White Salmon River Rafting

Splashes & Smiles

Glacial meltwater flowing through collapsed lava tubes from Mt. Adams volcano, it's stunning! 

Season: May - September
Duration: Half-day / Full day
Length: 8 miles / 15 miles
Price: $90 / $150
Rapids: III-IV (optional Husum falls)
Skill Level: Beginners welcome
Age Minimum: 8-10, depending on water level

Rafts hold up to 7 guests plus one tour guide: 

     *Shared = With others in the raft

     *Private = Only your group in the raft

This river is perfect for first-time rafters and still exciting for the experienced; boatloads of fun for all!

Half Day Trip:

Splashes & Smiles

Full Day Trip:

Splashes & Smiles with Riverside Lunch

Whitewater Rafting in the Pacific Northwest

with the Portland Rafting Company.

The Original

PDX Raft

Are you ready for a rafting adventure? Look no further than Portland Rafting Company! Our experienced guides will take you on a thrilling whitewater rafting trip down the Beautiful White Salmon River!

We provide you with all the gear and knowledge you need to ensure your safety on every step of the trip.

Getting There: 

Google Map Link: 90 minutes from downtown Portland!

From Portland, you'll drive along the jaw-dropping Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area to Hood River. Multnomah Falls, pictured below, is Oregon's tallest waterfall - be sure to check it out on your way.

From Portland: I-84 East. Exit 64 and cross the Hood River Bridge into Washington (Toll Bridge).
Left on WA-14W and go 1.5 miles.
Right on WA-141 Alt/WA-141 Alternate N and go 2.2 miles.
Left/continue on WA-141 N and go 1.9 miles.
Left on Nestor Peak Road/Northwestern Lake Road, 0.4 miles (over a bridge)
Left into Northwestern Park, please park tightly as there are limited spaces.

Google Map Link: 90 minutes from downtown Portland!

Be sure to check out Multnomah falls on the way to go rafting! It can get busy so plan ahead!

Meeting at Northwestern Park

We meet you at Northwestern Park. You'll see the Portland Rafting bus with flags flying in the parking lot (pictured below). Here, you get a chance to get to meet your raft guide and the rest of your group. Group size varies between two and ten rafts! New friends for everybody!

This is also where you check in, sign waivers, and get outfitted with all the gear you need for the trip. We provide life jackets, helmets, wet suits, and neoprene booties, even fleeces and splash jackets on chilly days. You'll feel secure and warm. The clear cold water from the river was part of a glacier less than 24 hours before you arrive, so even on the hottest of summer days, you'll thoroughly cool off. Once everyone is ready, we'll drive you up to the put-in at BZ Corner in one of our vans or buses.

Google Map Link: 90 minutes from downtown Portland!

Gear Check and Safety Talk

Before the trip gets started, we give you a thorough safety briefing. This covers everything from how to properly wear your gear to what to do in case of an emergency. We want to make sure that everyone is on the same page and that you feel comfortable and confident on the water so your trip is an amazing experience.

Before setting off on your adventure, we make sure that everyone is properly geared up and that everything fits correctly. We take your safety very seriously, and we want to make sure that everyone is comfortable and secure during the trip.

The White Salmon River

The White Salmon River is an absolutely stunning location for white water rafting. The headwaters are less than 20 miles upstream of the put-in, coming out of an aquifer emanating from the glacial runoff on the side of Mt. Adams. You'll witness breathtaking views of Mt. Adams on the drive out, but once we get to the river, you'll be surrounded by the basalt walls of an ancient lava tube! The White Salmon River is undammed from its source to the confluence at the Columbia River after the Condit Dam was removed in 2011.

The river flows through beautiful scenery amid the lush Pacific Northwest forest. From moss-covered rocks and massive spruce, fir, and cedar trees to local wildflowers which seem to bloom in every shade of color throughout different parts of the rafting season, the entire trip is a magical experience.

Throughout the season, there are also different bird populations that appear on the river. Seasonal birds include swifts and swallows, and the birds that stay for the entire season include bald eagles, osprey, hatches, and our favorite river bird, the American Dipper (aka Water Ouzel).

The White Salmon River:

Rafting Experience

The White Salmon River is known for its beautiful scenery, unique ecology, and, of course, the thrilling whitewater rafting experience. At the start of the trip we will outfit you in a stylish wet suit and after a short shuttle ride, we put the rafts in the river at the roaring class III Top Drop rapid and continue along a series of thrilling rapids for several miles. You'll definitely get your adrenaline pumping!

