Planning a Whitewater Rafting or Kayaking Trip in Oregon or Washington
Deciding to go whitewater rafting or kayaking is the easy part. However, if you haven’t done it before, planning a trip takes a bit of preparation. The easiest way to plan your whitewater adventure is to give us a call at 509.493.8989. We’re happy to answer any questions and help you with the process of planning your trip. In the meantime, here are a few questions and suggestions to help you get your trip started:
1. Who is going? What are their ages?
Most of our trips require kids to be at least 10 years old.
- White Salmon River (runs daily from April through September)
- Tieton River
- Klickitat River
- Owyhee River multi-day raft trip
Stepping up the adventure on our Class V rivers requires you to be a bit older and have previous rafting experience.
Families looking to get on the river will love our mellower multi-day options and Kids’ Kayak Camp.
- Main Salmon multi-day raft trip: 7-year-old minimum
- Kids’ Summer Kayak Camp: 9-year-old minimum
2. What type of river trip are you looking for? A scenic float or an intense whitewater adventure?
While all the rivers we run are scenic (many even federally designated Wild & Scenic), the Klickitat rafting trip is one of our most popular, mellower scenic river trips. Each of the multi-day raft trips offers spectacular views all day, every day. If it’s the scenery you want, you can’t beat spending 3-6 days immersed in it! For the adrenaline junkies, you can’t get much more intense whitewater than on one of our Class V rafting trips.
3. Do you want to customize your trip?
Since every guest is looking for a unique experience, we offer several ways to personalize your group’s rafting trip:
- Our privately catered group raft and BBQ package is always a hit after an afternoon of physical exertion on the river.
- We partner with wonderful hotels and B&Bs around the Columbia River Gorge. Check out our Lodging Page for discounts and learn more about our favorites.
- We even run Private Kayaking trips for a completely personalized experience.
- Check out our Groups Page to learn about group reservations and discounts.
- For groups interested in an extended itinerary by exploring the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area and its hidden treasures, we highly recommend contacting the expert guides from the First Nature touring agency. Their tours are all-inclusive, including transportation.
4. When do you want to go rafting?
Rivers flow according to their own schedule. Luckily, most are predictable and flow steadily from April – October. We offer the following options during this entire period:
- Daily departures on the White Salmon River.
- Kayak courses and trips for beginner to advanced paddlers.
From April through early summer, we use the spring run-off and the end of the rainy season to raft on other rivers in the area:
- The Wind River, Klickitat River, and the Hood River flow during this time.
- Our Guide School runs in April, offering a deeper rafting experience for the river enthusiast.
Just when the summer is coming to an end, we use scheduled releases to continue rafting rivers in the Northwest:
- The Tieton River runs in September from our private base camp near Yakima.
Our multi-day whitewater rafting trips have scheduled departures throughout the spring and summer. If you’re interested in the adventure of a lifetime, pick a time of year, give us a call, and let us help plan a memorable trip for you, your family, or your friends.
5. Make a reservation
Reservations are recommended for all Wet Planet Whitewater rafting trips or kayaking courses. It is possible to arrive and jump on a trip that still has space without reservations, but our trips can also be full. In general, you should make reservations as soon as you know when you would like to join us on the river. Weekends in the summer fill up quickly, often months in advance. On weekdays, it is frequently possible to book your trip a few days beforehand. To make reservations, feel free to call us at 509.493.8989 or reserve online!
6. Show up at the Wet Planet Headquarters
Once your reservations are complete, all you need to do is arrive at the Wet Planet Headquarters with a swimsuit 15 minutes before your scheduled trip (check here for directions). We will take care of everything else from there so you can relax and enjoy your whitewater adventure. We will provide detailed itineraries and timetables for our multi-day trips to help you plan your travel arrangements. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
