High Desert River Outfitters Reviews

Shout out to Justin for a fun 1/2 day trip. Highly recommend rafting with these guys!

I've never been whitewater rafting before, but this trip will definitely make me a regular! I plan to go back every summer now! Our guides were amazing and the Groupon price was a steal.

Having done several rafting trips, this one was a pretty run of the mill trip. Any day on the river is a great day. We had people ranging from 8 years old to their 60s, so if you're curious about rafting, hit these guys up!

I went with a group of 8 and it was a blast! I will definitely be back with the family. Our guide was Zach and he has to be the best guide in the world. Most memberable joke... "Don't drink the water, it'll give you Deschutes." Ha! Thanks again and good job to you guys. 5 stars.

We all had a blast! Our guide, Luke, was amazing!

I was really anticipating a great time given all the positive reviews for this company. Even upon arriving, the first person I met, "Dano" was genuinely friendly, and even learned my name. (He reminded me of the Dano on Hawaii Five-O.) We were early so I asked about local eateries, and he was very helpful in recommending a nearby restaurant. We filled out the release forms, got our life jackets fitted, then all 40 of us rafters got on a bus to be transported to the rafting launch point. At the river bank, we were divided into (six?) groups. This was where things turned sour all of a sudden. I had my iphone in a waterproof pouch and took pictures of my family while we waited. Our "guide" came over and the very first thing he did was BERATE me for having my iphone. In front of the group he announced sarcastically, "did you not understand what is meant by NO ELECTRONICS, or anything of value?" Then he literally yelled "FAIL!" Then we got in the raft where I couldn't believe it got even worse. He accused me of not paddling in unison, accused me of not listening, accused me of not paying attention. He had the nerve of actually saying "I'm not picking on you!" which was exactly what he was doing! I had to finally tell him I was doing the best I could. If I wanted to be yelled at by a drill sergeant, I would have joined the army! In all fairness to HDRO, the people in the other rafts appeared to have a great time. If you sign up with HDRO, however, it's like playing Russian Roulette. You may have a great time (5 out of 6 times?) but if you get this guide, it will be miserable. Before I left, I told many friends, family, and coworkers that I was looking forward to the trip, but it was very disappointing, once I returned, to have to tell them of what actually happened. If we ever go back to Maupin for rafting, it will certainly be with another company!

We had a blast with HDRO yesterday! I highly recommend this company and their tour! Very friendly, very safe and VERY FUN!!!

Friendly people. Our guide was knowledgeable, entertaining and made our trip memorable. Oaks Spring got the best of us so next time we shall conquer! We will definitely use this company again!

Our river guide was Jordan. We booked a half day trip, 1:30 to 6:00, lower Deschutes. Our group was four women who were waaaaay out of their comfort zone. One passenger was quite frail, had physical challenges and the others had anxiety about rafting. Jordan was an excellent guide. He instilled confidence, was kind, never put anyone down for not being a thrill seeker. He told us he had guided for five years, had nothing to prove and it was our trip. He had us paddle which was fun and we made several stops along the way. He was friendly, knowledgeable and competent. We all said we would go again because he did such a great job. Ask for Jordan!

Had the time of my life,good friends,family and a great guide who did it up right for us. Thanks RJ, u gave us all memories that'll last a life time!

Super great customer service and very experienced guides! We will definitely be back!

We went on a full day trip with RJ and had a blast! We didn t flip the raft and RJ was very knowledgeable and super funny! HDRO was very ready and prepared and we felt like they knew what they were doing! Definitely going again next year!

This was my second time with HDRO, and they were awesome. DJ The Deeej was a great guide. He gave great advice and input and it made the trip so much better. I never would have guessed that ridding on the black side of a river raft would be so much fun? We will come back, and will bring my group back to DJ s boat!

Love, Love, LOVE HYDRO! I've been rafting with them sice I was 5 years old and I'm 19 now! I've never had a bad experience. They are awesome! :)

NIC! We had such a great time yesterday! I appreciate you being knowledgeable about the water and wildlife. You made our trip not only fun, but informative. His well behaved, beautiful Siberian Husky greeted us upon our return checking to see if we had a good time...which we did!!! Thanks again!!! Can't wait to book another trip with HDRO and NIC!!!

