Owyhee River: Itinerary & Highlights Southeast Oregon       4 or 5 days     April - June Class III+        Book an Owyhee River Rafting Trip Owyhee Rafting Trip Schedule & Prices

First morning

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. (Please have your breakfast before our meeting time, and arrive in your river clothes.) 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, which will include instruction on paddle and rowing techniques as needed. We’re normally on our way downstream by mid-morning.

A typical day

Each day is a bit different. But a typical day on the river begins with freshly brewed coffee around 7 AM, and breakfast by 8 AM. After breakfast we’ll pack our bags and load the boats. Then, after a brief orientation to the day’s adventures, we’ll head downstream.

We’re on the river an average of four to five hours per day. Along the way we stop for a riverside picnic lunch. We may also stop to swim, to explore historic sites, to scout rapids, or to hike up scenic side canyons. We usually arrive in camp by mid to late afternoon, and while the guides prepare hors d’oeuvres and dinner, you’ll have time to hike, swim, fish, read, or nap.

Last day

Logistics for our final day on the river vary depending on water level as well as weather and road conditions. When possible we will leave the river at Birch Creek Ranch. Once we’ve unpacked our gear and de-rigged the boats at the ranch we'll board a van for the ride back to Jordan Valley, where we will arrive around 5 PM.

Alternatively, we may raft past Birch Creek to the headwaters of Lake Owyhee. There we will lash our rafts together, attach a motor to our gear boat, then embark on a leisurely and scenic cruise across the reservoir. In this case we'll reach our take-out at Leslie Gulch between 4 and 5 PM, de-rig, then drive back to Jordan Valley, where we'll arrive between 7 and 8 PM. (Please contact our office if you have questions about which will be the likely format for your trip.)

Trip Highlights

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. The following morning 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 through this scenic area, and, time and weather permitting, we'll offer a hike to the top of a dome overlooking the river for a breathtaking panoramic view of the Owyhee's pristine wilderness.

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 ungraciously named "Hole in the Ground".

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.

Weather and Climate  

The weather in the Owyhee River canyon is quite variable -- more variable than on any other river we run. Little rain falls, and warm days are likely. But cool or cold days are a possibility, too. The river water itself is cool early in the spring, but may warm to the high 60’s as air temperatures rise and the water level drops.