Lower Owyhee DeRiemer Kayaking Trip

Expert down river kayaking guiding & instruction on the Grand Canyon Of Oregon

Join the nationally recognized kayaking instructors at DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking and Momentum River Expeditions for guided hard shell kayaking and instruction on the Lower Owyhee. The river has been compared to Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyon National Parks but in the end it probably defies direct comparisons. It is is a land of hot springs and hoodoos, of towering bluffs and windswept plateaus, of jaw dropping beauty and awe inspiring loneliness. The Owyhee is extremely remote, bizarrely beautiful, unpredictable, sometimes haunting, very wild, and rarely seen.

BEFORE MAKING YOUR RESERVATION:

Prior whitewater kayaking experience is needed for these trips. Guests paddling a hardshell kayak must have a reliable river roll and be competent paddlers at the Class 3 level. As with all our trips, we have raft support available for non-kayakers and welcome non-kayaking friends and family.

Before booking please contact Deriemer Kayaking to confirm that a trip is appropriate for your skill level  (info@adventurekayaking.com).

If this trip isn’t a good fit for you, they will be able to point you in the right direction so you can continue your kayaking instruction and join us in the future.

The trip features stunning scenery, abundant wildlife, hot springs, and class III+ whitewater. On our kayaking trips the itinerary is a relaxed 6-day pace allows us to fully immerse ourselves in the experience. The side hikes are world-class and for many provide some of the highlights of the trip. We visit places like Pruitt’s Castle, Chalk Basin, Jackson Creek, and Devils Tower. They provide panoramic views of this unique landscape and windows into the ancient history of the river canyon.

The Owyhee is a natural flowing river. The volume depends on the interplay between the spring rains and the higher elevation snowpack and how it melts off. Flows can be anywhere between 20,000 and 300 cfs! There are numerous pool-drop Class II and III rapids. At flows around 2000 cfs they tend to be bouncy wave trains. As flows drop below 1000 cfs, lines become more technical as rocks become exposed.

While kayakers are working on their skills and enjoying the river Momentum will provide raft support (including raft support for non-kayaker friends), camp support, meals, etc. Like all our trips, our guided DeReimer kayaking trips will feature unparalleled personal service and a handcrafted quality and attention to detail and will be led by some of the finest guides anywhere.

For more than 50 spectacular miles, the upper Salt river canyon offers the rare combination of deep solitude, thrilling whitewater, and Sonoran Desert beauty. Join us in a journey through a land of Gila monsters, Javelina, and bighorn sheep; granite inner gorges flanked by crumbling sedimentary mountains; blooming ocotillo, palo verde, and desert flowers; classic whitewater; cool quiet pools and tumbling waterfalls; all watched over by the warm desert sun and the mystical and stately giant saguaros  – the benevolent sentinels of the Sonoran Desert.