high desert river outfitters - day trips

I took my husband for a white water rafting adventure since we (I) was on a 'let's have fun and do new things" kick. We had no idea of how lively the ride would be, but OMG, it was SO fun. The guides concentrate on safety first, which is a good thing, because the Deschutes River is wide, fast and varies in depth. We felt very safe with our guide, Marcus, and the equipment. We are baby boomers and were not the oldest ones there. I recommend this company and experience highly. Marcus was our guide and the company knows what they are doing. It's great to know that we can do more than we think we can. Can hardly wait to go again!BTW, once you're in the boat, there is no restroom. There is a section where you can swim for a bit so can pee in the river... There are restrooms back at the company headquarters.. Just sayin'

I was planning a trip intended to do something adventurous and have fun with my grandsons. I had always wanted to try rafting the Dechutes at Maupin Oregon. I was so glad I picked High Desert River Outfitters to be our guildes. From the moment I got there I could see we were in good hands. We were entirely safe and well coached by our guide Marcus. Each step of the river Marcus told us how to row through. As a teacher I noted his care in using humor to teach us with an emphasis on safety. Laughter was bouncing off of the canyon walls as we shot through each set of rapids and holes. My grandson announced on the trip home, that he had the best day of his life. That is nice to hear. Thank you HDRO

Our guide, John, was awesome and we had a great time. Wonderful trip for the whole family - we had a 7 year old with us and he loved it! Just the right amount of rapids and calm water.

Took a half-day trip down the Deschutes with HDRO. Our guide was JD - he was knowledgable and kept us all safe while still making sure we had a great time. The river was cold but we still enjoyed hitting every rapid with gusto! Planning my next trip already - but for July or August this time. Highly recommended for any one that likes adventure and water.

Julie was our guide, super knowledgeable and fun! We had a great time. Walked up the White River a ways for a little swimming and fun floating down a chute. All the guides pitched in helping everyone, including kids down. Super fun, we are planning a overnight trip and will defiantly use High Desert River Outfitters!

They seem to have a pretty organized set up to get people's paperwork filled out and on the bus to the drop off point as well as getting you back. Our guide Blake was pretty great, very knowledgeable about the area and history as well as his rafting skills and humor. We had lots of laughs and an overall great time. Not to forget about the rafting itself which was pretty fun, a nice mix of class 2 rapids to go with a few class 3 and one class 4 section. We made the best out of an already great time

We really enjoyed our ultimate day adventure. Our guide Justin was very experienced and was a joy to spend the day with. He was very knowledgeable of the region and you know that he has spent a long time on this river. He took us on a few runs that none of the other guys could handle, which made for a real unique experience for us. Would definitely go with HDRO again!

I was really anticipating a great time given all the positive reviews on Tripadvisor 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!

I took my ten yr old son rafting and we had amazing time! Our guide Joe made the day! Making us feel safe and have so much fun! He always kept a close eye on my little one while letting him be adventurous! Great company to raft with, guides, drivers and a shout out to the super busy photo gal! They are all amazing!!!

We had a great morning rafting on the Deschutes River. There were certainly a lot of others doing the same, but our guide, Matt, was interesting, full of facts (or fiction!) And made us feel like we had the best raft and were doing unique things, whether we were or weren't! A really fun day. Highly recommended.

No doubt there are a lot of companies that do the same rafting trip out of Maupin. The Deschutes River is well travelled here. Don't think you will be alone in the wilderness -as a matter of fact when we stopped for lunch at the Maupin City Park there were several rafting companies doing the same thing each with their lunch set out (ours was grilled chicken or hot dogs, while others had cold cuts - plus fresh fruit, potato salad, chips and cookies - nothing extraordinary but it was fine.) HDRO had a schedule that worked well for us with the "Classic" trip that was 5 hours long. Perfect for an adventure for our two young teenagers and then still have time to drive back into Portland. (Accommodations and restaurants in Maupin are lacking and pretty ragged looking - camping sites were shoe horned together and maxed out so that option was not appealing or available.) Our guide Mick definitely knew how to handle the raft. He was willing to give you whatever amount of adventure you were up for without being pushy or judgmental. He had a good sense of humor and filled in slower parts of the river with local info. By the end our shy 13 year old felt comfortable enough to "ride the bull" (sitting on the front of the raft holding onto the rope) through one of the bigger rapids. The real clincher for us was that they had a covered kennel at their shop where we could leave our dog while we rafted. The staff was friendly and efficient. It was a good value for $75 per person (plus a tip for the guide who definitely deserved it.)

Was one of the best rafting trip Ive been on. I grew up on the east coast and spent every summer during my childhood visiting the Appalachian mountains and of course going white water rafting. Have always done trips with just friends and family, but this time was the first with a guide. I have to say the guide experience just enhances the excitement on the river. Our guide Carlos did a great job bringing out the fun and thrill seeking side of our group. River games, riding the bull, and rapid surfing were just some of the great elements that built up a great trip. My wife and I definitely plan on making this an annual experience. Thanks! FYI this is one of the few companies that take the right ride route down the falls.

Everything about the experience was easy. HDRO was a great help in choosing our trip and made sure we were well informed about what was needed for the day. Our family took the full day ultimate trip and I would highly recommend it! The lunch was good and having the extra stretch of the river gave us a bit of time on a less traveled stretch. Frankly, we want to plan an overnight now...it was so fun!Torrin was our guide and he is great on many levels. He told jokes, pushed the kids in the water, kept us safe and provided us with a great experience. When we go again we will definitely ask for him!

Did this last weekend and it was the best trip I've have had! I have rafted the Grand Canyon and found this just as awesome, if not more! Our guide, Seo, was Brilliant. He help guide us to some exciting rapids and had some great history facts on the area. The company is ran well and is very organized. They really care about our safety, and our being happy with our ride. We took the 1/2 day ride which took us over 15 miles of the Deschutes River. Had all the classes of rapids and other cool features, such as eddies, and back flows. We even had the opportunity to float a portion of the river in just our PFD's! That was a RUSH!! Thank you HDRO for such a grand day!

Last year was my first experience with this company. I went with two friends. This year we returned with 6 of us. HYDRO fitted us with jackets, drove us to our put in point, went over safety and had a lesson in the boat. Our guide this year, Marcus was very fun, informative, nice and safe. He talked about the history, flora and fauna. We were able to ride some exciting rapids and get out to swim when the waters were calm. This was the first rafting trip for some of our group. Well organized and fun. We are going again next summer!