River Rafting Oregon - Farmlands River

The Farmlands (Section of the White Salmon River)

Price: $95 per trip

Difficulty: Class IV-V
For Experienced Rafters Only. Requirements: 18 years of age, previous class IV whitewater experience, excellent physical condition (a fitness test may be required)

Ages: 18 years and up

Season: April - early June

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.

"That was without a doubt, the most intense river rafting that I have done in my life. Today particularly rocked in that we not only had a blast in the rapids but we also experienced some full on rock scaling. I participated in my first ever raft lift, in which we saw the deflated raft as it was lifted one hundred feet in the air. Phenomenal leaders, Steve, Todd and Andy were a perfect definition of team. I definitely hope to return one day soon. Thanks for broadening my scope and perspective on how thrilling whitewater can be. The Farmlands was amazing!" Nat, class of 1993 Connecticut College