High Desert River Outfitters

They dont provide helmets. I had the worst experience on level 4 8 foot tall rapid. They urge to pack the raft with 8 people. We somehow brought 7 people together. The guide told us to duck in with the T-​shaped oars but didnt warn us about heads probably banging. I hurt my forehead and nose pretty badly. I don’t know if it was someone’s oar or forehead. PLEASE dont go with these amateur guides if you dont have helmets on…

Carlos, if that’s even his really name ;D, was the best! Super funny and had a lot of great stories while we were out there rafting. There was 2 groups this morning but you could definitely tell that our group got way more wet and had way more fun. I was nervous at the beginning of the day (I can’t swim) but by the end I loved rafting. Thanks for a great time Carlos, I wish I could have saw one of those spotted squirrels run across the squirrel bridge haha

This was an amazing experience, our group had so much fun! I could tell we got lucky with our guide Nate, he was the most fun. Nate had us doing all kinds of different fun things like surfing the waves and getting us all to stand on the edge of the raft and lock the handle of our paddles together and leaning off the side of the raft, doing back flips off the raft, just all the fun! He was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining, he showed us a great time and I highly recommend his as a guide. The whole experience was great everyone was friendly and helpful, we will definitely be going again.

HDRO took my group of 11 guys on a fantastic overnight trip. The guides (Kim, Virginia and Justin) were outstanding — fun to be with, highly informed, super hard working, professional, and kept us all safe and happy. Dealing with the scheduling and set up with the office was straightforward too, and everyone went out of their way to be helpful. Can’t recommend HDRO highly enough.

We did the Groupon for HDRO on the 25^th and 26^th of August, 2015. 11 of us total spread out over two days. The first group of 5 had Nate, the second group with the remaining 6 had Michael.
Nate was a super personable nice guy who seemed to completely know what he was doing. I definitely felt safe with him guiding us in the back.
Interestingly enough, on the first day, due to some mistakes we made, we ended up going backwards/​sideways over the Oak Springs rapid on the Deschutes. ³⁄₅ of us were dumped into the water (don’t worry, everybody was fine). Two of us were stuck in the «room of doom» and the other was swept downstream. Nate seemed very surprised that this happened.
The next day, at the same rapid, guided by Michael, the second group went in in a much more sane way, and yet two more of our party got dumped (one into the room of doom, one swept away downstream)! I don’t think anybody blames the guides, but I figured I should point out that there is definitely a non zero chance of going for an unintentional swim!
A couple tips for those that are going here: if you need to wear glasses, make sure you have a strap on them. Make sure you wear plenty of sunscreen. Don’t wear anything you don’t want to have get soaked. Don’t put anything in your pockets. Nothing. Seriously — nothing.
Overall, I had a very good time and would not hesitate to recommend HDRO.

Went on a ½ day float. It was a good day but our guide, Steve Rice, made it an awesome day!!! Ask for him when u go.

Went with a group of 8 and it was a great time! Zach was awesome, best guide ever! I will definitely be back to do this again with the family. Great job! 5 stars.

This was my first time rafting– I’ve always wanted to go, and I was exited, but had no idea what to expect. We did the full day trip. It was fantastic, and a lot of it was because we chose to go through this company.
We were a bigger group– 10 of us –and so we got the bigger raft. Because of the expertise of our guide, Mick, our boat got to do plenty of amazing things in the river that it seemed like other boats couldn’t quite muster. He was funny, engaging, knew history about the area, and knew how to make our raft do all sorts of fun things. It was so awesome!
I can’t recommend this place enough! I can’t wait to go do it again!

Fantastic time today with HDRO
Marcus our guide was great
It’s very safe and a fun time for all

Like a lot of people, I’ve floated a river more times than I can count. Sat in an inner tube or an inflated air-​mattress and went down lazy rivers with friends. Which is cool, lots of fun times, but I recently decided I wanted to go for something bigger. So I checked out GroupOn and found a deal for HDRO.
Really, no secret here, GroupOn deals can be either sketchy or amazing; you never know what you’re gonna get until you’re there. In this case, it was a steal. The value for the experience made it absolutely, hands down, without a doubt worth it.
The vibe at HDRO is chill in the friendliest of ways. The staff easily transform themselves into your insta-​friends, as in instantly you’re comfortable and chatting away as you sign waivers, get fitted for a life-​vest, and hop in a van to get carted down to the river with your new BFFs.
[Insert Chris Farley Jokes Here]
On the shore, you’ll split up into boats and prepare for a wet ride. We were put in a boat guided by Deign. Deign is a perpetually sun-​burnt and jovial guy with the most infectious laugh. He made this trip an epic adventure, which, to be sure, was a tall order. He had two pretty fit adults, two large and in charge women, and one excited eight year old on board. Some of us were apprehensive at the start and some of us were ready to jump right in and swim the length of the river. His mission was to make us all have a good time. And he succeeded brilliantly.
Deign, nay HDRO generally, caters to their customers. The more adventurous folks get crazier rides. The tamer crowd gets a mellower float. Everyone hits class four rapids and comes out smiling… and dripping… and ready to do it all over again.
Pro (Really I’ve Only Gone Once) Tips:
1. There’s a huge parking area in the back for parking… and tailgating. It’s totally okay to bring your own snacks/​food/​drinks for consumption on the lot. Be prepared to share and mingle; I am not kidding when I say folks are friendly.
2. Bring water in a bottle with a hook or clip or some other means of attaching it to the D-​rings on the raft. Plastic bottles you pick up at the mini-​mart aren’t clip-​able and you’ll have to stow ‘em.
3. Don’t be the douchebag who gets visibly and vocally angry about not being given a helmet. If you need one, bring one.
4. They hold your keys for you, stow everything else in your car. They have an employee hanging out in the lot area and your belongings in your locked car should be safe.
5. Put sunscreen on your knees and thighs. Just trust me. Ouch.
6. Split the cost of the photos HDRO takes of you while rafting with others that are in your boat. It makes the steep $ 50 price tag a little easier to swallow and sharing photos online via email or Flickr later is cake.
7. Ride the bull. You’ll regret it later if you don’t.

