Hells Canyon Whitewater Rafting Trip

Enjoy a 3-day Whitewater Rafting Trip in Hells Canyon.

We create an ultra comfortable river trip in one of the most beautiful settings in the world, The Snake River through Hells Canyon.

Whitewater rafting has become a premier way to explore and experience the beauty and isolation of Idaho. This trip rides the river from Cambridge to Pitsburg Landing, Idaho.

Book rafting tours online and save or call us toll free for reservations, group tour bookings, and private charters.

Rate Includes:

Rate includes lodging accommodations the night before and meals from breakfast the first day to lunch the last day. Professional top-of-the-line river equipment is provided, including self-bailing rafts and their accessories; coast guard approved life jackets; specially designed children's life jackets; waterproof boxes for cameras, waterproof bags for personal gear; tents and ground cloths for sleeping under the stars (there are no mosquitoes here); freshly laundered sleeping bags; thick foam self inflating sleeping pads; comfortable camp chairs; dining tables; and our river library is available when you are in camp. One car shuttle per group is included. 3% United States Forest Tax and 3% Idaho Sales Tax is included in the rate.

Schedule

Trips are available for departure on the dates shown below:

May 1-23, 29
June 1, 6, 9, 17, 22, 25, 30
July 3, 8, 11, 16, 19, 24,27
August 1, 9, 12, 17, 20, 25, 28
September 2, 5, 10, 11-30

Trip Itinerary

The following is a sample itinerary to give you an idea of a 3-day trip.

The Day Before

We will meet you on the deck at the Hunters Inn in Cambridge at 7:00 pm. for an orientation. Waterproof bags for your gear will be distributed and you will have a chance to ask last minute questions.

Day 1

Breakfast is at 7:00 am. After breakfast, we load up and travel to the put-in below Hells Canyon Dam. The guides will have the boats ready to go. After we strap down your personal gear, we launch for the trip of a lifetime. The day is spent fishing, maybe a short hike, and some introductory rapids. Lunch is riverside each day. We arrive in camp around 4:00 pm. Hors d'oeuvres are set out around 5:30 and dinner is served about 7:00.

Day 2

You arise to the aroma of fresh coffee and sizzling bacon. Today we run the two largest rapids on the river -- Wild sheep and Granite Creek. A quick scout at each provides a view of the excitement to come, and a chance for the paddle boat and kayakers to receive last minute instructions. The best fishing is during the first 3 days. Maybe a short hike to an old homestead and some ancient Nez Perce pictographs.

Day 3

More rapids and the Kirkwood Historic Museum and Ranch. This was the Home of the former Idaho Governor and Senator, Len Jordan. Lunch is riverside and soon after we arrive at Pitsburg landing where you depart. Pitsburg Landing is 32 miles downstream from Cambridge.

Transportation To and From the Hells Canyon Raft Trip

Boise, Idaho is the closest major airport. You will fly into Boise the day before the trip and rent a car to drive the 100 miles or so to Cambridge. If you are traveling in your own car, simply follow directions to Cambridge, and plan to arrive late afternoon the day before we launch. Some folks travel through Glacier National Park and Yellowstone on their way to Hells Canyon.

Snake River Canyon

Where the Snake River heads north and forms the border between Idaho and Oregon, it forms Hells Canyon, the deepest canyon in North America.

Nez Perce Indian legend claims "Coyote dug Hells Canyon with a big stick to protect their ancestors in Oregon's Blue mountains from the 'Seven Devils' across the gorge in what is now Idaho." Our raft trips through Hells Canyon are journeys through a land rich in myth and geologic wonder.

The country is amazing. Rugged rock walls and grassy slopes rise from the water, as you delve into the surging whitewater as it pulses through Hells Canyon. Where boulders and rockslides have rolled into the river, we find the biggest rapids in the Pacific Northwest.

Wildlife Fishing and Hunting

Between the rapids, the Snake River follows a scenic path, where we will encounter black bear, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, mountain goats, deer, and other high desert creatures. The warm water (up to 70-degrees) offers unparalleled fishing. Hauling in a ten-foot white sturgeon is the experience of a lifetime, while the rainbow trout and small mouth bass fishing peaks during July, August, and early September. We supply everything to help you land the big one. All you have to do is buy a license, either the night before the trip or at the Idaho Fish and Game site. Starting in mid-September you can fish for Steelhead or bird hunt for Chukar partridge all day long.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Your guides do all the camp work and are experts at preparing bountiful and healthy meals. From their ice chests, they produce a seemingly unending supply of fresh meats, cheese, fruits, vegetables, and breads. Breakfast may be fresh fruit, with blueberry sourdough pancakes, or banana nut muffins served piping hot out of our Dutch ovens. Lunches are riverside deli cold cuts with all the fixings so you can create your own version of the Dagwood. We like to think of dinner as a show. Fresh Alaskan Salmon, barbecue tenderloin steaks, Cornish game hens with rosemary, and Dutch oven baked desserts and breads, all artfully prepared in our riverside kitchen. Special diets may be met. The best part is at the end: we do the dishes.

Drinks

We provide drinks at all times. While on the raft we have cold water, lemonade, sodas, and fruit juices. At camp, there is a selection of tea, coffee, cocoa, and drink mixers. We do provide a limited amount of cold beer and dinner wine. You are welcome to bring your own alcoholic beverages. We always have plenty of room and ice to keep them cold.

Donde esta el bano?

Hand wash facilities are available at all stops in camp. Sun showers are set up at night for a brief but hot shower. Using daily sanitized potable toilets, we carry out all human waste. Privacy is never a problem.

River Craft Information

Oar Rafts - The most comfortable place to kick back and relax, take pictures, fish, and enjoy the scenery. 16-feet or 18-feet in length and controlled by your guide with two large wooden oars, these boats are the safest way to navigate the rapids.

Paddle Rafts - Participate in the action; teamwork and fun are key elements of paddle rafting. Each person with paddle in hand, and coached by a guide, helps to navigate the rapids.

Inflatable Kayaks, a.k.a. "Squishies" - Even with no prior experience, this personal water craft will allow you to enjoy the thrill of river kayaking within minutes of putting on your life jacket and helmet. Reserve one for the whole trip or use one of the shared kayaks.

Supply Boat - Each day our supply boat packs up the camp gear, river bags, and extra ice chests and moves down the river ahead of us. This allows for uncluttered guest boats, and longer days on the river. It also gives us an advantage of getting the better camping spots. At the end of the day when you arrive in camp, your tent is pitched, and the camp is ready to move into for the evening.

Gratuities

Gratuities for guides are greatly appreciated and at your discretion, as a gesture for their professionalism and service. Usually the gratuity is given to the trip leader and later divided equally amongst the crew.

Waiver Required:

Before going on any river trip, each guest must read, understand, and sign our Liability Waiver. Parents or legal guardians must sign for any children.

River Rapid Class Rating System:

Class I -- Easy - Water with riffles and small waves and few obstructions that are easily missed.

Class II -- Novice - Straightforward rapids with wide, clear channels. Some maneuvering required. Rocks and medium waves are easily missed.

Class III -- Intermediate - Rapids with moderate, irregular waves that are difficult to avoid with tight passages, strong eddies and currents.

Class IV -- Advanced - Intense, predictable rapids requiring precise boat handling, with some unavoidable waves and tight passages.

Class V -- Expert - Extremely long or very violent rapids. Drops may contain large, unavoidable waves and tight chutes with complex routes.

Important Information

Child ages applies to children ages 17 and under. After your reservation is made, you will receive a confirmation package including a packing list and release forms. Please reserve online, or call us toll-free at 800-208-4421.