Nic was such an awesome guide! We cannot wait to do it again next year!

Had a blast there will be going back if you can get Daniel he was a blast

So fun! I felt safe even though I fell out on the biggest rapid, the guides pulled me out.

My family & I went white water rafting for the 1st time!!! It was SO MUCH FUN!! I am so ready to go again!! DJ was our guide! He made the trip fun, enjoyable & exciting! He was very friendly & knowledgeable! He made my family & I feel safe & relaxed! All the staff was friendly & helpful! We will use HDRO again!!! Thank you for a great trip!!

R.J. was our guide, and if,you,guys are Looking for a good time, in a chill environment, with some choice rapids, hes your guy. This place was beyond a good time. Definitley recommend

Our guide Alex made this trip exciting and memorable!

My family where with the Garner group today , our guide was Derek he was wonderful great stories to tell. And he got us through everything didn't flip or lose anybody it was awesome. Now we're looking to do an overnight trip on the river through the same people

Great day on the river with my Husband, next time we will bring the kiddos back.

We had a great time on the river. Want to thank HDRO and especially our guide Hugh. Not only is he a great guide but also knowledgeable of the area and made the rafting trip truly a fun experience.

Highly reccomend rachel. She was amazing for our crazy group. She made the whole trip amazing. Most of us, it was our first time and we had a absolute blast. We had many laughs and tons of getting soaked and we would all happily do it again.

Guides were super chill and funny, they kept everyone safe and having a fun time on the rapids

Participated in group event as corporate team building activity. Our guide Riley was awesome and he made sure that the group had a fun time.

First Rafting Trip with a guide we have ever done. It was a great experience. Our guide Torrin really made us feel safe yet keep the trip exciting. He made it a fun interaction for the whole group! We will definitely be going back soon! Great experience, great guide, great price! Very satisfied!

Incredible experience, totally safe. Great and friendly professionals here

Our guide was awesome. It was an all around fun time! I suggest going around august.

Our raft guide Michael was great. He made sure the entire boat had a good time and tailored the experience to the activity level of those on the boat. He kept us laughing and having a blast. ** If you are purchasing photos, be sure to purchase them the same day in store, they are more expensive online later and the staff will not tell you this, nor is it posted anywhere in the office, the office doesn't seem to care about sharing this information nor that it creates a negative experience for their guests. ** Additionally, there is a class 4 rapid at the end of the trip that you will see in most of the instagram photos, many people get sucked out or fall out of the boat and get banged up. I am not sure why they don't require or advise on helmets for this ride knowing that so many people will be injured on this rapid, so be prepared for that experience. Wear protective clothing for rock scratches, consider a helmet, and hold on for dear life.

While i am not certain that lack of experience caused our being flipped in the last major rapid, the emergency reaction was seriously inadequate. I severly hit my head on a rock, and immediately went into shock. I and my family members nearly drowned. They did not put ashore and call EMS, but instead finished the trip. There was no urgency to return to their office, and when we got back we had to insist that EMS be called. Several hours later, I received a CAT scan and was treated for concusion. My wife received serious contusions and lacerations (none treated at the scene). I believe the training of their operators is inadequate, so I don't hold the 19 yr. old who ran our boat responsible. However the company's emergency reaction processes need to be reviewed and their permit to operate should be suspended until such a review is completed. You do have to sign hold harmless agreements before being allowed to go on one of their rafting trips, but negligence should not free them of some responsiblity for serious injury. The least they should do is cover medical costs, and refund the trip fees. They should be suspended and reviewed before somebody dies.

Awesome guides! Very gorgeous and its a fun way to step out of your comfort zone! Highly recommend for a fanily thing or friends!

My wife and I took the afternoon half-day trip because of the great deal on Groupon. It would have been worth the full price. Our guide, Marcus, was great. He kept the both laughing with his jokes and funny stories. The whole team seemed to get along well and put the interests of the rafters first the whole afternoon. We went through some fun and challenging class 3 and 4 rapids. A few nice touches not experienced on other rafting trips included going over a rapid while standing up, the ability to "ride the bull," and letting us swim through one of the rapids. We had a great day.

