Rogue River Rowing Clinic
Learn to guide an oar raft down Oregon’s Wild and Scenic Rogue River with the company twice named “The Best River & Sea Outfitter On Earth” by National Geographic Adventure.
No prior outdoor or whitewater rafting experience is necessary to participate in the OARS Rogue River Rowing Clinic. Our experienced river guides, all with whitewater rescue training and extensive guiding experience, will teach you the ropes.
This 7-day floating whitewater clinic is appropriate for:
We’ll spend our days progressing downriver; learning and practicing essential skills, and camping at different locations on the stunning Rogue River each night. Instruction and hands-on learning occur both on the river and in camp.
Why sign up for the Rogue River Rowing Clinic with OARS?
Start Your Career as a River Guide
While OARS’ rowing clinics are ideal for anyone looking to learn something new or develop their whitewater rowing skills, our whitewater guide school programs are better suited for aspiring river guides with no prior experience. If you’re an experienced guide and would like to get your foot in the door with OARS, we encourage you to read our Hiring and Guide School FAQs and fill out an employment application.
Trip Highlights
What to Expect
Itinerary & Map
Itinerary at a Glance
We pride ourselves in running a relaxed and flexible schedule. Every Rogue River Rowing Clinic is different depending upon the group, other trips on the water, camp locations, and sometimes the weather. The following is a sample of what your trip might be like:
Day 1
After meeting up with your trip leader, we’ll spend the first afternoon in a classroom setting for dry land instruction to help make our transition onto the water significantly smoother. Later in the day, we’ll shuttle to the put-in location and set up camp for the evening.
Days 2 – 6
After coffee and breakfast each morning, we pack up our belongings, and then we’ll discuss and practice boat rigging. On the water each day, everyone has ample opportunities to row at various whitewater levels. There are also a variety of boat sizes and loads, and participants rotate from craft to craft practicing in lighter, more maneuverable boats up to heavy, fully-loaded gear boats. Each rower can expect to row about half the time.
There will also be sufficient time for questions and discussions during our lunch stops, as well as in the evenings during classroom instruction sessions when we’ll dive into whitewater topics from A to Z.
You’ll return from the Rogue River Rowing Clinic with a better understanding of:
- Reading whitewater, route selection, and maneuvering oar rafts in Class III whitewater
- Raft rigging/de-rigging and knot tying
- River signals and how to communicate with your crew
- Camp skills—setting up a safe/comfortable camp, food handling/preparation, and minimum impact strategies, including 7 Principles of Leave No Trace
- Tying up and anchoring boats
- How to handle wildlife encounters & pesky critters
- Multi-day group dynamics and team problem solving
- Basic swiftwater rescue techniques
- Equipment care/maintenance
- River etiquette
Day 7
After lunch on our final day, we have a short float to our take-out point at Foster Bar. We’ll pack our gear into the vans before a 2-3 hour mountain drive back to Whitewater Cowboys, arriving at approximately 6 PM.
Meeting Time & Place
Location
Merlin, OR
Meeting time
1 PM
Return
Approximately 6 PM to Whitewater Cowboys
Trip Map
Dates & Prices
20% discount off regular price for active military personnel, emergency first responders, and students with a valid university ID!
| 2024 Departures | Price |
|---|---|
| May 9, 18 | $2,099 |
DEPOSIT
$400
ADDITIONAL COSTS
• $10 per person federal, state, and local access fees
• Sleep Kit $40 | Tent included
The Need-to-Know Info
Trip Details
Included in Your Trip Cost
Not Included in Your Trip Cost
- Pre- and post-trip transportation, accommodations, and meals
- Transportation to and from Whitewater Cowboys
- Rogue River Access Fee
- Sleeping bag & a deluxe 3-inch thick air-filled sleeping pad (these items may be rented from OARS)
- Insurance of any kind, including a travel protection plan
- Gratuities
The number and variety of boats on an OARS trip will vary based on water levels, the number of participants, and other factors we take into account when planning your adventure. Please be aware that in doing so we will ask you to share boat time with your fellow travelers. The rowing clinic will take place in oar rafts as learning/enhancing rowing skills is the focal point of this trip.
Learn more about the OARS Fleet.
After each active day on the river, we pull ashore to camp for the night where our first task is to unload the boats. Individuals then collect their waterproof bags and locate an area on the beach to camp for the night.
While you put up your tent, the guides will set up the kitchen and central dining/seating area with camp chairs. They will also locate a secluded area away from camp to set up the portable toilet, where privacy is assured.
