CHARTERED RAFT TRIPS ON THE SNAKE AND LOWER SALMON RIVERS
Every trip that Hells Canyon Raft provides is carefully curated to bring our guests the best of what this spectacular area offers. The Hells Canyon Snake River Trips and Salmon River Canyon Trips you’ll find on our website are designed with mixed groups in mind, with the goal of giving a broad range of explorers a time-tested and satisfying experience.
But – that doesn’t mean you’re locked into the format of the three-, four-, five-, or six-day trips detailed on our website. Hells Canyon Raft also offers custom, chartered trips for anyone looking to put a unique spin on their next river adventure!
Chartered raft trips are like the VIP version of something that’s already amazing! Imagine cruising down the river with your own group, surrounded by breathtaking scenery, and a knowledgeable guide leading the way. The best part? It’s all about you and your crew— just your friends, family, or colleagues enjoying the thrill of the rapids and the splendor of the breathtaking canyons together.
More Focused Attention from our Amazing Guides
With our low guide-to-guest ratio, we can accommodate most any request. We have taken guests as young as four years old and as old as 91, and our chartered trips make it even easier for our team to cater to the needs of any ‘outlier’ guests. (Our recommended minimum age for group trips is 5 years old on the Salmon river and 7 years old on the Snake river). This makes a chartered trip ideal for family reunions, wedding parties or other groups with a broad range of individuals.
You Set the Pace
With a chartered raft trip, you get to set the pace. Hells Canyon has some of the largest rapids in the Northwest. The river is a pool-and-drop river meaning boulders have dammed the river, forming pools behind – and drops over – the boulders. The Salmon River has tons of rapids, with breathtaking white sandy beaches to play and camp on.
Looking for an adrenaline-packed ride? We’ll make sure the large, wet, fun waves will be the centerpiece of your days. Are you seeking a more leisurely float to take in the sites? We can do that, too. Want to stop and spend some extra time at a favorite campsite, fishing or exploring the cool historic sites along the way? We’ll make it happen.
Incorporate Your Interests
Do you have history buffs in your group? A chartered trip allows you to put the storied history of the area on full display. You can choose to spend more time at the old Homestead cabins in the canyons, reading through the original wallpaper of old Saturday Evening Post pages glued to the walls. Or, dive deeper into the meaning of the Native American artwork found in several different places along the river. Some of this artwork is over 7000 years old.
Do you have a group that wants to add an extra layer of mindfulness to your retreat? We can help you design a trip that incorporates a wide range of yoga practices, from energizing Sunrise Yoga to restorative Late Afternoon yoga or calming Evening Yoga (or all three, built in at different points in the trip), we’ve got experience in building specialized trips to enhance your connection to the beautiful river environment. (Are you a yoga instructor? We can also help build a custom, chartered trip for you to offer your clients!)
Do you want to do a little extra dry land exploring and like to break a sweat on your adventures? We’ll plan more time for hiking so your group can discover and uncover the wonders of the canyons.
Does your group love to wet a hook? The fishing in Hells Canyon is EXCELLENT and a chartered trip allows our guests (with the help of our guides) spend more time pursuing this favorite pastime, exploring more fishing holes, and trying out more tackle. We provide all the gear and can almost guarantee you will catch a fish, especially if that’s your focus on a chartered trip. The most popular catches include rainbow trout and bass, but the river also has catfish, carp, northern pike and white sturgeon that can reach up to nine feet in length!
Choose Your River Craft
Hells Canyon Raft offers a mix of boats. Oar boats — where the guide does all the work with two large oars — are great for lounging and fishing, all YOU need to do is hold on. Paddle boats let you get into the action – the guide steers from the back and coaches the group through the rapids. Or try an inflatable kayak. These one-person sit-on-top kayaks are surprisingly easy to run. During calm stretches or at camp you can get some exercise on a Stand Up Paddle board. The more daring can also try them in the rapids. A chartered trip allows you to customize these choices to build just the experience you’re looking for.
No Sacrifices Necessary
While your chartered trip can be designed to fit your aspirations, you don’t need to miss out on any of the fabulous features we provide on every Hells Canyon Raft trip.
Our canyon cuisine never fails to earn praise, and it’s no wonder. For lunch, our guides roll out an impressive riverside spread of meats, cheeses, fresh salads, fruit and homemade cookies. In the afternoon, the gear boat goes ahead of the group to set up camp (yes, we pitch your tents for you) and set up the riverside kitchen and dining room. That means YOU get to settle in with a refreshing drink and a delicious appetizer while the guides prepare dinner. Hearty and delicious meals feature menu items like grilled Idaho trout and juicy Idaho steaks, with rosemary beer focaccia bread baked in a Dutch Oven right there in camp. You’ll savor pork tenderloin medallions with a Hells Canyon Apricot Chutney (many of the ingredients are locally sourced, some from Hells Canyon itself). And many, many more delicious delights.
The personalized attention from the guide ensures that everyone feels comfortable and has a blast. It’s like having your own private river paradise, tailor-made for an epic adventure!
Chartered Trip Options
A private trip can be reserved for 2-19 people! During our prime season; late June, July and mid-August, 18 spaces is what it takes to charter, with a top trip size of 19 people. Although, we have made private trips with as small as two people. During May, early June and September, we can charter trips for as few as 12 guests (this can be the ideal time for fishing-focused adventures, too). Tell us what you want. Our goal will be to provide.
Another benefit of a chartered trip with Hells Canyon Raft is that we take care of all the logistics. We are happy to help with your pre- and post- trip hotel reservations and arrange vehicle shuttles, as well as airport pickup, and group transportation. That’s all part of your customized, curated, chartered trip.
Sound tantalizing? Let’s talk! The Hells Canyon Team is here to answer any questions you might have about this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