Been doing this trip for years and have always had a blast. Huge shout out to our guide RJ!!! Could not have asked for a better guide. Best line into Oaks Springs in 5 years!

Took a raft trip about a week ago and it was amazing. These guys are really impressive, really knowledgeable and lots of fun. Their photographer took tons of incredible pictures.

I can't wait to go back to them, but I will wait until it's a little warmer.

Boats oars lifejackets all your whitewater adventure needs.

Great guides for a day on the river. I've been a repeat customer for several years now.

Great trip ! Amazing views. Super fun guide ! Ask for Uncle Larry...

High Desert River Outfitters (HDRO) has rafting adventures in the Deschutes. They have lots of different options from a half day to a full day to multiple days. We chose a half day and had a blast. Our guide was good and told funny stories and played games. #GoogleCityExpert #PDXCityExperts

Extremely experienced guides and a great river to start your rafting experience. Fun and exhilarating drops and rapids.

Had a great ride with guide RJ! Warm sun, cool water and a lot of fun people/new friends. Each raft has a tailored level of excitement. Our load was teens on up, and we hit the rapids full on. Awesome! But other rafts had kids as young as eight years old, and they had fun too. Note: don't be fooled by the convenience of "Bend" operations. They'll still have to bus you out a ways. So push your search radius to include Maupin, cuz HRDO is a great bunch!

Awesome time! First time whitewater rafting and had a ball! Our guide, Blake, took great care of us!

Had an excellent time on the Deschutes during the Classic trip! Our tour guide Luke really made our experience one of a kind. My nerves were put at ease when I realized how experienced and competent Luke was. We had a blast going down the river and learned a bit of terminology as well as safety tips for rafting. The women in the office at HYDRO were also extremely helpful with helping to plan out trip and even helped us arrange for assistance when we locked our keys in our car. I definitely recommend taking a trip with High Desert River Outfitters! Remember to bring cash to tip your guides!

HDRO is by far the best company to raft with on the Deschutes, our guide Little Justin made our guys trip one for the books! He was so knowledgeable and entertaining, he also made sure our trip down the Rapids was eventful and memorable. Thank you Little Justin & the whole team at HDRO!

Justin was awesome. Great trip. Great office staff. Trustworthy company. Family owned. The best people.

My review is not necessarily about HRDO as a company, but the second time I rafted with them the guide almost killed us.
He thought it would be funny to spike Oak Springs without warning us or getting proper safety equipment. Myself and 3 others hit our heads on the Rocky bottom. Everyone but the guide and one other person was thrown from the raft. I seriously almost drowned and unfortunately it has given me PTSD about water. I am a certified scuba diver and last time I dove I had a panic attack. Really bad decision to have him work there.

Since posting this review I was contacted by a representative from HDRO. The guide I mentioned has not worked there since the incident and the company is under new management. I have amended my review to 3 stars in light of their response. I really enjoyed rafting with them until we were tossed into the river.

It was our first rafting experience and we had a blast!!!! We went during our Spring Break on a Thursday morning and we had the river just for us. Our guide Joey made the experience super fun and he gave us a lot of details about the history of the place and other facts about the river and the rapids. We are definitely going back in the summer. PS the pictures they took were AWESOME!!!!

Great Adventure and highly recommended! Our river guide was RJ. He was excellent, technically extremely competent and made the trip safe and fun. He also truly seemed to enjoy the trip. What's there to not like about floating down the Deschutes while listening to a little Jimmy Hendrix and Led Zeppelin! This is the real deal. Plan on getting wet!

"Best day ever," I told my mom as we were driving home. I would do anything to go back. Ill never forget the butterflies I got going down the rapids and the hilarious jokes my tour guide, Carlos kept telling us. I loved how when we arrived back at the office, we got to see all the photos that were takin of us which was a sweet surprise. Overall, Im definitely going back and to anyone who wants to know, it was worth every penny.

The guide was awesome! Our family does this trip every year. We have kids that do 1/2 day and the rest of us the whole day. We always start out at the same time with two boats because there are a lot of us. This year we did the same thing. The email we received said to check in at 10 am. When we got there they said they had wanted the kids to go at 9:30 separate from us because they are half day. They are all under 10 years old. We were chastised for being late even though the email said 10 am. The woman at the front counter was rude hostile and completely unprofessional. She told us we were lying that we have started at the same time in the past and forced us to pay for full day passes for everyone if we wanted to go together. We won t be using them again

We participated in the 3 day 2 night rafting/camping trip on the Lower Deschutes River. It was an amazing experience. Truly, the memories will last a lifetime!

