Rogue River rafting vacation in the USA

Planet

We are a locally owned and operated outfitting company with a strong commitment to responsible and sustainable travel, working diligently to protect the areas where we operate. With well-trained and professional guides coupled with carefully-crafted itineraries, our goal is to connect people in a meaningful and personally relevant way to the places we share with them. We hope to inspire our guests to become actively involved in the preservation and conservation of the areas they visit.

One of our core values is respecting the Earth and we practice this throughout our operation. At our office we work to minimize our footprint through wise energy use and practicing the four R’s - recycling, reducing, re-purposing and reusing. We source as many products as we can locally including Oregon wines, cheeses and fresh produce.

We minimize motorized travel on our adventures, preferring to see a small geographic area well rather than traveling a large area. We are sensitive to wildlife, and help people understand what they are seeing by illuminating the life history of the plants and animals we observe. We practice “Leave No Trace” techniques on our trips, and have been for over 30 years. We are a permitted outfitter from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and are licensed by the State of Oregon, ensuring we meet the highest standards.

All of the accommodations on this lodge based rafting trip are family owned and operated. Majority of which run on generators or other off grid solutions to remain kinder to the Rogue River wilderness.

When we are at lunch spots or at the lodges, we have vegetarian and vegan options available for travelers with a variety of dietary needs. From the minute you inquire about one of our tours we discuss what your dietary needs are and do our absolute best to ensure you are well fed, energized, and satiated throughout your adventure travels with us. Dietary restrictions are always communicated from our office staff to our guides on the ground to ensure our guests are well taken care of.

Responsible travel requires innovation and dedication, and we work closely with organizations working to help keep our wild places secure and wild. We provide donations and volunteer time to several conservation groups including the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and American Rivers. As well, through our “River pass through” program, we provide an easy way for our guests to also contribute to these organizations.

Every summer on the Rogue River we partner with Rogue River Keeper. Rogue River Keeper in a non profit working to protect and conserve the fragile waterways and surrounding environment of the Rogue River wilderness. We collaborate on hosted trips with their organization to get them on the river and to give our guests the opprotunity to learn more ways to protect our wild and scenic rivers.

People

We base our Rogue River operation in the small town of Merlin, Oregon where we positively impact a high number of local businesses from whom we purchase supplies and services. Throughout our operations, we use locally-owned and operated hotels and restaurants, and hire other local services and avoid using large chain operations.

We support the communities in the areas we operate by giving back in a number of ways. Each year we donate over $15,000 in goods and services to various charities in the areas where we operate. In addition since 2008 we have been running an annual “Raft for the Cure” that generates between $3000 and $5,000 for our local chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. We also operate an annual "Raft to Remember" which is a benefit trip for the Alzheimer's Association that raises over $1000 each year for our local chapter.

Our entire office staff is local and we are a significant employer in our local community. We also hire a number of seasonal support people in the various small towns where we operate during our rafting season.

Local Guides: The majority of our river guides are from the West, or Northwest, and many hold college degrees in related fields such as geology, biology and recreation management. Over 75 percent of our USA-based guides are “Certified Interpretive Guides” through the National Association of Interpretation, having received training on sharing natural and cultural history in a meaningful and relevant way. As a company, we provide numerous opportunities for continued guide education, including guest educators on trips and special guide clinics.

We are able to accommodate people with physical limitations, disabilities and medical conditions; please speak with our team ahead of time if you think you will require any additional assistance while on the trip.

All of our group tours on the Rogue River are LGBTQ+ friendly. Everyone is welcome on our tours regardless of identity.

All of our operating staff and guides get paid at least minimum wage.