Raft the Deschutes River
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Central Oregon’s Deschutes River features seven major whitewater rapids (rated Class 3+) in ten miles, making this one of the premier rafting rivers in the state! Each raft will have a river guide steering the boat, and you’ll get to help paddle through the exciting rapids and calm stretches of water between them. This beautiful river runs through juniper and sagebrush country in dry central Oregon, where you can expect sunshine most of the year. We’ll leave campus on Friday night to camp under the stars by the river, and return on Saturday in time for dinner after spending the day rafting.
How to Register
Registration Opens:
FALL -
Trip #1 and #2 Friday, September 1, 2023
Trip #3 Friday, September 8, 2023
SPRING -
Trip #1 Friday, March 8th, 2024
Trip #2 Friday, April 5th, 2024
Trip Fee: $95 / $47*
*We have a limited amount of scholarships available based on financial need. If you qualify, he trip fee is cut in half thanks to scholarship funding from ASB. We accept cash, checks, credit/debit cards, and apple/samsung/google pay.
How to Sign Up:
To register for a trip, stop by the College Outdoors office in Fowler 239. We’re open Mon - Thur 9am-5pm, and Fridays 9am-3pm.
When trips are first posted on Fridays, you can write your name on the paper trip sign-up sheet to save your spot until the following Tuesday at 5pm. You can pay to secure your spot right away, or return to pay by that following Tuesday at 5pm. After that, all trips spots are first-paid, first-served.
Trip Type
- Camping in a campground
- Rafting
Physical Demands
No experience necessary! This is a great opportunity to try out whitewater rafting, even if you have no paddling experience.
Participants should be prepared to sit in a raft for a couple hours at a time, paddle using full range of motion in the upper body, walk on uneven terrain, and sleep on foam pads outdoors. Rapids will jostle you in the boat, and you will get wet. Swimming ability is not required since you will be wearing a Personal Floatation Device (aka, a lifejacket), but you should be comfortable in moving water.
Accessibility accommodations are available, contact outdoors@lclark.edu
What to Expect
- ☐ Sleeping indoors
- ☑ Sleeping outdoors
- ☐ Electricity
- ☐ Wifi
- ☑ Cell phone service
- ☐ Heating
- ☐ Beds
- ☑ Bathrooms
- ☐ Gender-inclusive bathrooms
- ☐ Showers
- ☐ Wheelchair accessible
- ☑ Food for any Dietary Restrictions
Amenities
Pre-Trip Meeting
College Outdoors trips have a Pre-Trip Meeting (PTM) prior to the trip to help you prepare, which takes place at the Sequoia warehouse on the Graduate Campus.
At this meeting you’ll meet the trip leaders and other participants, learn more about the trip activity, location, and schedule, and be given a packing list of everything you need for your trip. The trip leaders and Sequoia staff will then help you find and borrow anything on the packing list that you’d like to borrow. We have high-quality outdoor clothing and equipment, and it’s all free to use for your trip!
If you miss a Pre-Trip Meeting, check your email for important info you missed.
Sequoia Warehouse
Sequoia is the College Outdoors warehouse, located on the Graduate Campus. Everything you’ll need is available for free when you come on a College Outdoors Trip. At Sequoia you will find:
- Clothing needed for your trip, including any relevant outerwear and specialty items needed for the activity. Sizes range from XS - XXL and come in gendered an non-gendered designs.
- Gear needed for your trip, such as sleeping bags, backpacks, water bottles, and much much more.
- Equipment such as tents, cookware, first-aid kits, and boats, which trip leaders will pack for each trip as needed.
- Gender-neutral bathrooms, which can also be used as changing rooms.
- Staff available to answer your questions.