North Santiam River: Itinerary and Trip Highlights Western Oregon   Half & 1 Day April 3 - October 10 Class II+ to III       Book a North Santiam River Rafting Trip North Santiam River Trip Schedule & Prices

Itinerary

Half Day trips: Morning half day trips meet at 9:30 AM* and afternoon half day trips meet at 1:00 PM*. In either case we meet at North Santiam State Park, near Mehama, Oregon.

One and Two Day trips: We meet at 10:00 AM* at North Santiam State Park

Look for a vehicle sporting the O.R.E. logo. Our lead guide will answer questions and help you prepare for your trip.

Your car will remain here if you are taking a full day trip. In the case of a half day trip you will return to your car and follow our van to the boat ramp at Mill City (or half day trip take-out point - a 10 minute drive). In either case our van will then transport you to the trip's launch point.

Once we arrive at our launch site our lead guide will conduct a safety orientation. We'll then all board rafts and be on our way downstream.

Day trips include a stop for a riverside lunch between noon and 1 PM.

We typically arrive at our take-out point around 12:30 PM (1/2 day morning trips) and around 4 PM in the case of 1/2 day afternoon trips and full day trips.**  Once we arrive you'll be free to be on your way at your leisure.

* Please plan your drive carefully so as to arrive at our meeting place on time. Our guides will attempt to wait for you if you are running late, but circumstances typically do not allow them to wait more than 20 minutes. If you miss your intended trip we will most likely not be able to provide a transfer to an alternate trip, and we are unable to provide a refund for missed trips.

 ** Many factors influence our timetable, including water levels, winds, and the needs and preferences of our guests. Please consider these times approximate.

Trip Highlights

The excitement on the Santiam begins almost immediately, as we encounter a number of small but lively rapids as soon as we push away from our put-in at Packsaddle Park. We'll encounter numerous rapids before we stop for a picnic lunch (on full day trips), but the day's biggest rapids await us after lunch. Spencer's Hole and  Carnivore, two of the day's highlights, lie in wait for us a short distance below our lunch stop. And another mile or so downstream we'll run the day's biggest drop: Mill City Falls. (Our 1/2 day trips take out just below the falls, while on our full day trips we continue on  downstream.) Below Mill City the river's pace eases, but a number of enjoyable rapids remain to challenge us in the last few miles before our take-out. (We will take out at either North Santiam State Park or at the Mehama-Lyons bridge, depending on water levels.)  

Weather and Climate