As dinner is being prepared by the team, you might enjoy some hors d’oeuvres while we will continue to discuss rowing techniques and other rafting topics.
In the morning, the first wake-up call lets you know that coffee, hot water for tea or cocoa, juice, fresh fruit, and cold cereal are ready. You can fill your mug and grab a bite, then begin to pack up your personal belongings and sleep gear as the cook crew prepares breakfast. We may include a morning clinic topic. After breakfast, the entire camp is broken down and packed up. The gear will then be loaded onto the boats, and we’ll head downstream to see what new adventures await us.
More info about Meals & Dietary Restrictions can be found on our Trip Resources page.
The weather in Southern Oregon is typically quite favorable during the summer months. The days are long and typically dry, making for a pleasant journey. Like anywhere, though, the weather can be unpredictable at times. Early and late-season trips can bring a wider range of temperatures, and one should always be prepared for rain.
Average Air & Water Temperatures
| Air (Day) °F | Air (Night) °F | Water °F | |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | 65-75 | 40-50 | 58 |
Whitewater
Few rivers offer whitewater excitement suitable for such a wide range of ages and experience levels as the Rogue. Its Class III rapids (with one Class IV) are a great whitewater introduction for the beginning rafter, yet challenging enough to excite experienced river runners. The Rogue’s flow is regulated by upstream dams; this allows for reliable river flows all summer long. Enjoy rolling wave trains and exciting drops, separated by calmer waters, as you float down this scenic river.
Before booking your trip with OARS, there are a few important considerations we’d like you to know about.
Reservations and Deposits
A $400/person deposit is required at the time of booking. Deposits may be made by check, money order, or Visa/Mastercard (American Express and Discover incur a 3% processing fee). Prices are in US Dollars, and all payments must be made in US Dollars. Payment of the deposit establishes your acceptance of our complete Terms and Conditions. Individual departures and trip capacity are strictly limited by the managing agency.
Canceling your trip after your deposit has been processed will incur cancellation fees because OARS has absorbed costs on your behalf and will turn others away who would like to book the spaces we’re holding for you. Final payment is due 60 days before departure. Accounts on which final payment has not been received 50 days before the departure date will be canceled without exception.
Cancellations and Refunds
Your deposit is fully refundable, less a 3% processing fee, for 7 days after you book when you submit a deposit 7 days or more prior to the final payment due date.
If you must cancel your reservation after the rescission period described above, your cancellation fee will be determined according to the schedule below. We regret we cannot make exceptions to the cancellation policy for any reason, including foul weather, poor air quality, wildfire activity, acts of terrorism, civil unrest, or personal emergencies. There is no refund for arriving late or leaving a trip early. For these reasons, we strongly urge you to consider purchasing a travel protection plan.
| Date of Cancellation | Cancellation Fee |
|---|---|
| 180 or more days before your trip | $50/person |
| 179 – 90 days before your trip | $100/person |
| 89 – 60 days before your trip | $200/person |
| 59 days or less before your trip | Full Fare |
Please note that different deposit/cancellation policies may apply for charter groups. Refer to the group organizer’s confirmation email for details.
Canceled Trips
OARS reserves the right to cancel any trip due to insufficient registration or other factors that make the trip impractical to operate. In such instances, we will inform you at least 45 days before departure. Do not make nonrefundable travel arrangements unless you have spoken to your Adventure Consultant regarding the status of your trip. If a trip must be canceled or postponed due to force majeure (factors outside the control of OARS), OARS will provide full credit for payments made toward future travel, or a refund less a 5% service fee plus any nonrefundable payments made on your behalf to 3rd-party suppliers. OARS will make good faith efforts to recover deposits made on your behalf to 3rd-party suppliers; however, we can’t guarantee recovery of any or all of the advance payments made. OARS is not responsible for expenses incurred by participants in preparation for a canceled trip.
Transfers
If you need to move your reservation to a different trip during the same season, or to a credit account for the following year, there is a $25/person fee up until 90 days before departure for a one-time transfer of your payment. Transfer requests made 89 days or less before departure will be treated like a cancellation according to the schedule above.
O.A.R.S. West, Inc. operates on the Rogue River as a permitted outfitter of the Bureau of Land Management and the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Ancestral Lands Acknowledgement
We respect and recognize that many of the river canyons on state and federal lands where we operate are the ancestral homes of indigenous communities. Where we operate on the Rogue River between Almeda Bar and Foster Bar, we acknowledge the territories of the Tolowa Dee-ni’, Takelma, Modoc, Cow Creek Umpqua, Tututni, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.
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