There is a reason Momentum is based in Ashland – right on the Oregon/California border. The area is a playground of natural wonders and rich with cultural events (the food and wine!).
And, in the spring…
There are few places like it on earth when it comes to whitewater and beautiful rivers.
It is a big reason some of the best guides in the world make their way here every April. It is truly a playground of wild rivers.
Whether it is a 3-day weekend of very comfortable camping (yes, glamping) and the big whitewater of the Cal Salmon or other world beauty of Clear Creek. Or a 4-day trip down the Illinois – what some consider to be the beat wilderness river trip in the country.
This is a good spring to check one out…
Southern Oregon & Northern California Spring River Trips:
The California Salmon
3 days/3 nights | April – June | Class IV+/ V | Gateway: Ashland/Medford, OR (MFR) / Redding, CA (RDD)
California’s premier spring run, this is one of the most spectacular class V adventures in the country!. This is a signature spring trip and, for many of us, the “Cal Salmon” is our favorite class V river in the U.S. It combines beautiful, lush coastal scenery, an intimate, marble-smooth, granite inner gorge, a seemingly endless number of waterfalls cascading in from above, emerald-green waters, tons of wildlife, a comfortable pop-up base camp, and unequaled class IV-V pool-drop whitewater. This is truly a world-class, high-adventure run. The late May dates are getting full.
Clear Creek Kayaking Trip
3 days | Mid May – Mid June | Class IV | Gateway: Northern CA / Ashland, Or
Clear Creek is like no other stretch of river in the country and one of the most unique trips we offer. Tumbling out of the Red Buttes Wilderness Clear Creek carves an extremely narrow and rocky gorge with a rainforest feel and crystal clear water – there are places where the canyon is not much wider than our kayaks. The trip combines high adventure, spectacular beauty, pop-up riverside glamping, and a chance to run a stretch of river that is rarely seen (or even heard of). The highlight of the trip is ‘Clear Creek’ – a spectacularly beautiful, remote, and extremely rarely run tributary of the Klamath. It is truly a magical place.
The Illinois River
4 days | April – early May | Class IV+ (V) | Gateway: Medford OR (MFR)
Southern Oregon’s Wild and Scenic Illinois River is considered by some to be the best wilderness rafting trip in the country. Few rivers can match its combination of extreme isolation, solitude (we can only take 24 people a year down this river!), beauty, and whitewater. The Illinois features crystal clear water, countless waterfalls tumbling into the river, a spectacular canyon with steep walls draped in moss and ferns, and world-class pool drop whitewater. This rafting trip is what wilderness river running is all about.
