Northwest Rafting Company is owned and operated by three individuals with a passion for the Northwest and the amazing rivers that run through it. Joe Daly and Dick Linford bring the sage business perspective while Zach Collier contributes the vigor and youth of the operation. Throughout the years, the three have learned to not only run quality river trips, but to also create family vacations and share their love of the outdoors with everyone they meet. With these three at the helm, you can rest assured that you’ll have a memorable river trip in a pristine natural environment.

Zach Collier began his river career as a humble guide, and for the last 15 years, he has worked with 10 different outfitters on over 30 different rivers in the United States, Costa Rica, Honduras, Chile, Bhutan, Nepal and Siberia. He now lives in Hood River, Oregon where he manages the day to day operations and is able to get on the river all year long.

Zach is a board member of the Oregon Outfitter & Guides Association and an active member of America Outdoors, the national organization for outfitters. He is also a rafting blogger for Travel Oregon, Yeti Coolers, and Best Made Company.

He’s also a competitive oarsman and won at the cataraft division at the Upper Klamath Festival and Wind River Festival. His favorite competition is the Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival where he’s won the oar boat slalom for the past 4 years and the cataraft slalom for the past 3 years.

Dick Linford & Joe Daly met while teaching high school in California before founding ECHO River Trips (Northwest’s sister company) in 1971. Dick and Joe are active in all aspects of the business and get “on the river” about 20-25 days per season – smiling the entire time. Dick and Joe each bring 40 years of outfitting experience to NWRC.

Joe Daly was born and raised on the Susquehanna River in rural upstate New York. After finishing college at the State University of New York at Albany, he moved to California. Joe was the president of the Tuolumne River Trust for 12 years and a board member of Idaho Outfitter an Guides Association. Dick Linford grew up in western Wyoming and New Mexico. After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, he taught high school English until forming ECHO with Joe. Dick served on the Board of Directors of American Rivers, the country’s principal river preservation organization, for nine years, and was also president of America Outdoors, the national association for outfitters.