Lewis & Clark Whitewater

Time on the river varies from 1 ½ hrs to 2 hours. Round-trip from our office is 3 ½ to 4 hours.

We must have a minimum number of paddlers in each raft, but there is always space for people who prefer not to paddle.

On occasion, yes people do fall out when whitewater rafting. Fortunately, the Snake River is primarily a clear channel, relatively free of mid-channel rocks to bump into. Our guides are all trained in swiftwater rescue techniques. They are experts at taking care of people in any river situation, in or out of the raft and are trained and experienced in a number of methods to retrieve people from the river. If you fall out, self-rescue is always the first option. Swim towards the raft unless instructed otherwise.

Our safety record is excellent.

Yes! We set minimum ages for kids based on long experience. We take kids rafting EVERY DAY. During normal river flows, our minimum age for kids on Classic Whitewater is 6, for Small boats is 8, and for Scenic Float Trips is 3. During high water these minimum ages can rise, depending on conditions. Owners James and Karen have two children and understand the challenges and joys of taking kids rafting. When adults express trepidation about rafting themselves, we often reply, "we takes kids as young as six." Kids can be placed in the middle of the raft if they like, and the layout of the raft is perfect for putting kids in places near their parents. But we know that not all kids are alike. Indeed you may have a 7-year-old who is gung-ho, but an 11-year-old who is extremely cautious. We get that, and we are happy to have conversations with any parents who have questions or concerns. It's what we do.

Whitewater trips are rarely canceled due to weather, and never due to rain alone. Only in instances of severe weather would a trip be canceled. It is also important to remember that your trip launches nearly 30 miles from town, so weather here is likely different that it is at the river. Always check in for your trip at the appointed time because conditions at the river are often completely different from those at our office in town. We have high-speed internet access at our office that allows us to watch real-time doppler radar and make informed decisions at the time of the trips departure.

We provide a splash jacket to every customer free upon arrival at the launch site on our whitewater trips. The best clothes are ones that dry quickly. A bathing suit is usually the best way to start. Synthetic shorts or trunks and a light polyesteror other synthetic shirt are fine for warm days. Cool days require a bit more preparation. Always avoid heavy cotton clothing like jeans or sweat pants and sweatshirts. Cotton is extremely absorbent and will soak up all that river water, making you wet and cold. Synthetic clothing such as polar fleece, rash guards, exercise wear, thermal underwear, nylon jog pants, tights and polypro are your best choices when the weather is cooler and are all better choices than cotton. For maximum comfort on cooler days, a wetsuit may be the best choice. They’re available for rent at our office. Secure shoes are required for all trips. Wear shoes you don’t mind getting wet. Sneakers are fine and sandals are good on warmer days, but they must have a heel strap and stay on if you had to go for a swim. (no flip-flops or Crocs!) Neoprene booties are available for rent as well. We also recommend that you bring along some dry clothes to leave on the bus. They’ll be waiting for you there when you get off the river.

On a scale from I-VI, the rapids on the Snake River are class II-III during normal water flows. During the springtime run-off (typically the first couple weeks in June), we do have waves that can get up to a class IV. When the river gets up to these levels, our minimum age limit may change. We do suggest that if you are planning a trip for the first couple weeks of June and you are traveling with kids, to give us a call to make sure that our age limit has not been raised.