Whitewater Rafting Adventures
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- A Day with O.A.R.S.
- Why O.A.R.S.
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PrintWhitewater Rafting - An Adventure of a Lifetime
Why choose O.A.R.S. for your next white water rafting adventure?
More Rivers to RaftO.A.R.S. offers white water rafting on more rivers than any other North American river rafting outfitter. Choose from more than 75 unique rafting itineraries in Western North America, South America and Fiji, including rafting escapes lasting just one day, fun-filled rafting weekends, three-week long rafting adventure vacations and just about everything in between.
More Paddling Experience
O.A.R.S. helped pioneer whitewater rafting in the Western U.S., and since 1969 we have escorted more than 450,000 guests on the rivers of the world. Our reliable, responsible and experienced whitewater guides are some of the best anywhere. All are qualified in CPR and First Aid; many have earned credentials in Wilderness First Responder, Swiftwater Rescue and Leave No Trace.
Fewer Crowds
O.A.R.S. offers the best guide to guest ratio (1:4) in the rafting industry, giving you the personalized attention you expect and deserve. Typically we carry no more than 4 to 6 passengers per raft.
White Water Rafting Activity Levels
Leisurely Paddles, Float Trips and Family-Friendly Rafting Fun
Generally appropriate for children as young as seven years and beginners to intermediates looking for manageable thrills
California Rafting:
Lower Klamath River Rafting – 3 Days, Class II
South Fork of the American River Rafting – 1 or 2 Days, Class III
Colorado Rafting:
Green River Rafting through the Gates of Lodore – 4 Days, Class III
Green River Rafting through Split Mountain – 1 Day, Class III
Idaho Rafting:
Hells Canyon Rafting on the Snake River – 3 or 5 Days, Class III
Lower Salmon River Rafting – 4 or 5 Days, Class III
Main Salmon River Rafting – 5 or 6 Days, Class III
Oregon Rafting:
Rogue River Rafting – 3, 4 or 5 Days, Class III
Utah Rafting:
Colorado River Rafting through Cataract Canyon – 4 or 6 Days, Class III
San Juan River Rafting – 2 ½, 4 or 6 days, Class II
Moderate White Water Rafting & More Challenging Adventures
Generally suitable for teens, adventurous individuals, intermediates or aggressive beginners looking for a challenge
Rafting Alaska & the Arctic:
Tatshenshini River Rafting – 11 Days, Class II-III
California Rafting:
Merced River Rafting – 1 Day, Class III-IV
Middle Fork of the American River Rafting – 1 Day, Class IV
North Fork of the American River Rafting – 1 Day, Class IV
Tuolumne River Rafting – 1, 2 or 3 Days, Class IV
Colorado Rafting:
Yampa River Rafting – 4 or 5 Days, Class III-IV
Fiji Rafting:
Upper Navua River Rafting – 1 Day, Class III
Rafting the Grand Canyon:
Grand Canyon (by Raft) – 4 to 15 Days, Class 1-10 on the Grand Canyon Scale
Grand Canyon (by Dory) – 4 to 19 Days, Class 1-10 on the Grand Canyon Scale
Idaho Rafting:
Middle Fork of the Salmon River Rafting – 6 Days, Class III-IV
Oregon Rafting:
Owyhee River Rafting – 6 Days, Class III-IV
Adrenaline-Infused Advanced Whitewater Rafting
Appropriate for experienced paddlers and hard-core adventurers. On some rivers a physical fitness/swimming test may be required
California Rafting:
North Fork of the Stanislaus River Rafting – 1 Day, Class IV+
Tuolumne River Rafting – 1, 2 or 3 Days, Class IV-V (Mid-May through Early June)
Canada Rafting:
Chilko-Chilcotin-Fraser Rivers Rafting – 7 Days, Class IV
Rafting in Chile:
Futaleufu River Rafting – 10 Days, Class IV (Optional Class V)
Utah Rafting:
Colorado River Rafting through Cataract Canyon – 4 or 6 Days, Class IV-V (Mid-May through early June)
Dory Adventures in the Western U.S.
Hard-hulled but ultra-buoyant, dories are the elite on the river. They shoot through rapids and make the big drops look easy. Dory trips are offered on a variety of O.A.R.S. rivers including:
- Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, AZ
- Main Salmon River, ID
- Lower Salmon River, ID
- Middle Fork Salmon River, ID (early season, when the water is still high)
- Owyhee River, OR
- Cataract Canyon, UT
- Green River through the Gates of Lodore, CO
- Yampa River, CO
Interested in learning to row your own raft? Becoming a whitewater raft guide? Always dreamed of paddling your own kayak? Check out our whitewater skills instructional paddling programs.
Still not sure which trip is right for you? Try our Advanced Search, which allows you to search by destination, activity, trip length, date and more!
With over 40 years of experience offering the finest whitewater river rafting adventures available, an adventure vacation with O.A.R.S. will connect your heart, mind and soul with the natural world! What's your dream adventure vacation?
