take I-84 to OR-19,
OR-19 to Fossil, then OR-218 west to Clarno. From Portland, we suggest you take
US-26 to Madras, US-197 to OR-293, OR-293 to OR-218, and OR-218 to Clarno. If
you'd rather drive through the Columbia River Gorge, head south on US-197, from
the Dalles, or US-97, from Biggs. If you will be arriving in by air, fly in to
Portland. No public transportation available, so you will need to rent a car.
What to bring
When you sign up
for your river adventure we will send you a complete list of what to bring. This
list is also
available online. In
general you'll need to bring only your own clothing and toiletries, plus a tent,
sleeping bag and sleeping pad. If you do not own or do not wish to transport
these last three items we have them available for rent. Follow the link above to
our checklist page for more information on rental gear, or call our office at
1-800-827-1358.
Pre & post trip lodging and camping - Upper Canyon
and Combo trips
If
you come to Service Creek via The Dalles, Biggs and Condon, consider staying at
the historic (and recently renovated)
Hotel Condon, about an hour's drive from Service Creek. For reservations
phone 800-201-6706. Or stay at one the numerous motels available in The Dalles.
If you are coming via Madras or Prineville, stay at one of the numerous motels
in Madras, or at the Ochoco Inn in Prineville (541-384-2181). Camping is
available at Sheldon State Park on highway 19 between Fossil and Service Creek,
or at the Ochoco Divide Forest Service campground on highway 26, between
Prineville and Mitchell.
Pre & post trip lodging and camping - Lower
Canyon trip
Consider staying at the historic (and recently renovated)
Hotel Condon, in Condon, Oregon. For
reservations phone 800-201-6706. There are many motels available in The
Dalles, Biggs and Madras. Allow two hours to drive from Biggs or The Dalles to
Clarno, and at least an hour to get from Madras to Clarno. Camping is available
at Shelton State Park on OR-19, 10 miles south of Fossil.
Camping while on the river
We select streamside meadows and beaches for our campsites.
Our guides establish a central kitchen and social area, and trip members select
spots in the surrounding area to pitch a tent or roll out a sleeping bag. O.R.E.
will set up a portable toilet at each camp, which will be located with privacy
and convenience in mind.
O.R.E. practices minimum impact camping, and the crew will
instruct you on the simple steps we follow to protect the environment along the
John Day river.
Fishing
Chinook salmon are found in the John Day River during
the spring, but silt laden waters generally make for so-so salmon fishing. As
river levels drop and the water clears in June, however, fishing for smallmouth
bass can be very good to excellent. You'll need an Oregon fishing license, which
is available at many Oregon sporting goods stores.
Pre and post trip river shuttles
Shuttle services are
included in the price of your river trip. Reliable drivers will shuttle both
your vehicle and O.R.E.’s rig to the take-out. The drivers will join us at our
meeting place, at which time the vehicles will be driven to the shuttle service
headquarters, where they will remain parked for the duration of our trip. On our
last day, the vehicles are driven to the take-out.
If your party will arrive in more than one vehicle, please
notify us at least two weeks in advance, so appropriate arrangements can be
made.
Nearby attractions
While in the area consider a visit to nearby John Day Fossil
Beds National Monument. For more information contact the Monument at
541-987-2333.
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