Mike Locatelli

Mike “Loc” grew up in Wisconsin and has spent much of his life moving around the country for school and work. After a decade in Wyoming, he relocated to central Washington about a year and a half ago and quickly embraced the region’s incredible access to rivers and outdoor recreation. During the week, Mike works in the natural resource management field. On weekends, he’s usually outside paddling, hiking with his dogs, or cheering on the Green Bay Packers.

Mike began raft guiding in 2005 while attending the University of Tennessee, where he spent five seasons on the Pigeon River. After graduating and beginning a career in wildlife and fisheries, he continued guiding whenever he could, working on rivers including the Peshtigo and Menominee in Wisconsin, the Shoshone in Wyoming, and most recently the Wenatchee River in Washington. Along the way he has remained an active private boater, building a garage full of boats and exploring rivers across the country whenever the opportunity arises.

Now based in central Washington, Mike is excited to spend more time on the rivers of the Pacific Northwest. This season he’ll be joining the Wet Planet team on weekends, guiding trips on the White Salmon and continuing to explore the region’s incredible whitewater. When fall arrives, there’s a good chance you’ll find him chasing the Tieton River flows close to home.