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Inn of the Seventh Mountain |
800-452-6810 |
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Jim's Oregon Whitewater |
800-254-5467 |
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Orion Expeditions |
800-553-7466 |
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Sun Country Tours |
800-770-2161 |
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| Section |
Upper |
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Location |
Deschutes
County, central Oregon, west of Bend |
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Driving Time |
Portland—3
hours |
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Difficulty |
Class
II-III (IV) |
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Trip Length |
3
miles (5 km) |
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Trip Options |
Paddle
raft; half-day |
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Season |
May-September |
The Deschutes River,
originating on the eastern slopes of the Cascades Mountains between
Crater Lake and Bend, flows for nearly 240 miles (384 km) northward
to the Columbia River, providing much-needed water to adjacent
central Oregon's farm and rangelands. During this course, its
moderate waters offer half-day, one day and multiday rafting trips
that are suitable for first-time river runners, families, senior
citizens, and outdoor lovers who want to enjoy a scenic river in an
arid environment.
A
3-mile (5-km) stretch of the upper Deschutes River, about 8 miles
west of Bend, is becoming an increasingly popular rafting vacation
interlude for summertime visitors to central Oregon. This segment,
which contains mostly Class II-IV rapids, is enjoyed by all guests.
Families with children as young as age seven are welcome during the
lower-water summer months.
Albeit
brief, the short upper Deschutes experience offers both the serenity
of a unique desert lava canyon and the thrill of exciting
whitewater. After nearly a mile of relatively flat water, rafters
enter a quarter-mile stretch of Class IV rapids known as Big Eddy.
Here, guides help paddle rafters maneuver through a series of
technical rapids created by an old lava flow. Below, the river
mellows into a mostly Class II section before the take-out located
just above Lava Falls.
Because
of the frequency of the Deschutes daily whitewater trips—as many
as six are run by each of the river's three licensed commercial
outfitters—reservations are normally not required. The entire
trip, including round-trip shuttle from Bend, takes about two and
one-half hours.
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