Rafting time! Been here twice with a groupon. The staff have always been courteous, funny and accommodating to the rafting group needs. They can make your experience as intense or as relaxing as you like on your rafting tour.
Tour guides are very friendly, joke around with each other and generally allow for a great time on the river. The equipment they use is very clean and well maintained. They are very well trained in river safety and instructing you what to do if emergency situation happens.
I highly recommend this place for all your rafting needs just cause of how awesome the staff is and how they prioritize safety on the river.

What a blast! Rafting (this part of the Deschutes) is a perfect balance of tranquility and excitement. We did the half day trip and had a great time. Dano our guide was very entertaining and capable on the river. The guides here are pretty energetic and give the place a bit of a party atmosphere. Looking forward to going again! You’ll get wet, you’ll scream, you’ll get a ton of sun. Campsites are available but limited. You’re only allowed to camp in designated places and there’s no forest around there to just wander into-​Maupin is ALL about rafting, but we found a nice spot downstream.

My husband and I were just married less them two weeks ago and decided to use a groupon we had for a mini-​pre honeymoon yesterday.
What an wonderful trip we had! Mick, our guide, definitely added to the enjoyment of our experience. He shared amusing facts about squirrel bridges, was knowledgable about the region & thankfully rafting, was quick to aid when there was a collision of heads and while at times I felt an increased level of apprehension after his thorough explanations of possible events that could happen… was ultimately thankful for the information.
Also our shuttle driver/​photographer was hilarious. Her and one of the other female guides broke out a Hotel California air guitar performance ushering us back to our rigs.
Fun and funny… will be back and will recommend to others. Thanks for the day/​memories! S&A

Went rafting for the first time on Monday for the Labor Day holiday with a group of 23 friends. Not only did they accomodate our large group, they made sure we had a great time and all arrived back with a great story. Tons of fun and some wonderful pictures to share of our adventure. Would do this again and enjoyed Dano as our guide! :)

If you are worried about it being too scary or intense — don’t be, just go! The groupon half day was way longer than I expected and very worth it. There was points of rapids and points were you can jump out and swim in the river, perfect on a hot day it’s definitely very calm in large parts of the river. I’m surprised they don’t have helmets for the class 4 rapid but it wasn’t an issue since no one fell out but I would think they would have these just for extra extra cautious-​ness? Anyway great time highly suggest it

My first time rafting and it was amazing! The staff was friendly and so encouraging. They take safety very seriously. Our guide, Bibs, was great! For never rafting before, I did class 2, 3 & 4 rapids like a pro. The Deschutes River is beautiful. I would definitely go again. I highly recommend this.

My husband and I took three teenage boys this past weekend on a rafting adventure and we all loved it! Sadie was our guide… she was fun, and was really good about giving us instruction of when and how to paddle through the rapids. The boys did the bull (you’ll see it’s fun and a really good laugh), we had a blast soaking the other boats with water wars. Jumping in the water and floating the small rapids was a blast… probably one of the best parts!

My wife and I just did a trip with these guys yesterday. I really don’t know how it could have been better. Professionally run, great, friendly guides. Attention to safety. Gorgeous scenery. Can’t think of how it could have been better.

this was my first time white rafting, and HDRO really gave an amazing experience. we used a groupon which made the price reasonable. also, all the staff was super nice and helpful.
not sure how it was for other rafts, but our guide, Griffin, was phenomenal. a real chill guy that was patient with us as we got our bearings as a team, and was able to provide good insight into how to properly row and control the raft going down river. looking back, while not an expert, his ability to give us simple directions and move the boat effortessly across the river was pretty amazing! never once did i question his expertise. overall, his general demeanor made for an awesome trip. will definitely be recommending friends request him as a guide!
overall, HDRO was amazing (and seemed much better put together then the other rafting companies, though i cant say that from experience).

Such a fun time with HDR! My wife and I did a full-​day rafting trip on the Deschutes out of Maupin. Brian, our guide, was fantastic; great sense of humor, knowledge of the river and the area and always engaging us as far as what we wanted to do when hitting the rapids. One thing that set HDR apart for me was the additional 4 miles of rafting past the usual take-​out point (an additional hour of rafting). The ability to get out at «swimmers rapids) and do a little floating though the rapids was fun and the BBQ lunch was really tasty (much better than the deli sandwiches I’ve had on other trips).
One note: I booked through «Rapid River Rafters“but apparently they are the same company at HDR. Either way you’re going to have a great day on the water!