Al was a amazing guide and made it a great experience 5 stars for sure

Fun guides, great Deschutes trip! Fun adventures for the whole family.

D.J was our guide and he was fabulous! We had such an amazing time and would highly reccomend HDRO and DJ! Thank you to everyone!

RJ is a great guide. Very informative. Lots of opportunities to swim outside the boat. Make sure to ask him about the squirrel bridge. Very heart warming.

This is a company that has been in the business a long time and definitely knows what they are doing. Outstanding customer service, COVID compliant and some of the best guides available. The guide for our day trip was Zach Williams and not once did I question the safety of the hands we were in. Several other guides and rafters we encountered along the trip confirmed it by telling us "He's the best guide out here". Multiple trip options to choose from and the experience will be as tame or daring as you and your group chooses. It was so much fun and the pictures the company photographer took really captured it. My group and I are looking forward to the next one. I could not recommend this business more!

Zach Henry and Paris were awesome guides! We had so much fun rafting with them.

The food they served for lunch made me and my friends sick we was sick and throwing up for two days and had to go to the hospital for botulism! If you go rafting here DON'T EAT THE LUNCH THEY SERVE!!!!

The experienced guide Marcus and Doug are awesome! We learned about the history of the river and its surroundings. We had fun on the boat and off the boat. We went hiking and swimming in the river. These guides were relaxed and the trip was zen like and full of giggles too! We had a lunch of delicious burgers, hotdogs, fresh fruit, potatoe salad and other goodies. I have been rafting before and this is the best company. They took genuine care of us.

Talk about a great day! This group worked like a strategic team and made our adventure wonderful. Although we rafted some class 3 and 4 rapids the entire time all of us felt safe and that we were in the hands of professionals. The guides were well trained in the local color, had some great jokes and best of all took care for the safety of us. There were several huge rafts and although we kinda traveled in a group each was far enough away so as to feel like we were on our own. When one raft behind us had a bit of trouble the other guides worked together and included us in the recovery part. We could jump out of the raft and float near by or just chill. The highlight for me was when we made a scheduled pit stop and had the opportunity to just jump in and ride the rapids ala bareback. Scio was our guide and he instructed us clearly before we did anything.... I would so do this again.

"Deb made our rafting experience amazing! She was super informative and just all round on top of things and made everyone feel safe at all times. Would definitely recommend !

Four friends drove over from the coast for a girl's day on Saturday. We were created by friendly staff and were given Miles as our tour guide. Our equipment was safety checked and ready. We enjoyed the drive to the launch spot, and quickly got on the river at 9:30. Miles was knowledgeable and fun. His world travels gave him clever stories to join our discussions. He was skilled and verbalizing our instructions and have us time to practice each section before we floated through new challenges. We were able to take some difficult sections and enjoyed the thrills. We hassled him about as much as four women could and he joined in our verbal banter. I recommend Miles as a guide for training, safety, and fun. I recommend HDRO for their equipment and property set up!

Justin was a great guide, was very knowledgeable and we had a great time! Thanks!

Such an awesome time! Our guide was incredible, had a blast and was a great way to be the summer heat. Definitely worth the drive out to the river, I would recommend it highly for anyone looking for a good adrenaline rush!

Our white water rafting trip was amazing. Super fun and exciting. We will for sure be back. Matt was so funny and a great guide, he knew what he was doing.

4 friends and my self went on the morning half day rafting trip and had an amazing time! Our guide was Justin and he was a wonderful guide and was very personable, we had a great time joking around and rafting on the river. We felt very safe and would recommend for all ages over 8, cant wait to go again!

We had a great time rafting with this company. Highly recommended.

**FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN PLEASE READ**
We had a fun time but were very disappointed by an apparently new rule that was instituted. My daughter, who is now almost 12, took this same trip when she was 9 and we had an amazing time. Problem this time came up because we were not allowed to go down the class 4 rapid at Oaks Spring because allegedly a family last year had a child that didnt enjoy it and the family demanded a refund. Everyone in my party signed waivers and was ready for an exciting trip no matter what happened on the river. Not sure why this other family didnt come in with the same mentality but it's pretty lame that they ruined that pivotal part of the journey for every other family since. It's pretty simple to ask each raft which route they would rather take. Also poor practice to not disclose that aspect until we've already committed to the 6 hour drive journey from Beaverton and back. Definitely was disappointing to me and the kiddo.

We loved our experience out with HDRO! Our guide was Zach Henry and he was awesome. We had some fun conversations and felt comfortable out on the water. I would definitely recommend him. If you want a great time, get the Groupon and go with these guys. We want to come back next year. We did the half-day option in the afternoon. Do that one because it will be nice and hot for you. I would recommend going toward the latter part of summer, August or early September.

We had a great day! It wasn t a typical day in July, it was raining. But they set us up with splash gear fed us a great barbecued burger with sides and eventually the sun came out to warm us up. We were lucky enough to have Augi as our guide. He was great and knew so much. Betty the driver was awesome too. She gave us a real history of the area and we loved it. Our first time to Oregon. A great start to our stay here.

Had a great river trip with Torin! Would totally do that again!!

What a perfect day. Our guide Alex was very professional and extremely knowledgeable. Gave us clear instructions and we made it through without incident. Can't wait to go back and request Alex as our guide. Thanks buddy for contributing to a great day.

A definite Yes! Want a good time? Pick here! Carlos was our guide and he was great! Lots of humor, a most excellent float and just a great time overall!

We had the best time ever!!!!! This was our first rafting trip so of course we were a little nervous. We brought our two boys, 6 & 9, with us and they had a blast. Never once did we worry because our guide Marcus made us all feel safe and told us what to do and when to do it. Our oldest even got to ride the bull. It was amazing and the views were gorgeous. Our guide was very professional and very funny. He had us all laughing. Everyone in our raft worked together and had a blast. We are going to do it again in a month for my six year olds birthday per his request. I would recommend this trip to families no doubt. It was a great family experience and the pictures were awesome. Thank you all of you for a wonderful time.

I have worked for this company for years and am a little partial, but for a day's adventure with some whitewater you can't get better. They have worked hard to make sure their trips are safe, especially with Covid-19 and CDC guidelines. If you're looking for a fun day outside, give then a call.

One of the funnest river rafting experiences we've had. The Rapids are level 3- 4 and rather smooth afterward. The scenery is quite beautiful and we had what we think to be the best and funnest guide *Torrin

Great experience. Loved our guider deb. She was very informative and fun. We will def be coming back sometime. All the way from cali.

We just had a work team building trip. Our guides were Justin, Marcus and Lil John for the ultimate day trip. All three guides were awesome and able to provide the best experience per raft request. I would highly recommend these guys. Thanks for a great experience.

Just a good time. Guide was great and friendly staff.

Great tour, i will definitely be back. Jim was a very knowledgeable guide with good humor.

Awesome trip, awesome guide! Pictures at the end were a little pricey. 1/2 day trip is great for beginners.

My husband, 2 boys and I booked the overnight camping/rafting weekend. From start to finish this company had our best interest in mind. We were able to pick menu items that were prepared by our guides. Every piece of this trip was well planned. Not only did we get knowledgeable, expericened, kind, super fun guides but they had awesome cooking skills! I am usually the one who has to worry about all the food, cooking and cleaning up. This trip really gave me the opportunity to enjoy my family and relax. Our guide knew the river like the back of his hand and did everything he could to insure we had so much fun, our kids were so thrilled! We will definitely be back and felt so honored to have our valuable family time spent with this company and its caring staff. You guys Rock!!

I had never been rafting and was nervous. Especially because we were bringing our 7 year old son. Everything was great. Our guide, Paris, was fabulous with us an our son. She listened to our requests to go easy and it was very easy to follow her commands on the raft. We loved it and will be back. There was another boat in our group that flipped, but they went down a level 4 rapids. If you want to take it chill, talk to your guides before getting on the water. It was a day trip we will remember fondly always.

Super fun great experience. I highly recommend rafting with this outfit.