Raft the Deschutes River
Deschutes NST
If you love paddling on a summer day, then this camping trip is the perfect choice for you. On our longest rafting tour, we float for nearly 100 miles on Oregon’s Deschutes River, from its upper reaches to its confluence with the Columbia River. The Deschutes River basin is a desert environment covered with grasses, sagebrush, and stout juniper trees. It is inhabited by golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, deer, and other Eastern Oregon wildlife. Both novices and seasoned river rats will enjoy long, quiet stretches of water as well as challenging rapids such as Oak Springs and Box Car. Spend late afternoons hiking beautiful side canyons, swimming, and learning to cook excellent river cuisine before camping beside the river each night. (Although everyone wears a Personal Flotation Device (PFD), we still recommend that you be able to swim.) Read the detailed trip description to learn more.
EXAMPLE Itinerary:
(actual itinerary will be adjusted based on river and weather conditions)
- Tuesday: Arrive to campus in the morning, meet your group and collect any outdoor gear you are borrowing from College Outdoors. Eat lunch on campus, then drive about 3hrs to camp at the put-in at Trout Creek.
- Wednesday: Introduction to rafting & safety, raft 7-10 miles to campsite 1. Evening games.
- Thursday: Raft several hours with options for a side hike or rock jumping on the way to campsite 2
- Friday: Raft several hours to campsite 3, with options for swimming and rock jumps, and river games
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Saturday: Raft several hours to campsite 4, with lunch at the beach in the town of Maupin. Explore a side canyon.
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Sunday: Mellow rafting day, with plenty of time for games and reflection. Camp at site 5. LC Night! Learn about Lewis & Clark from current students
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Monday: Raft several hours to campsite 6, with optional rock jumps. Evening group reflection and appreciations
- Tuesday: Morning rafting, then load up and return to campus, clean up gear, move into residence halls.
Trip Specifics
Dates: Tuesday, Aug. 20 - Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024
Cost: $1800. Financial aid is applied for high-need students who qualify. Vegan and non-medical specialty diets have an additional $35 charge. Vegetarian diets and food allergies do not have an additional fee.
Rigor: Moderate
Trip Type: Camping
Required Forms
These forms can be completed only after you have received a trip placement email, and are due by Tuesday, June 25th. You will need to log into your L&C Portal to complete these forms.
Trip Pictures
Check out pictures from other times we’ve gone here!