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Owyhee River Itinerary

All of our Owyhee River trips last 5 days. Although we follow a general itinerary for rafting and hanging out in camp, our guides take pride in tailoring each trip with different activities, side hikes, lunch spots, and great campsites.

Day 1

Our trip begins at at 9:00 AM at the BLM Rome Launch Site. Here, you’ll meet the head guide and start packing your things in our waterproof dry bags. When everyone’s packed and ready, we will have a safety talk and discuss boat selection.

Rafting on the Owyhee River
Rafting on the Owyhee River

The first few miles are really mellow which gives us a chance for the intrepid souls in the inflatable kayaks to learn how to maneuver their crafts. Lunch happens mid-day, and when we enter Sweetwater Canyon we see our first bit of rapids. We arrive at camp early enough to put up tents, and perhaps take a short hike, a brief swim, relax on the beach, or delve into a book before dark. Hors d’oeuvres are served and followed by a hearty dinner.

Riverside Camping (L,D)

Days 2, 3, & 4

The next few days are full days on the river. Coffee is ready by 7:00 AM and breakfast is served around 8:00 AM. After fueling up for the morning, we pack up camp, load the boats, and hit the river. We often stop along the way to go hiking along one of the side creeks.

Afternoon hike on the Owyhee River
Afternoon hike on the Owyhee River

Day 3 brings the best whitewater of the trip. Whistling Bird brings our first challenge, as we attempt to avoid a large slice of the canyon wall that broke off the wall and now sits in the water. Then a short float bring us into Iron Point Canyon, a stunning canyon of erosion-resistant, red-gray rhyolite walls.

Rafting through Iron Point Canyon on the Owyhee River
Rafting through Iron Point Canyon on the Owyhee River

After that we e navigate through Rock Trap, Squeeze, and a class IV rapid called Montgomery. The steep 1000’+ canyon walls are the highlights here, as they put into perspective just how big this place really is. The day ends with a mellow float through the remainder of Iron Point canyon and into camp.

Riverside Camping (B,L,D)

Day 5

We begin Day 5 like the others with morning coffee and a hearty breakfast. We spend half a day on the river until we reach the take-out point at Birch Creek around noon. The three hour van ride back brings you to your car in Rome.

Riverside Camping (B,L)