The Farmlands
Difficulty: V
Ages: 18+
Season: April – June
Price: $95
Length: 5.1 Miles
The Farmlands section of the White Salmon River is arguably the most committing, exciting, and spectacular commercial rafting run in the Pacific Northwest. Ten miles upstream of the Forest Service put-in for the main section of the White Salmon River, the Farmlands section offers continuous class IV-V whitewater in a series of canyons defined by vertical cliff walls and horizon-line upon horizon-line of stairstepping rapids. Although, the Farmlands begins with an innocent looking stretch of river barely wider than a raft, once rafters have entered the canyons they are completely committed. Within the canyons, rafters will find scenery and whitewater adventure unrivaled by other commercial rafting trips as the White Salmon careens through rapids such as Sidewinder, The Drop Zone, Mini Lava, Lava Dam, and Off Ramp
The first canyon of the Farmlands provides a good warm-up, and rafters will notice logjams pinned between the narrow cliff walls 30 feet over head as they rocket through a series of class III rapids. After a quick portage around Sidewinder rapid, the river briefly exits the canyon and rafters have a short chance to relax before entering the next canyon known as The Drop Zone. The Drop Zone can be described as squeezing the river into a narrow, cliff-lined gorge, and tilting it at a 45 degree angle down hill. This is non-stop, in your face, class IV-V whitewater rafting at its best. Rafters must stay in control in this section to avoid missing the mandatory portage around un-raftable Lava Dam Falls. This canyon concludes with the exciting, multi-tiered ledge drop rapid known as Stephen's Ledge. As the river exits the Drop Zone, rafters have a chance to recover for a brief period of class II whitewater before the White Salmon drops into the third and final canyon of the Farmlands section. After another barrage of continuous class IV-V rapids such as Off Ramp and the Toaster Slot, the trip finally ends with a scramble up the canyon walls to return to the road nearly 100 vertical feet above the river.
Rafters on this trip should be prepared for challenging, committing whitewater and adventurous rock scrambling on the portages.
Day Trips
| River Trips | Class | Ages | Season | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klickitat River | III+ | 10+ | April - June | |
| Wind River | IV - V (previous experience required) | 18+ | April - June | |
| Tieton River | III+ | 10+ | September - | |
| The Farmlands | V | 18+ | April - June | |
| White Salmon | III - IV | 10+ | April - September |
Group Trips
| River Trips | Class | Ages | Season | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Reservations | Varies by River | 10 + | April - September | |
| Raft and BBQ! | Varies by River | 10 + | April - September | |
| Wedding Parties | Varies by River | 10 + | December - September |
Multi-Day Trips
| River Trips | Class | Ages | Season | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Salmon River | III | 5+ | June - September | |
| Hell’s Canyon | III - IV | 7+ | June - September |
Specialty Trips
| River Trips | Class | Ages | Season | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Water and Wine Rafting Trip | III - IV | 21+ | May - September | |
| Multi-Day Combos | Varies (see below) | Varies (see below) | April - May |