Between The Cave, Shark's Tooth, Grasshopper, Water Spout, Corkscrew (aka "the flume"), Orchard Bridge, Staircase, Rattlesnake Rapid, the river wide ledge of Barge Wave, and a bunch more. Your amazing guide will be steering the raft and keeping you safe and the raft where it needs to be the entire time.

The biggest rapid on the river is Husum Falls. It's a 14-foot drop, and water level depending we could run it. In the spring and early summer, it's too formidable, but the rest of the river is fast with hard-hitting waves. Later in the summer, it is an optional rapid - you can portage it, if you choose.

After a good time of river rafting, you'll drive home, probably through the charming town of Hood River. Check out our favorite lunch and things to do after rafting. 

Safety First

Your safety is our top priority. We take every precaution to make sure that you have a great trip while staying safe. Our highly trained and experienced river guides are on the raft with you every step of the way to ensure an awesome and safe rafting experience. Our reviews reflect the amount of effort we put into trip safety.

If your boat decides to run Husum Falls (again, water level depending), and you don't feel like it's a good decision for you, have the option of portaging or walking around it. We strongly recommend viewing the trip as your personal float. If your raft group decides to tackle Husum Falls and for any reason you're uncomfortable with it, you can easily walk around that rapid. It's just one of dozens of rapids you'll experience throughout the day.

Half-Day & Full-Day Rafting

We offer both half-day and full-day guided trips, so you can choose the option that works best for you. No matter which rafting trip you choose, you're going to have a blast on the water.

Take-out at Northwestern Park

At the end of the trip, we take the rafts out of the water at Northwestern Park, where you've parked your car full of fresh, warm clothes. We also have water and a few snacks.

• What class is White Salmon River rafting?
• The White Salmon River is mostly Class III, though some rapids may at times reach class IV, depending on water level. Class III river rafting is an amazing experience for all. It's exciting, yet the consequences are generally mild. 

• The rafting classification system is based on the danger of consequences if you fall out of the boat. At Class IV and Class V; the risk-to-reward may not be worth the consequences to some.

• What should I wear?
• Please don't wear cotton on the river, synthetic fabrics only.
• We will outfit you with a wetsuit, and under the wetsuit, you can wear a bathing suit or wool or synthetic material on colder days.

• What are the biggest rapids on the Salmon River? 
• Rattlesnake is the best rapid on the White Salmon River, included on every PDX Rafting trip.
• Husum Falls is the biggest drop on the river and the largest commercially run rapid in the United States. It is not always an option for everyone and is easily walked around - sometimes it's better to watch the show than to be in the show.

• Where is the White Salmon River in Washington State?
• The White Salmon River ends at the Columbia River Gorge, on the southern border of Washington State.

• Can you kayak the Salmon River?
• The White Salmon River is a difficult river for kayakers of all levels. In order to kayak here you need a high skill level, good equipment, and a trusted friend or group to lead the way.
• Not recommended for beginners.

• Where does the White Salmon River start?
• While the White Salmon River starts at the base of Mt. Adams, in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.  Our White Salmon Rafting trip starts at the BZ Corner boat launch in Washington State, an official U.S. Forest Service facility with flush toilets and a full-time camp host, the best option to launch a raft.
• The White Salmon River ends its journey at the confluence with the Columbia River in the Columbia River Gorge on its way to the Pacific Ocean.
• Both our half-day and full-day Splashes & Smiles start at the BZ Corner boat launch and stop at Northwestern Park takeout. After saying goodbye to the half-day guests the full-day trip continues down the lower narrows to see the mighty Columbia River.
• Whichever trip you choose is sure to be a great trip with an amazing guide.

What are the sections of the White Salmon River?

The White Salmon has many sections for all levels ranging from beginner to expert only.

Extreme kayakers and rafters may test their skills on sections named:

• The Orletta
• Green Truss
• The Farmlands
• Upper Middle
• Middle Middle
• Lower Middle
• Lower Lower or The Bottom

Portland Rafting Company will keep your ride on much more friendly rafting sections named the middle and lower gorge of the White Salmon River.  The middle gorge section of the White Salmon River is sometimes lovingly referred to as The Middle.

The Middle is the most popular stretch and what Splashes & Smiles is all about.  If you are wondering what trip to go on this is it.

Half-Day Trip:

Splashes & Smiles

The rafting trip adventure continues after riverside lunch with our full-day trips.

Now we descend into the lower gorge section we call the narrows, or the bottom, once known as Rick James' Grand Canyon of the White Salmon. 

Full-Day Trip:

Splashes & Smiles with Riverside lunch

There is a lot going on with this river and we are the guides who know the plan.  Come with us and you'll have an amazing time on all of our Class III experiences!